diff --git a/database/migrations/0068-community_tables_public_key_length.ts b/database/migrations/0068-community_tables_public_key_length.ts
index b51a1e6e0..df70b1182 100644
--- a/database/migrations/0068-community_tables_public_key_length.ts
+++ b/database/migrations/0068-community_tables_public_key_length.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any */
 
 export async function upgrade(queryFn: (query: string, values?: any[]) => Promise<Array<any>>) {
+  await queryFn('UPDATE `communities` SET `public_key` = UNHEX(publicKey);')
   await queryFn('ALTER TABLE `communities` MODIFY COLUMN `public_key` binary(32) NOT NULL;')
   // TODO: it is unclear if this is actually nullable - the model defines "default: null, nullable: true", but the table seems to be created without nullability(?)
   await queryFn(
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ export async function upgrade(queryFn: (query: string, values?: any[]) => Promis
 
 export async function downgrade(queryFn: (query: string, values?: any[]) => Promise<Array<any>>) {
   await queryFn('ALTER TABLE `communities` MODIFY COLUMN `public_key` binary(64) NOT NULL;')
+  await queryFn('UPDATE `communities` SET `public_key` = HEX(publicKey);')
   // TODO: see above
   await queryFn(
     'ALTER TABLE `federated_communities` MODIFY COLUMN `public_key` binary(64) NULL DEFAULT NULL;',