diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 5da8fec2..08920baf 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 FROM node:14-alpine
 
-RUN apk add git python make g++ --no-cache
+RUN apk add git python3 make g++ --no-cache
 
 WORKDIR /app
 
diff --git a/src/builder.js b/src/builder.js
index d0caad7b..d7da75d3 100644
--- a/src/builder.js
+++ b/src/builder.js
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import StateModel from './models/state_model';
 import {WinstonConsoleLogger} from './utils/loggers';
 import WorkerLogger from './services/worker_logger';
 
+import PrivateKeyRetriever from './services/privatekey_retriever';
+
 import AccountAccessDefinitions from './services/account_access_definitions';
 import AccountRepository from './services/account_repository';
 import {
@@ -85,7 +87,8 @@ class Builder {
   }
 
   async build(config, dependencies = {}) {
-    this.config = config;
+    const nodePrivateKey = config.nodePrivateKey || await PrivateKeyRetriever.retrieve() || '';
+    this.config = Object.freeze({...config, nodePrivateKey});
     const {web3} = dependencies;
     const {db, client} = await connectToMongo(this.config);
     this.db = db;
diff --git a/src/config/config.ts b/src/config/config.ts
index a25203f2..e9cc3b61 100644
--- a/src/config/config.ts
+++ b/src/config/config.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ export interface Config {
   cleanupWorkerInterval: number;
   hermesBundlesValidatorWorkerInterval: number;
   hermesBackupWorkerInterval: number;
+
+  privateKeyServiceUrl: string;
+  privateKeyServiceAttempts: number;
+  privateKeyMinimumLength: number;
 }
 
 const config: Readonly<Config> = Object.freeze({
@@ -114,7 +118,11 @@ const config: Readonly<Config> = Object.freeze({
   hermesBundlesValidatorWorkerInterval: Number(process.env.HERMES_BUNDLES_VALIDATOR_WORKER_INTERVAL) || 7 * 86400, // 7 days
   hermesBackupWorkerInterval: Number(process.env.HERMES_BACKUP_WORKER_INTERVAL) || 7 * 86400, // 7 days
 
-  storePath: process.env.STORE_PATH || '/opt/hermes/state.json'
+  storePath: process.env.STORE_PATH || '/opt/hermes/state.json',
+
+  privateKeyServiceUrl: 'http://pkservice:3000',
+  privateKeyServiceAttempts: 10,
+  privateKeyMinimumLength: 50
 });
 
 export default config;
diff --git a/src/services/privatekey_retriever.ts b/src/services/privatekey_retriever.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..404a0440
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/services/privatekey_retriever.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+/*
+Copyright: Ambrosus Inc.
+Email: tech@ambrosus.io
+
+This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file, You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+This Source Code Form is “Incompatible With Secondary Licenses”, as defined by the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0.
+*/
+import config from '../config/config';
+import {aesDecrypt, networkRequest} from '../utils/private_key';
+
+class PrivateKeyRetriever {
+  private retrieveAttempts = config.privateKeyServiceAttempts;
+  private serviceUrl = config.privateKeyServiceUrl;
+  private minimalPKLength = config.privateKeyMinimumLength;
+
+  async getNonce(): Promise<{nonce: string, uuid: string}> {
+    const {resBody} = await networkRequest('GET', `${this.serviceUrl}/nonce`);
+    const resBodyParsed = JSON.parse(resBody);
+    const {nonce, uuid} = resBodyParsed;
+    return {nonce, uuid};
+  }
+
+  async getPK(uuid: string): Promise<string> {
+    const {resBody} = await networkRequest('POST', `${this.serviceUrl}/secret/${uuid}`);
+    return JSON.parse(resBody).secret;
+  }
+
+  async retrieve(): Promise<string> {
+    while (this.retrieveAttempts > 0) {
+      try {
+        const {nonce, uuid} = await this.getNonce();
+        const secret = await this.getPK(uuid);
+        const nonceBuffer = Buffer.from(String(nonce), 'base64');
+        const pkEncrypted = Buffer.from(String(secret), 'base64');
+        const pk = aesDecrypt(pkEncrypted, nonceBuffer);
+        // check privateKey length
+        if (pk.length > this.minimalPKLength) {
+          return pk;
+        }
+      } catch (err) {
+        console.log(`Unable to retrieve private key`, err);
+      }
+      this.retrieveAttempts--; // decrease attempts
+      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 1000)); // sleep for 1s between attempts
+    }
+    return '';
+  }
+}
+
+export default new PrivateKeyRetriever();
diff --git a/src/utils/private_key.ts b/src/utils/private_key.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bdb7055f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/private_key.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+/*
+Copyright: Ambrosus Inc.
+Email: tech@ambrosus.io
+
+This Source Code Form is subject to the terms of the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0. If a copy of the MPL was not distributed with this file, You can obtain one at https://mozilla.org/MPL/2.0/.
+
+This Source Code Form is “Incompatible With Secondary Licenses”, as defined by the Mozilla Public License, v. 2.0.
+*/
+import http from 'http';
+import crypto from 'crypto';
+
+export function networkRequest(method: string, url: string): Promise<{resBody: string, status: number}> {
+  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+    const req = http.request(url, {method, headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'}}, (res) => {
+      let outputData = '';
+      res.setEncoding('utf8');
+      res.on('data', (chunk) => {
+        outputData += chunk;
+      });
+      res.on('end', () => {
+        if (res.statusCode === 200) {
+          resolve({resBody: outputData, status: res.statusCode});
+        }
+        reject(res.statusCode);
+      });
+    });
+    req.on('error', (err) => {
+      console.error('error occurred', err);
+      reject(err);
+    });
+    req.end();
+  });
+}
+
+export function aesDecrypt(input: Buffer, key: Buffer): string {
+  const iv = input.slice(0, 16);
+  const decipher = crypto.createDecipheriv('aes-256-cbc', key, iv);
+
+  const decrypted = Buffer.concat([decipher.update(input.slice(16)), decipher.final()]);
+  return `${decrypted.toString()}`;
+}