diff --git a/lemur/authorities/service.py b/lemur/authorities/service.py
index 9bed0eea..f414d6a8 100644
--- a/lemur/authorities/service.py
+++ b/lemur/authorities/service.py
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ def create(kwargs):
     kwargs['creator'] = g.current_user.email
     cert_body, intermediate, issuer_roles = issuer.create_authority(kwargs)
 
-    cert = cert_service.save_cert(cert_body, None, intermediate, None, None, None)
+    cert = cert_service.save_cert(cert_body, None, intermediate, None)
     cert.user = g.current_user
 
     # we create and attach any roles that the issuer gives us
@@ -65,9 +65,11 @@ def create(kwargs):
            password=r['password'],
            description="{0} auto generated role".format(kwargs.get('pluginName')),
            username=r['username'])
+
         # the user creating the authority should be able to administer it
         if role.username == 'admin':
             g.current_user.roles.append(role)
+
         role_objs.append(role)
 
     authority = Authority(
@@ -80,7 +82,6 @@ def create(kwargs):
         roles=role_objs
     )
 
-    # do this last encase we need to roll back/abort
     database.update(cert)
     authority = database.create(authority)
 
diff --git a/lemur/certificates/service.py b/lemur/certificates/service.py
index 5cfb6484..3b3b2089 100644
--- a/lemur/certificates/service.py
+++ b/lemur/certificates/service.py
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ def import_certificate(**kwargs):
     return cert
 
 
-def save_cert(cert_body, private_key, cert_chain, challenge, csr_config, accounts):
+def save_cert(cert_body, private_key, cert_chain, accounts):
     """
     Determines if the certificate needs to be uploaded to AWS or other services.
 
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ def save_cert(cert_body, private_key, cert_chain, challenge, csr_config, account
     :param csr_config:
     :param accounts:
     """
-    cert = Certificate(cert_body, private_key, challenge, cert_chain, csr_config)
+    cert = Certificate(cert_body, private_key, cert_chain)
     # if we have an AWS accounts lets upload them
     if accounts:
         for account in accounts:
@@ -204,8 +204,6 @@ def upload(**kwargs):
         kwargs.get('public_cert'),
         kwargs.get('private_key'),
         kwargs.get('intermediate_cert'),
-        None,
-        None,
         kwargs.get('accounts')
     )
 
@@ -223,6 +221,7 @@ def create(**kwargs):
 
     cert.owner = kwargs['owner']
     database.create(cert)
+    cert.description = kwargs['description']
     g.user.certificates.append(cert)
     database.update(g.user)
     return cert
@@ -372,7 +371,7 @@ def create_csr(csr_config):
     # serialize our private key and CSR
     pem = private_key.private_bytes(
         encoding=serialization.Encoding.PEM,
-        format=serialization.PrivateFormat.PKCS8,
+        format=serialization.PrivateFormat.TraditionalOpenSSL,  # would like to use PKCS8 but AWS ELBs don't like it
         encryption_algorithm=serialization.NoEncryption()
     )