diff --git a/core/commands/routing.go b/core/commands/routing.go
index d0f13c556af..a6f274a4d9d 100644
--- a/core/commands/routing.go
+++ b/core/commands/routing.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	ipld "github.com/ipfs/go-ipld-format"
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-merkledag"
 	path "github.com/ipfs/go-path"
+	ipath "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core/path"
 	peer "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 	routing "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/routing"
 )
@@ -369,7 +370,7 @@ Different key types can specify other 'best' rules.
 			return err
 		}
 
-		r, err := api.Routing().Get(req.Context, req.Arguments[0])
+		r, err := api.Routing().Get(req.Context, ipath.New(req.Arguments[0]))
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -429,7 +430,7 @@ identified by QmFoo.
 			return err
 		}
 
-		err = api.Routing().Put(req.Context, req.Arguments[0], data)
+		err = api.Routing().Put(req.Context, ipath.New(req.Arguments[0]), data)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/routing.go b/core/coreapi/routing.go
index 78f21c42997..b70494d6217 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/routing.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/routing.go
@@ -2,21 +2,22 @@ package coreapi
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/ipfs/go-path"
 	coreiface "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core"
+	ipath "github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core/path"
 	peer "github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p/core/peer"
 )
 
 type RoutingAPI CoreAPI
 
-func (r *RoutingAPI) Get(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]byte, error) {
+func (r *RoutingAPI) Get(ctx context.Context, p ipath.Path) ([]byte, error) {
 	if !r.nd.IsOnline {
 		return nil, coreiface.ErrOffline
 	}
 
-	dhtKey, err := normalizeKey(key)
+	dhtKey, err := normalizeKey(p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -24,12 +25,12 @@ func (r *RoutingAPI) Get(ctx context.Context, key string) ([]byte, error) {
 	return r.routing.GetValue(ctx, dhtKey)
 }
 
-func (r *RoutingAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, key string, value []byte) error {
+func (r *RoutingAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, p ipath.Path, value []byte) error {
 	if !r.nd.IsOnline {
 		return coreiface.ErrOffline
 	}
 
-	dhtKey, err := normalizeKey(key)
+	dhtKey, err := normalizeKey(p)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -37,12 +38,19 @@ func (r *RoutingAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, key string, value []byte) error {
 	return r.routing.PutValue(ctx, dhtKey, value)
 }
 
-func normalizeKey(s string) (string, error) {
-	parts := path.SplitList(s)
-	if len(parts) != 3 ||
-		parts[0] != "" ||
-		!(parts[1] == "ipns" || parts[1] == "pk") {
-		return "", errors.New("invalid key")
+func normalizeKey(p ipath.Path) (string, error) {
+	if err := p.IsValid(); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("invalid key: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	ns := p.Namespace()
+	if ns != "ipns" && ns != "pk" {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("key has unexpected namespace: %s", ns)
+	}
+
+	parts := path.SplitList(p.String())
+	if len(parts) != 3 {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("key has unexpected number of parts: %d, expected 3", len(parts))
 	}
 
 	k, err := peer.Decode(parts[2])
diff --git a/core/corehttp/gateway.go b/core/corehttp/gateway.go
index c20ab6e4a4f..2dc0d4aae52 100644
--- a/core/corehttp/gateway.go
+++ b/core/corehttp/gateway.go
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ func (gw *gatewayAPI) GetBlock(ctx context.Context, cid cid.Cid) (blocks.Block,
 }
 
 func (gw *gatewayAPI) GetIPNSRecord(ctx context.Context, c cid.Cid) ([]byte, error) {
-	return gw.api.Routing().Get(ctx, "/ipns/"+c.String())
+	return gw.api.Routing().Get(ctx, path.New("/ipns/"+c.String()))
 }
 
 func (gw *gatewayAPI) GetDNSLinkRecord(ctx context.Context, hostname string) (path.Path, error) {
diff --git a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
index a37a71c3f21..7df1b8c44f9 100644
--- a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
+++ b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.mod
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ replace github.com/ipfs/kubo => ./../../..
 
 require (
 	github.com/ipfs/go-libipfs v0.4.1-0.20230208022905-378aaf777cf9
-	github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208074154-2de38ba2c272
+	github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208075953-4d6f9f04e9fe
 	github.com/ipfs/kubo v0.0.0-00010101000000-000000000000
 	github.com/libp2p/go-libp2p v0.24.2
 	github.com/multiformats/go-multiaddr v0.8.0
diff --git a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
index 68cfb8a647b..82f3ea99230 100644
--- a/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
+++ b/docs/examples/kubo-as-a-library/go.sum
@@ -593,8 +593,8 @@ github.com/ipfs/go-unixfsnode v1.5.1/go.mod h1:ed79DaG9IEuZITJVQn4U6MZDftv6I3ygU
 github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.1/go.mod h1:5Hrva5KBeIog4A+UpqlaIU+DEstipcJYQQZc0g37pY0=
 github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.2 h1:XPnUv0XmdH+ZIhLGKg6U2vaPaRDXb9urMyNVCE7uvTs=
 github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.2/go.mod h1:40cD9x1y4OWnFXbLNJYRe7MpNvWlMn3LZAG5Wb4xnPU=
-github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208074154-2de38ba2c272 h1:1+3BC3Ghy9G5PqBRFcL64/mdvjS47wOdsF2tW2PHt3g=
-github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208074154-2de38ba2c272/go.mod h1:XRUw5unjgKwLvOucCJGOUOCP+AymSgpIqeta1wYQ2IE=
+github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208075953-4d6f9f04e9fe h1:OHSXfSeqHsNfM4c8mBFgCphqb05eEkC3Z6DB1JH0+EE=
+github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208075953-4d6f9f04e9fe/go.mod h1:XRUw5unjgKwLvOucCJGOUOCP+AymSgpIqeta1wYQ2IE=
 github.com/ipld/edelweiss v0.2.0 h1:KfAZBP8eeJtrLxLhi7r3N0cBCo7JmwSRhOJp3WSpNjk=
 github.com/ipld/edelweiss v0.2.0/go.mod h1:FJAzJRCep4iI8FOFlRriN9n0b7OuX3T/S9++NpBDmA4=
 github.com/ipld/go-car v0.5.0 h1:kcCEa3CvYMs0iE5BzD5sV7O2EwMiCIp3uF8tA6APQT8=
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index cc8a644624b..6958ebd6c8f 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/ipfs/go-unixfs v0.4.2
 	github.com/ipfs/go-unixfsnode v1.5.1
 	github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.2
-	github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208074154-2de38ba2c272
+	github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208075953-4d6f9f04e9fe
 	github.com/ipld/go-car v0.5.0
 	github.com/ipld/go-car/v2 v2.5.1
 	github.com/ipld/go-codec-dagpb v1.5.0
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index 80513287427..611d882b4f7 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -619,8 +619,8 @@ github.com/ipfs/go-unixfsnode v1.5.1/go.mod h1:ed79DaG9IEuZITJVQn4U6MZDftv6I3ygU
 github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.1/go.mod h1:5Hrva5KBeIog4A+UpqlaIU+DEstipcJYQQZc0g37pY0=
 github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.2 h1:XPnUv0XmdH+ZIhLGKg6U2vaPaRDXb9urMyNVCE7uvTs=
 github.com/ipfs/go-verifcid v0.0.2/go.mod h1:40cD9x1y4OWnFXbLNJYRe7MpNvWlMn3LZAG5Wb4xnPU=
-github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208074154-2de38ba2c272 h1:1+3BC3Ghy9G5PqBRFcL64/mdvjS47wOdsF2tW2PHt3g=
-github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208074154-2de38ba2c272/go.mod h1:XRUw5unjgKwLvOucCJGOUOCP+AymSgpIqeta1wYQ2IE=
+github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208075953-4d6f9f04e9fe h1:OHSXfSeqHsNfM4c8mBFgCphqb05eEkC3Z6DB1JH0+EE=
+github.com/ipfs/interface-go-ipfs-core v0.10.1-0.20230208075953-4d6f9f04e9fe/go.mod h1:XRUw5unjgKwLvOucCJGOUOCP+AymSgpIqeta1wYQ2IE=
 github.com/ipld/edelweiss v0.2.0 h1:KfAZBP8eeJtrLxLhi7r3N0cBCo7JmwSRhOJp3WSpNjk=
 github.com/ipld/edelweiss v0.2.0/go.mod h1:FJAzJRCep4iI8FOFlRriN9n0b7OuX3T/S9++NpBDmA4=
 github.com/ipld/go-car v0.5.0 h1:kcCEa3CvYMs0iE5BzD5sV7O2EwMiCIp3uF8tA6APQT8=