diff --git a/changelogs/fragments/33-fix-boot-ssh-key-setting.yaml b/changelogs/fragments/33-fix-boot-ssh-key-setting.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3134b04
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/fragments/33-fix-boot-ssh-key-setting.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+bugfixes:
+  - boot - fix incorrect handling of SSH authorized keys (https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.hrobot/issues/32, https://github.com/ansible-collections/community.hrobot/pull/33).
diff --git a/plugins/modules/boot.py b/plugins/modules/boot.py
index 18a81a2..1d524d3 100644
--- a/plugins/modules/boot.py
+++ b/plugins/modules/boot.py
@@ -392,7 +392,10 @@ def main():
                     should = module.params[option_name][option_key]
                     if should is None:
                         continue
+                    # unfold the return object for the idempotence check to work correctly
                     has = existing.get(data_key)
+                    if has and option_key == 'authorized_keys':
+                        has = [x['key']['fingerprint'] for x in has]
                     if isinstance(has, list):
                         has = sorted(has)
                         if not isinstance(should, list):
@@ -415,7 +418,7 @@ def main():
                     result, dummy = fetch_url_json(
                         module,
                         url,
-                        data=urlencode(data),
+                        data=urlencode(data, True),
                         headers=headers,
                         method='POST',
                     )
diff --git a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_boot.py b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_boot.py
index 86c01df..427676c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_boot.py
+++ b/tests/unit/plugins/modules/test_boot.py
@@ -157,15 +157,40 @@ def test_rescue_idempotent_2(self, mocker):
                 'os': 'linux',
                 'arch': 32,
                 'authorized_keys': [
-                    'abc',
-                    'def',
-                    'afz',
+                    'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0',
+                    'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99',
+                    '0f:1e:2d:3c:4b:5a:69:78:87:96:a5:b4:c3:d2:e1:f0',
                 ],
             },
         }, [
             FetchUrlCall('GET', 200)
             .result_json(_amend_boot({
-                'rescue': create_rescue_active(os='linux', arch=32, authorized_key=['def', 'afz', 'abc']),
+                'rescue': create_rescue_active(os='linux', arch=32, authorized_key=[
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': 'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0',
+                            'name': 'baz',
+                            'size': 4096,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': 'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99',
+                            'name': 'foo bar',
+                            'size': 2048,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': '0f:1e:2d:3c:4b:5a:69:78:87:96:a5:b4:c3:d2:e1:f0',
+                            'name': 'test',
+                            'size': 3072,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                ]),
             }))
             .expect_url('{0}/boot/23'.format(BASE_URL)),
         ])
@@ -333,15 +358,40 @@ def test_install_linux_idempotent_2(self, mocker):
                 'arch': 32,
                 'lang': 'de',
                 'authorized_keys': [
-                    'abc',
-                    'def',
-                    'afz',
+                    'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0',
+                    '0f:1e:2d:3c:4b:5a:69:78:87:96:a5:b4:c3:d2:e1:f0',
+                    'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99',
                 ],
             },
         }, [
             FetchUrlCall('GET', 200)
             .result_json(_amend_boot({
-                'linux': create_linux_active(dist='Arch Linux latest minimal', arch=32, lang='de', authorized_key=['def', 'afz', 'abc']),
+                'linux': create_linux_active(dist='Arch Linux latest minimal', arch=32, lang='de', authorized_key=[
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': 'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0',
+                            'name': 'abc',
+                            'size': 4096,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': 'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99',
+                            'name': 'buzz',
+                            'size': 2048,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': '0f:1e:2d:3c:4b:5a:69:78:87:96:a5:b4:c3:d2:e1:f0',
+                            'name': 'afz',
+                            'size': 2048,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                ]),
             }))
             .expect_url('{0}/boot/23'.format(BASE_URL)),
         ])
@@ -404,8 +454,8 @@ def test_install_linux_reactivate(self, mocker):
                 'arch': 32,
                 'lang': 'fr',
                 'authorized_keys': [
-                    'asdf',
-                    'foo bar',
+                    'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0',
+                    'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99',
                 ],
             },
         }, [
@@ -421,10 +471,27 @@ def test_install_linux_reactivate(self, mocker):
             .expect_form_value('arch', '32')
             .expect_form_value('lang', 'fr')
             .expect_form_present('authorized_key')
-            # .expect_form_value('authorized_key', 'asdf')
-            # .expect_form_value('authorized_key', 'foo bar')
+            # .expect_form_value('authorized_key', 'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0')
+            # .expect_form_value('authorized_key', 'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99')
             .result_json({
-                'linux': create_linux_active(dist='Debian 11 base', lang='fr', arch=32, authorized_key=['foo bar', 'asdf']),
+                'linux': create_linux_active(dist='Debian 11 base', lang='fr', arch=32, authorized_key=[
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': 'aa:bb:cc:dd:ee:ff:00:11:22:33:44:55:66:77:88:99',
+                            'name': 'foo bar',
+                            'size': 4096,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                    {
+                        'key': {
+                            'fingerprint': 'e4:47:42:71:81:62:bf:06:1c:23:fa:f3:8f:7b:6f:d0',
+                            'name': 'bar',
+                            'size': 2048,
+                            'type': 'RSA',
+                        },
+                    },
+                ]),
             })
             .expect_url('{0}/boot/23/linux'.format(BASE_URL)),
         ])