diff --git a/crypto_dev_signer/eth/signer/defaultsigner.py b/crypto_dev_signer/eth/signer/defaultsigner.py
index 18b881d..0c4b7f3 100644
--- a/crypto_dev_signer/eth/signer/defaultsigner.py
+++ b/crypto_dev_signer/eth/signer/defaultsigner.py
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@ import logging
 # external imports
 import sha3
 import coincurve
+from hexathon import int_to_minbytes
+
+# local imports
+from crypto_dev_signer.eth.encoding import chain_id_to_v
 
 logg = logging.getLogger().getChild(__name__)
 
@@ -31,28 +35,18 @@ class ReferenceSigner(Signer):
         h = sha3.keccak_256()
         h.update(s)
         message_to_sign = h.digest()
-        z = self.sign(tx.sender, message_to_sign, password)
-
-        vnum = int.from_bytes(tx.v, 'big')
-        v = (vnum * 2) + 35 + z[64]
-        byts = ((v.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
-        tx.v = v.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
-        tx.r = z[:32]
-        tx.s = z[32:64]
-
-        for i in range(len(tx.r)):
-            if tx.r[i] > 0:
-                tx.r = tx.r[i:]
-                break
-
-        for i in range(len(tx.s)):
-            if tx.s[i] > 0:
-                tx.s = tx.s[i:]
-                break
+        z = self.sign_pure(tx.sender, message_to_sign, password)
 
         return z
 
 
+    def sign_transaction_to_rlp(self, tx, password=None):
+        chain_id = int.from_bytes(tx.v, byteorder='big')
+        sig = self.sign_transaction(tx, password)
+        tx.apply_signature(chain_id, sig)
+        return tx.rlp_serialize()
+
+
     def sign_ethereum_message(self, address, message, password=None):
         
         #k = keys.PrivateKey(self.keyGetter.get(address, password))
@@ -73,12 +67,12 @@ class ReferenceSigner(Signer):
         h.update(ethereumed_message_header + message)
         message_to_sign = h.digest()
 
-        z = self.sign(address, message_to_sign, password)
+        z = self.sign_pure(address, message_to_sign, password)
         return z
 
 
     # TODO: generic sign should be moved to non-eth context
-    def sign(self, address, message, password=None):
+    def sign_pure(self, address, message, password=None):
         pk = coincurve.PrivateKey(secret=self.keyGetter.get(address, password))
         z = pk.sign_recoverable(hasher=None, message=message)
         return z
diff --git a/crypto_dev_signer/eth/transaction.py b/crypto_dev_signer/eth/transaction.py
index 8fb9304..2e2cc92 100644
--- a/crypto_dev_signer/eth/transaction.py
+++ b/crypto_dev_signer/eth/transaction.py
@@ -1,15 +1,20 @@
 # standard imports
 import logging
 import binascii
+import re
 
 # external imports
 from rlp import encode as rlp_encode
 from hexathon import (
         strip_0x,
         add_0x,
+        int_to_minbytes,
         )
 
-logg = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+# local imports
+from crypto_dev_signer.eth.encoding import chain_id_to_v
+
+logg = logging.getLogger().getChild(__name__)
 
 
 class Transaction:
@@ -23,54 +28,55 @@ class Transaction:
 
 class EIP155Transaction:
 
-    def __init__(self, tx, nonce, chainId=1):
-        to = None
-        data = None
-        if tx['to'] != None:
-            #to = binascii.unhexlify(strip_0x(tx['to'], allow_empty=True))
+    def __init__(self, tx, nonce_in, chainId_in=1):
+        to = b''
+        data = b''
+        if tx.get('to') != None:
             to = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(tx['to'], allow_empty=True))
-        if tx['data'] != None:
-            #data = binascii.unhexlify(strip_0x(tx['data'], allow_empty=True))
+        if tx.get('data') != None:
             data = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(tx['data'], allow_empty=True))
 
         gas_price = None
         start_gas = None
         value = None
+        nonce = None
+        chainId = None
 
+        # TODO: go directly from hex to bytes
         try:
             gas_price = int(tx['gasPrice'])
+            byts = ((gas_price.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
+            gas_price = gas_price.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
         except ValueError:
-            gas_price = int(tx['gasPrice'], 16)
-        byts = ((gas_price.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
-        gas_price = gas_price.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
+            gas_price = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(tx['gasPrice'], allow_empty=True))
 
         try:
             start_gas = int(tx['gas'])
+            byts = ((start_gas.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
+            start_gas = start_gas.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
         except ValueError:
-            start_gas = int(tx['gas'], 16)
-        byts = ((start_gas.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
-        start_gas = start_gas.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
+            start_gas = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(tx['gas'], allow_empty=True))
 
         try:
             value = int(tx['value'])
+            byts = ((value.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
+            value = value.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
         except ValueError:
-            value = int(tx['value'], 16)
-        byts = ((value.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
-        value = value.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
+            value = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(tx['value'], allow_empty=True))
 
         try:
-            nonce = int(nonce)
+            nonce = int(nonce_in)
+            byts = ((nonce.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
+            nonce = nonce.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
         except ValueError:
-            nonce = int(nonce, 16)
-        byts = ((nonce.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
-        nonce = nonce.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
+            nonce = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(nonce_in, allow_empty=True))
 
         try:
-            chainId = int(chainId)
+            chainId = int(chainId_in)
+            byts = ((chainId.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
+            chainId = chainId.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
         except ValueError:
-            chainId = int(chainId, 16)
-        byts = ((chainId.bit_length()-1)/8)+1
-        chainId = chainId.to_bytes(int(byts), 'big')
+            chainId = bytes.fromhex(strip_0x(chainId_in, allow_empty=True))
 
         self.nonce = nonce
         self.gas_price = gas_price
@@ -120,7 +126,7 @@ class EIP155Transaction:
             'gas': add_0x(self.start_gas.hex()),
             'to': add_0x(self.to.hex()),
             'value': add_0x(self.value.hex(), allow_empty=True),
-            'data': add_0x(self.data.hex()),
+            'data': add_0x(self.data.hex(), allow_empty=True),
             'v': add_0x(self.v.hex(), allow_empty=True),
             'r': add_0x(self.r.hex(), allow_empty=True),
             's': add_0x(self.s.hex(), allow_empty=True),
@@ -135,3 +141,24 @@ class EIP155Transaction:
             tx['nonce'] = '0x00'
 
         return tx
+
+
+    def apply_signature(self, chain_id, signature):
+        if len(self.r + self.s) > 0:
+            raise AttributeError('signature already set')
+        if len(signature) < 65:
+            raise ValueError('invalid signature length')
+        v = chain_id_to_v(chain_id, signature)
+        self.v = int_to_minbytes(v)
+        self.r = signature[:32]
+        self.s = signature[32:64]
+            
+        for i in range(len(self.r)):
+            if self.r[i] > 0:
+                self.r = self.r[i:]
+                break
+
+        for i in range(len(self.s)):
+            if self.s[i] > 0:
+                self.s = self.s[i:]
+                break
diff --git a/crypto_dev_signer/runnable/signer.py b/crypto_dev_signer/runnable/signer.py
index b786524..9014cc2 100755
--- a/crypto_dev_signer/runnable/signer.py
+++ b/crypto_dev_signer/runnable/signer.py
@@ -102,12 +102,13 @@ def personal_new_account(p):
     return r
 
 
-def personal_sign_transaction(p):
+def personal_signTransaction(p):
     logg.debug('got {} to sign'.format(p[0]))
     #t = EIP155Transaction(p[0], p[0]['nonce'], 8995)
     t = EIP155Transaction(p[0], p[0]['nonce'], int(p[0]['chainId']))
-    z = signer.sign_transaction(t, p[1])
-    raw_signed_tx = t.rlp_serialize()
+ #   z = signer.sign_transaction(t, p[1])
+ #   raw_signed_tx = t.rlp_serialize()
+    raw_signed_tx = signer.sign_transaction_to_rlp(t, p[1])
     o = {
         'raw': '0x' + raw_signed_tx.hex(),
         'tx': t.serialize(),
@@ -116,9 +117,9 @@ def personal_sign_transaction(p):
     return o
 
 
-# TODO: temporary workaround for platform, since personal_sign_transaction is missing from web3.py
-def eth_sign_transaction(tx):
-    return personal_sign_transaction([tx[0], ''])
+# TODO: temporary workaround for platform, since personal_signTransaction is missing from web3.py
+def eth_signTransaction(tx):
+    return personal_signTransaction([tx[0], ''])
 
 
 def eth_sign(p):
@@ -132,8 +133,8 @@ def eth_sign(p):
 
 methods = {
         'personal_newAccount': personal_new_account,
-        'personal_sign_transaction': personal_sign_transaction,
-        'eth_sign_transaction': eth_sign_transaction,
+        'personal_signTransaction': personal_signTransaction,
+        'eth_signTransaction': eth_signTransaction,
         'eth_sign': eth_sign,
     }
 
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 6a7153f..2353faf 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -3,9 +3,10 @@ cryptography==3.2.1
 pysha3==1.0.2
 #simple-rlp==0.1.2
 rlp==2.0.1
+eth-utils==1.10.0
 json-rpc==1.13.0
 confini~=0.3.6a3
 sqlalchemy==1.3.20
 coincurve==15.0.0
 pycrypto==2.6.1
-hexathon~=0.0.1a5
+hexathon~=0.0.1a6
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index da73111..b278bd8 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ f.close()
 
 setup(
         name="crypto-dev-signer",
-        version="0.4.14a10",
+        version="0.4.14a14",
         description="A signer and keystore daemon and library for cryptocurrency software development",
         author="Louis Holbrook",
         author_email="dev@holbrook.no",