diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index b0cae8dce..55e9ca79c 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ log = "0.3"
 env_logger = "0.3"
 ethcore-util = "0.1.0"
 evmjit = { path = "rust-evmjit", optional = true }
+rustc-serialize = "0.3"
 
 [features]
 jit = ["evmjit"]
diff --git a/src/account.rs b/src/account.rs
index 400273fab..966b596d4 100644
--- a/src/account.rs
+++ b/src/account.rs
@@ -169,6 +169,8 @@ fn playpen() {
 
 #[test]
 fn new_account() {
+	use rustc_serialize::hex::ToHex;
+
 	let a = Account::new(U256::from(69u8), U256::from(0u8), HashMap::new(), Bytes::new());
 	assert_eq!(a.rlp().to_hex(), "f8448045a056e81f171bcc55a6ff8345e692c0f86e5b48e01b996cadc001622fb5e363b421a0c5d2460186f7233c927e7db2dcc703c0e500b653ca82273b7bfad8045d85a470");
 	assert_eq!(a.balance(), &U256::from(69u8));
@@ -179,6 +181,8 @@ fn new_account() {
 
 #[test]
 fn create_account() {
+	use rustc_serialize::hex::ToHex;
+
 	let a = Account::new(U256::from(69u8), U256::from(0u8), HashMap::new(), Bytes::new());
 	assert_eq!(a.rlp().to_hex(), "f8448045a056e81f171bcc55a6ff8345e692c0f86e5b48e01b996cadc001622fb5e363b421a0c5d2460186f7233c927e7db2dcc703c0e500b653ca82273b7bfad8045d85a470");
 }
diff --git a/src/blockheader.rs b/src/blockheader.rs
index 6abbbdff7..6ef7764d5 100644
--- a/src/blockheader.rs
+++ b/src/blockheader.rs
@@ -56,26 +56,26 @@ impl Header {
 
 impl Decodable for Header {
 	fn decode<D>(decoder: &D) -> Result<Self, DecoderError> where D: Decoder {
-		decoder.read_list(| d | {
-			let blockheader = Header {
-				parent_hash: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[0])),
-				uncles_hash: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[1])),
-				author: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[2])),
-				state_root: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[3])),
-				transactions_root: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[4])),
-				receipts_root: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[5])),
-				log_bloom: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[6])),
-				difficulty: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[7])),
-				number: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[8])),
-				gas_limit: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[9])),
-				gas_used: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[10])),
-				timestamp: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[11])),
-				extra_data: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[12])),
-				seal: vec![],
-			};
-			// TODO: fill blockheader.seal with (raw) list items index 12..)
-			Ok(blockheader)
-		})
+		let d = try!(decoder.as_list());
+
+		let blockheader = Header {
+			parent_hash: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[0])),
+			uncles_hash: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[1])),
+			author: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[2])),
+			state_root: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[3])),
+			transactions_root: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[4])),
+			receipts_root: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[5])),
+			log_bloom: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[6])),
+			difficulty: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[7])),
+			number: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[8])),
+			gas_limit: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[9])),
+			gas_used: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[10])),
+			timestamp: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[11])),
+			extra_data: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[12])),
+			seal: vec![],
+		};
+		// TODO: fill blockheader.seal with (raw) list items index 12..)
+		Ok(blockheader)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 8a562cec2..d7f354423 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@
 #[macro_use]
 extern crate log;
 extern crate env_logger;
+extern crate rustc_serialize;
 #[cfg(feature = "jit" )]
 extern crate evmjit;
 extern crate ethcore_util as util;
diff --git a/src/transaction.rs b/src/transaction.rs
index fc2159c8a..4fbd9588b 100644
--- a/src/transaction.rs
+++ b/src/transaction.rs
@@ -37,17 +37,18 @@ impl Encodable for Transaction {
 
 impl Decodable for Transaction {
 	fn decode<D>(decoder: &D) -> Result<Self, DecoderError>  where D: Decoder {
-		decoder.read_list(| d | {
-			let transaction = Transaction {
-				nonce: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[0])),
-				gas_price: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[1])),
-				gas: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[2])),
-				receive_address: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[3])),
-				value: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[4])),
-				data: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[5])),
-			};
-			Ok(transaction)
-		})
+		let d = try!(decoder.as_list());
+
+		let transaction = Transaction {
+			nonce: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[0])),
+			gas_price: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[1])),
+			gas: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[2])),
+			receive_address: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[3])),
+			value: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[4])),
+			data: try!(Decodable::decode(&d[5])),
+		};
+
+		Ok(transaction)
 	}
 }