diff --git a/js/src/api/util/sha3.js b/js/src/api/util/sha3.js
index 11ca6189a..f07f88068 100644
--- a/js/src/api/util/sha3.js
+++ b/js/src/api/util/sha3.js
@@ -17,9 +17,12 @@
 import { keccak_256 } from 'js-sha3'; // eslint-disable-line
 
 import { hexToBytes } from './format';
+import { isHex } from './types';
 
 export function sha3 (value, options) {
-  if (options && options.encoding === 'hex') {
+  const forceHex = options && options.encoding === 'hex';
+
+  if (forceHex || (!options && isHex(value))) {
     const bytes = hexToBytes(value);
     return sha3(bytes);
   }
@@ -28,3 +31,5 @@ export function sha3 (value, options) {
 
   return `0x${hash}`;
 }
+
+sha3.text = (val) => sha3(val, { encoding: 'raw' });
diff --git a/js/src/api/util/sha3.spec.js b/js/src/api/util/sha3.spec.js
index 3446f7def..2945ce51a 100644
--- a/js/src/api/util/sha3.spec.js
+++ b/js/src/api/util/sha3.spec.js
@@ -32,5 +32,14 @@ describe('api/util/sha3', () => {
       expect(sha3('01020304', { encoding: 'hex' })).to.equal('0xa6885b3731702da62e8e4a8f584ac46a7f6822f4e2ba50fba902f67b1588d23b');
       expect(sha3(Uint8Array.from([1, 2, 3, 4]))).to.equal('0xa6885b3731702da62e8e4a8f584ac46a7f6822f4e2ba50fba902f67b1588d23b');
     });
+
+    it('should interpret as bytes by default', () => {
+      expect(sha3('0x01020304')).to.equal('0xa6885b3731702da62e8e4a8f584ac46a7f6822f4e2ba50fba902f67b1588d23b');
+    });
+
+    it('should force text if option is passed', () => {
+      expect(sha3('0x01020304', { encoding: 'raw' })).to.equal('0x16bff43de576d28857dcba65a56fc17c5e93c09bd6a709268eff8e62025ae869');
+      expect(sha3.text('0x01020304')).to.equal('0x16bff43de576d28857dcba65a56fc17c5e93c09bd6a709268eff8e62025ae869');
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/js/src/api/util/types.js b/js/src/api/util/types.js
index 6fe442e93..96d7251d5 100644
--- a/js/src/api/util/types.js
+++ b/js/src/api/util/types.js
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ export function isFunction (test) {
 }
 
 export function isHex (_test) {
+  if (!isString(_test)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   if (_test.substr(0, 2) === '0x') {
     return isHex(_test.slice(2));
   }
diff --git a/js/src/api/util/types.spec.js b/js/src/api/util/types.spec.js
index df9bf2f1f..1436eb160 100644
--- a/js/src/api/util/types.spec.js
+++ b/js/src/api/util/types.spec.js
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ describe('api/util/types', () => {
     it('correctly identifies non-hex values', () => {
       expect(isHex('123j')).to.be.false;
     });
+
+    it('correctly indentifies non-string values', () => {
+      expect(isHex(false)).to.be.false;
+      expect(isHex()).to.be.false;
+      expect(isHex([1, 2, 3])).to.be.false;
+    });
   });
 
   describe('isInstanceOf', () => {
diff --git a/js/src/contracts/registry.js b/js/src/contracts/registry.js
index 04c562f50..ffb14c626 100644
--- a/js/src/contracts/registry.js
+++ b/js/src/contracts/registry.js
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ export default class Registry {
 
   lookupAddress (_name) {
     const name = _name.toLowerCase();
-    const sha3 = this._api.util.sha3(name);
+    const sha3 = this._api.util.sha3.text(name);
 
     return this.getInstance().then((instance) => {
       return instance.getAddress.call({}, [sha3, 'A']);
diff --git a/js/src/dapps/registry/Lookup/actions.js b/js/src/dapps/registry/Lookup/actions.js
index 1e8ed5898..3a8ef515e 100644
--- a/js/src/dapps/registry/Lookup/actions.js
+++ b/js/src/dapps/registry/Lookup/actions.js
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export const lookup = (name, key) => (dispatch, getState) => {
   name = name.toLowerCase();
   dispatch(lookupStart(name, key));
 
-  getAddress.call({}, [ sha3(name), key ])
+  getAddress.call({}, [ sha3.text(name), key ])
     .then((address) => dispatch(success('lookup', address)))
     .catch((err) => {
       console.error(`could not lookup ${key} for ${name}`);
diff --git a/js/src/dapps/registry/Names/actions.js b/js/src/dapps/registry/Names/actions.js
index 2396278cb..12600ff80 100644
--- a/js/src/dapps/registry/Names/actions.js
+++ b/js/src/dapps/registry/Names/actions.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export const reserve = (name) => (dispatch, getState) => {
         value: fee
       };
       const values = [
-        sha3(name)
+        sha3.text(name)
       ];
 
       return postTx(api, reserve, options, values);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ export const drop = (name) => (dispatch, getState) => {
       };
 
       const values = [
-        sha3(name)
+        sha3.text(name)
       ];
 
       return postTx(api, drop, options, values);
diff --git a/js/src/dapps/registry/Records/actions.js b/js/src/dapps/registry/Records/actions.js
index f85304d5f..8318c9dcc 100644
--- a/js/src/dapps/registry/Records/actions.js
+++ b/js/src/dapps/registry/Records/actions.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export const update = (name, key, value) => (dispatch, getState) => {
       };
 
       const values = [
-        sha3(name),
+        sha3.text(name),
         key,
         value
       ];
diff --git a/js/src/dapps/registry/util/registry.js b/js/src/dapps/registry/util/registry.js
index 371b29aec..ed3039b4d 100644
--- a/js/src/dapps/registry/util/registry.js
+++ b/js/src/dapps/registry/util/registry.js
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 export const getOwner = (contract, name) => {
   const { address, api } = contract;
 
-  const key = api.util.sha3(name) + '0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001';
+  const key = api.util.sha3.text(name) + '0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001';
   const position = api.util.sha3(key, { encoding: 'hex' });
 
   return api
diff --git a/js/src/modals/ExecuteContract/executeContract.test.js b/js/src/modals/ExecuteContract/executeContract.test.js
index 8d9e4ccca..ac1138a17 100644
--- a/js/src/modals/ExecuteContract/executeContract.test.js
+++ b/js/src/modals/ExecuteContract/executeContract.test.js
@@ -68,13 +68,13 @@ const STORE = {
 };
 
 function createApi (result = true) {
+  const sha3 = sinon.stub().resolves('0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000');
+  sha3.text = sha3;
   return {
     parity: {
       registryAddress: sinon.stub().resolves('0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000')
     },
-    util: {
-      sha3: sinon.stub().resolves('0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000')
-    }
+    util: { sha3 }
   };
 }
 
diff --git a/js/src/modals/Verification/email-store.js b/js/src/modals/Verification/email-store.js
index a12d1968d..5360ad611 100644
--- a/js/src/modals/Verification/email-store.js
+++ b/js/src/modals/Verification/email-store.js
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ export default class EmailVerificationStore extends VerificationStore {
     super(api, EmailVerificationABI, EMAIL_VERIFICATION, account, isTestnet);
   }
 
-  requestValues = () => [ sha3(this.email) ]
+  requestValues = () => [ sha3.text(this.email) ]
 
   @action setEmail = (email) => {
     this.email = email;
diff --git a/js/src/modals/Verification/store.js b/js/src/modals/Verification/store.js
index 9d6680231..06250fd76 100644
--- a/js/src/modals/Verification/store.js
+++ b/js/src/modals/Verification/store.js
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ export default class VerificationStore {
 
     const confirm = contract.functions.find((fn) => fn.name === 'confirm');
     const options = { from: account };
-    const values = [ sha3(code) ];
+    const values = [ sha3.text(code) ];
 
     this.code = code;
     this.isCodeValid = null;
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ export default class VerificationStore {
 
   @action sendConfirmation = () => {
     const { api, account, contract, code } = this;
-    const token = sha3(code);
+    const token = sha3.text(code);
 
     const confirm = contract.functions.find((fn) => fn.name === 'confirm');
     const options = { from: account };
diff --git a/js/src/ui/Form/AddressSelect/addressSelectStore.js b/js/src/ui/Form/AddressSelect/addressSelectStore.js
index bdb7c1fb2..e04f8b55d 100644
--- a/js/src/ui/Form/AddressSelect/addressSelectStore.js
+++ b/js/src/ui/Form/AddressSelect/addressSelectStore.js
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ export default class AddressSelectStore {
           return emailVerification
             .instance
             .reverse
-            .call({}, [ sha3(email) ])
+            .call({}, [ sha3.text(email) ])
             .then((address) => {
               return {
                 address,
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export default class AddressSelectStore {
         this.regLookups.push((name) => {
           return registryInstance
             .getAddress
-            .call({}, [ sha3(name), 'A' ])
+            .call({}, [ sha3.text(name), 'A' ])
             .then((address) => {
               return {
                 address,
diff --git a/js/src/views/Settings/Background/background.js b/js/src/views/Settings/Background/background.js
index 48f3a49ec..ebf3c7a96 100644
--- a/js/src/views/Settings/Background/background.js
+++ b/js/src/views/Settings/Background/background.js
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class Background extends Component {
   generateSeed () {
     const { api, muiTheme } = this.context;
 
-    return api.util.sha3(`${muiTheme.backgroundSeed}${Math.random()}${counter++}`);
+    return api.util.sha3.text(`${muiTheme.backgroundSeed}${Math.random()}${counter++}`);
   }
 }