diff --git a/benches/rlp.rs b/benches/rlp.rs
index 20ddf25d4..10397db09 100644
--- a/benches/rlp.rs
+++ b/benches/rlp.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ extern crate test;
 extern crate ethcore_util;
 
 use test::Bencher;
-use ethcore_util::rlp::{RlpStream};
+use ethcore_util::rlp;
+use ethcore_util::rlp::{RlpStream, Rlp, Decodable};
 
 #[bench]
 fn bench_stream_value(b: &mut Bencher) {
@@ -34,6 +35,19 @@ fn bench_stream_nested_empty_lists(b: &mut Bencher) {
     });
 }
 
+#[bench]
+fn bench_decode_nested_empty_lists(b: &mut Bencher) {
+    b.iter( || {
+        // [ [], [[]], [ [], [[]] ] ]
+        let data = vec![0xc7, 0xc0, 0xc1, 0xc0, 0xc3, 0xc0, 0xc1, 0xc0];
+        let rlp = Rlp::new(&data);
+        let v0: Vec<u8> = Decodable::decode(&rlp.at(0).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let v1: Vec<Vec<u8>> = Decodable::decode(&rlp.at(1).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let v2a: Vec<u8> = Decodable::decode(&rlp.at(2).unwrap().at(0).unwrap()).unwrap();
+        let v2b: Vec<Vec<u8>> = Decodable::decode(&rlp.at(2).unwrap().at(1).unwrap()).unwrap();
+    });
+}
+
 #[bench]
 fn bench_stream_1000_empty_lists(b: &mut Bencher) {
     b.iter( || {
diff --git a/src/rlp.rs b/src/rlp.rs
index 12d94f4a1..e9e175363 100644
--- a/src/rlp.rs
+++ b/src/rlp.rs
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ impl <T> Decodable for Vec<T> where T: Decodable {
     }
 }
 
-trait Decoder {
+pub trait Decoder {
     fn read_value<T>(bytes: &[u8]) -> Result<T, DecoderError> where T: FromBytes;
 }