diff --git a/ethcore/src/client/client.rs b/ethcore/src/client/client.rs
index 7c87a0fc1..de42c2a72 100644
--- a/ethcore/src/client/client.rs
+++ b/ethcore/src/client/client.rs
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ const HISTORY: u64 = 1200;
 const CLIENT_DB_VER_STR: &'static str = "5.3";
 
 impl Client<CanonVerifier> {
-	/// Create a new client with given spec and DB path.
+	/// Create a new client with given spec and root path.
 	pub fn new(config: ClientConfig, spec: Spec, path: &Path, miner: Arc<Miner>, message_channel: IoChannel<NetSyncMessage> ) -> Result<Arc<Client>, ClientError> {
 		Client::<CanonVerifier>::new_with_verifier(config, spec, path, miner, message_channel)
 	}
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ pub fn append_path(path: &Path, item: &str) -> String {
 }
 
 impl<V> Client<V> where V: Verifier {
-	///  Create a new client with given spec and DB path and custom verifier.
+	///  Create a new client with given spec and root path and custom verifier.
 	pub fn new_with_verifier(
 		config: ClientConfig,
 		spec: Spec,
@@ -754,17 +754,32 @@ impl<V> BlockChainClient for Client<V> where V: Verifier {
 		self.miner.all_transactions()
 	}
 
-	fn take_snapshot(&self) {
+	fn take_snapshot(&self, root_dir: &Path) {
+		use pv64::BlockChunker;
+
 		let best_header_bytes = self.best_block_header();
 		let best_header = HeaderView::new(&best_header_bytes);
-		let hash = best_header.hash();
-		let state_root = best_header.state_root();
+
+		let mut manifest_hashes = Vec::new();
 
 		// lock the state db while we create the state chunks.
 		{
-			let state_db = self.state_db.lock().unwrap();
+			let _state_db = self.state_db.lock().unwrap();
+			let _state_root = best_header.state_root();
 			// todo [rob] actually create the state chunks.
 		}
+
+		let best_hash = best_header.hash();
+		let genesis_hash = self.chain.genesis_hash();
+
+		let mut path = root_dir.to_owned();
+		path.push("snapshot/");
+		::std::fs::create_dir(&path).unwrap();
+
+		let block_chunk_hashes = BlockChunker::new(self, best_hash, genesis_hash).chunk_all(&path);
+		for hash in block_chunk_hashes {
+			manifest_hashes.push(hash);
+		}
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/ethcore/src/client/mod.rs b/ethcore/src/client/mod.rs
index 9fdcdb1d4..53ecb40c2 100644
--- a/ethcore/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/ethcore/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ pub use executive::{Executed, Executive, TransactOptions};
 pub use env_info::{LastHashes, EnvInfo};
 
 use std::collections::HashSet;
+use std::path::Path;
 use util::bytes::Bytes;
 use util::hash::{Address, H256, H2048};
 use util::numbers::U256;
@@ -195,8 +196,9 @@ pub trait BlockChainClient : Sync + Send {
 	/// list all transactions
 	fn all_transactions(&self) -> Vec<SignedTransaction>;
 
-	/// Generate a PV64 snapshot for the current best block.
-	fn take_snapshot(&self);
+	/// Generate a PV64 snapshot for the current best block, saving it within the
+	/// root directory, whose path is given.
+	fn take_snapshot(&self, root_dir: &Path);
 }
 
 /// Extended client interface used for mining
diff --git a/ethcore/src/client/test_client.rs b/ethcore/src/client/test_client.rs
index ec48810c5..31d70ff1d 100644
--- a/ethcore/src/client/test_client.rs
+++ b/ethcore/src/client/test_client.rs
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ impl BlockChainClient for TestBlockChainClient {
 		self.miner.all_transactions()
 	}
 
-	fn take_snapshot(&self) {
+	fn take_snapshot(&self, _root_dir: &Path) {
 		unimplemented!()
 	}
 }
diff --git a/ethcore/src/pv64/mod.rs b/ethcore/src/pv64/mod.rs
index 3b3cb02de..62572c2a4 100644
--- a/ethcore/src/pv64/mod.rs
+++ b/ethcore/src/pv64/mod.rs
@@ -25,11 +25,11 @@ const SIZE_TOLERANCE: usize = 250 * 1024;
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io::Write;
-use std::path::Path
+use std::path::Path;
 
 use client::BlockChainClient;
 use ids::BlockID;
-use views::{BlockView, HeaderView};
+use views::BlockView;
 
 use util::{Bytes, Hashable};
 use util::hash::H256;
@@ -46,13 +46,13 @@ pub struct BlockChunker<'a> {
 
 impl<'a> BlockChunker<'a> {
 	/// Create a new BlockChunker given a client and the genesis hash.
-	pub fn new(client: &'a BlockChainClient, genesis_hash: H256) -> Self {
+	pub fn new(client: &'a BlockChainClient, best_block_hash: H256, genesis_hash: H256) -> Self {
 		// Todo [rob]: find a way to reuse rlp allocations
 		BlockChunker {
 			client: client,
 			rlps: VecDeque::new(),
 			genesis_hash: genesis_hash,
-			current_hash: HeaderView::new(&client.best_block_header()).hash(),
+			current_hash: best_block_hash,
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -95,10 +95,9 @@ impl<'a> BlockChunker<'a> {
 
 		let raw_data = rlp_stream.out();
 		let hash = raw_data.sha3();
-		let hash_str = hash.to_string();
 
 		let mut file_path = path.to_owned();
-		file_path.push(&hash_str[2..]);
+		file_path.push(hash.hex());
 
 		let mut file = File::create(file_path).unwrap();
 		file.write_all(&raw_data);