diff --git a/accounts/abi/abi.go b/accounts/abi/abi.go
index 4c8f96680d..8045ece4a3 100644
--- a/accounts/abi/abi.go
+++ b/accounts/abi/abi.go
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ func (abi ABI) Unpack(v interface{}, name string, output []byte) (err error) {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// since there can't be naming collisions with contracts and events,
+	// we need to decide whether we're calling a method or an event
 	var unpack unpacker
 	if method, ok := abi.Methods[name]; ok {
 		unpack = method
@@ -100,10 +102,10 @@ func (abi ABI) Unpack(v interface{}, name string, output []byte) (err error) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("abi: could not locate named method or event.")
 	}
 
-	if unpack.tupleReturn() {
+	// requires a struct to unpack into for a tuple return...
+	if unpack.isTupleReturn() {
 		return unpack.tupleUnpack(v, output)
 	}
-
 	return unpack.singleUnpack(v, output)
 }
 
diff --git a/accounts/abi/pack.go b/accounts/abi/pack.go
index 4d8a3f0318..072e805368 100644
--- a/accounts/abi/pack.go
+++ b/accounts/abi/pack.go
@@ -61,8 +61,9 @@ func packElement(t Type, reflectValue reflect.Value) []byte {
 			reflectValue = mustArrayToByteSlice(reflectValue)
 		}
 		return common.RightPadBytes(reflectValue.Bytes(), 32)
+	default:
+		panic("abi: fatal error")
 	}
-	panic("abi: fatal error")
 }
 
 // packNum packs the given number (using the reflect value) and will cast it to appropriate number representation
@@ -74,6 +75,8 @@ func packNum(value reflect.Value) []byte {
 		return U256(big.NewInt(value.Int()))
 	case reflect.Ptr:
 		return U256(value.Interface().(*big.Int))
+	default:
+		panic("abi: fatal error")
 	}
-	return nil
+
 }
diff --git a/accounts/abi/pack_test.go b/accounts/abi/pack_test.go
index fcb5c75a85..36401ee677 100644
--- a/accounts/abi/pack_test.go
+++ b/accounts/abi/pack_test.go
@@ -435,7 +435,4 @@ func TestPackNumber(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("test %d: pack mismatch: have %x, want %x", i, packed, tt.packed)
 		}
 	}
-	if packed := packNum(reflect.ValueOf("string")); packed != nil {
-		t.Errorf("expected 'string' to pack to nil. got %x instead", packed)
-	}
 }
diff --git a/accounts/abi/reflect.go b/accounts/abi/reflect.go
index 104d94232d..e953b77c18 100644
--- a/accounts/abi/reflect.go
+++ b/accounts/abi/reflect.go
@@ -73,15 +73,9 @@ func mustArrayToByteSlice(value reflect.Value) reflect.Value {
 func set(dst, src reflect.Value, output Argument) error {
 	dstType := dst.Type()
 	srcType := src.Type()
-
 	switch {
-	case dstType.AssignableTo(src.Type()):
+	case dstType.AssignableTo(srcType):
 		dst.Set(src)
-	case dstType.Kind() == reflect.Array && srcType.Kind() == reflect.Slice:
-		if dst.Len() < output.Type.Size {
-			return fmt.Errorf("abi: cannot unmarshal src (len=%d) in to dst (len=%d)", output.Type.Size, dst.Len())
-		}
-		reflect.Copy(dst, src)
 	case dstType.Kind() == reflect.Interface:
 		dst.Set(src)
 	case dstType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr: