diff --git a/cmd/registrar/exec.go b/cmd/registrar/exec.go
index 27a846f31e..4859a07e70 100644
--- a/cmd/registrar/exec.go
+++ b/cmd/registrar/exec.go
@@ -262,10 +262,7 @@ func registerCheckpoint(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 	}
 	sigStrs := strings.Split(ctx.GlobalString(signatureFlag.Name), ",")
 	for _, sig := range sigStrs {
-		trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(sig)
-		if strings.HasPrefix(trimmed, "0x") {
-			trimmed = trimmed[2:]
-		}
+		trimmed := strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(sig), "0x")
 		if len(trimmed) != 130 {
 			utils.Fatalf("Invalid signature in --signature: %s", trimmed)
 		} else {
diff --git a/contracts/registrar/registrar_test.go b/contracts/registrar/registrar_test.go
index a0e030853f..bcfec7856f 100644
--- a/contracts/registrar/registrar_test.go
+++ b/contracts/registrar/registrar_test.go
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func assertSignature(addr common.Address, index uint64, hash [32]byte, r, s [32]
 	}
 	var signer common.Address
 	copy(signer[:], crypto.Keccak256(pubkey[1:])[12:])
-	return bytes.Compare(signer.Bytes(), expect.Bytes()) == 0
+	return bytes.Equal(signer.Bytes(), expect.Bytes())
 }
 
 type Account struct {
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ func TestCheckpointRegister(t *testing.T) {
 		if lindex != index {
 			return errors.New("latest checkpoint index mismatch")
 		}
-		if bytes.Compare(lhash[:], hash[:]) != 0 {
+		if !bytes.Equal(lhash[:], hash[:]) {
 			return errors.New("latest checkpoint hash mismatch")
 		}
 		if lheight.Cmp(height) != 0 {