diff --git a/trie.py b/trie.py
index 93702fe2ab..18fe25b337 100644
--- a/trie.py
+++ b/trie.py
@@ -12,6 +12,25 @@ class DB():
     def put(self,key,value): return self.db.Put(key,value)
     def delete(self,key): return self.db.Delete(key)
 
+def hexarraykey_to_bin(key):
+    term = 1 if key[-1] == 16 else 0
+    if term: key2 = key[:-1]
+    oddlen = len(key) % 2
+    flags = 2 * term + oddlen
+    if oddlen: key = [flags] + key
+    else: key = [flags,0] + key
+    o = ''
+    for i in range(0,len(key),2):
+        o += chr(16 * key[i] + key[i+1])
+    return o
+
+def bin_to_hexarraykey(bindata):
+    o = ['0123456789abcdef'.find(x) for x in key[1:].encode('hex')]
+    if o[0] >= 2: o.append(16)
+    if o[0] % 2 == 1: o = o[1:]
+    else: o = o[2:]
+    return o
+
 databases = {}
 
 class Trie():
@@ -21,19 +40,6 @@ class Trie():
         if dbfile not in databases:
             databases[dbfile] = DB(dbfile)
         self.db = databases[dbfile]
-
-    def __encode_key(self,key):
-        term = 1 if key[-1] == 16 else 0
-        oddlen = (len(key) - term) % 2
-        prefix = ('0' if oddlen else '')
-        main = ''.join(['0123456789abcdef'[x] for x in key[:len(key)-term]])
-        return chr(2 * term + oddlen) + (prefix+main).decode('hex')
-
-    def __decode_key(self,key):
-        o = ['0123456789abcdef'.find(x) for x in key[1:].encode('hex')]
-        if key[0] == '\x01' or key[0] == '\x03': o = o[1:]
-        if key[0] == '\x02' or key[0] == '\x03': o.append(16)
-        return o
         
     def __get_state(self,node,key):
         if self.debug: print 'nk',node.encode('hex'),key
@@ -45,7 +51,7 @@ class Trie():
             raise Exception("node not found in database")
         elif len(curnode) == 2:
             (k2,v2) = curnode
-            k2 = self.__decode_key(k2)
+            k2 = hexarraykey_to_bin(k2)
             if len(key) >= len(k2) and k2 == key[:len(k2)]:
                 return self.__get_state(v2,key[len(k2):])
             else:
@@ -69,7 +75,7 @@ class Trie():
             return value
         else:
             if not node:
-                newnode = [ self.__encode_key(key), value ]
+                newnode = [ hexarraykey_to_bin(key), value ]
                 return self.__put(newnode)
             curnode = rlp.decode(self.db.get(node))
             if self.debug: print 'icn', curnode
@@ -77,9 +83,9 @@ class Trie():
                 raise Exception("node not found in database")
             if len(curnode) == 2:
                 (k2, v2) = curnode
-                k2 = self.__decode_key(k2)
+                k2 = hexarraykey_to_bin(k2)
                 if key == k2:
-                    newnode = [ self.__encode_key(key), value ]
+                    newnode = [ hexarraykey_to_bin(key), value ]
                     return self.__put(newnode)
                 else:
                     i = 0
@@ -96,7 +102,7 @@ class Trie():
                     if i == 0:
                         return newhash3
                     else:
-                        newnode4 = [ self.__encode_key(key[:i]), newhash3 ]
+                        newnode4 = [ hexarraykey_to_bin(key[:i]), newhash3 ]
                         return self.__put(newnode4)
             else:
                 newnode = [ curnode[i] for i in range(17) ]
@@ -114,15 +120,15 @@ class Trie():
             if self.debug: print 'dcn', curnode
             if len(curnode) == 2:
                 (k2, v2) = curnode
-                k2 = self.__decode_key(k2)
+                k2 = hexarraykey_to_bin(k2)
                 if key == k2:
                     return ''
                 elif key[:len(k2)] == k2:
                     newhash = self.__delete_state(v2,key[len(k2):])
                     childnode = rlp.decode(self.db.get(newhash))
                     if len(childnode) == 2:
-                        newkey = k2 + self.__decode_key(childnode[0])
-                        newnode = [ self.__encode_key(newkey), childnode[1] ]
+                        newkey = k2 + hexarraykey_to_bin(childnode[0])
+                        newnode = [ hexarraykey_to_bin(newkey), childnode[1] ]
                     else:
                         newnode = [ curnode[0], newhash ]
                     return self.__put(newnode)
@@ -142,8 +148,8 @@ class Trie():
                     if len(childnode) == 17:
                         newnode2 = [ key[0], newnode[onlynode] ]
                     elif len(childnode) == 2:
-                        newkey = [onlynode] + self.__decode_key(childnode[0])
-                        newnode2 = [ self.__encode_key(newkey), childnode[1] ]
+                        newkey = [onlynode] + hexarraykey_to_bin(childnode[0])
+                        newnode2 = [ hexarraykey_to_bin(newkey), childnode[1] ]
                 else:
                     newnode2 = newnode
                 return self.__put(newnode2)
@@ -154,7 +160,7 @@ class Trie():
         if not curnode:
             raise Exception("node not found in database")
         if len(curnode) == 2:
-            key = self.__decode_key(curnode[0])
+            key = hexarraykey_to_bin(curnode[0])
             if key[-1] == 16: return 1
             else: return self.__get_size(curnode[1])
         elif len(curnode) == 17:
@@ -170,15 +176,15 @@ class Trie():
         if not curnode:
             raise Exception("node not found in database")
         if len(curnode) == 2:
-            lkey = self.__decode_key(curnode[0])
+            lkey = hexarraykey_to_bin(curnode[0])
             o = {}
             if lkey[-1] == 16:
                 o[curnode[0]] = curnode[1]   
             else:
                 d = self.__to_dict(curnode[1])
                 for v in d:
-                    subkey = self.__decode_key(v)
-                    totalkey = self.__encode_key(lkey+subkey)
+                    subkey = hexarraykey_to_bin(v)
+                    totalkey = hexarraykey_to_bin(lkey+subkey)
                     o[totalkey] = d[v]
             return o
         elif len(curnode) == 17:
@@ -186,8 +192,8 @@ class Trie():
             for i in range(16):
                 d = self.__to_dict(curnode[i])
                 for v in d:
-                    subkey = self.__decode_key(v)
-                    totalkey = self.__encode_key([i] + subkey)
+                    subkey = hexarraykey_to_bin(v)
+                    totalkey = hexarraykey_to_bin([i] + subkey)
                     o[totalkey] = d[v]
             if curnode[16]: o[chr(16)] = curnode[16]
             return o
@@ -198,7 +204,7 @@ class Trie():
         d = self.__to_dict(self.root)
         o = {}
         for v in d:
-            v2 = ''.join(['0123456789abcdef'[x] for x in self.__decode_key(v)[:-1]])
+            v2 = ''.join(['0123456789abcdef'[x] for x in hexarraykey_to_bin(v)[:-1]])
             if not as_hex: v2 = v2.decode('hex')
             o[v2] = d[v]
         return o