diff --git a/core/types/block.go b/core/types/block.go
index 92b868d9da..fc3da50d5c 100644
--- a/core/types/block.go
+++ b/core/types/block.go
@@ -100,6 +100,14 @@ type headerMarshaling struct {
 // Hash returns the block hash of the header, which is simply the keccak256 hash of its
 // RLP encoding.
 func (h *Header) Hash() common.Hash {
+	// If the mix digest is equivalent to the predefined Istanbul digest, use Istanbul
+	// specific hash calculation.
+	if h.MixDigest == IstanbulDigest {
+		// Seal is reserved in extra-data. To prove block is signed by the proposer.
+		if istanbulHeader := IstanbulFilteredHeader(h, true); istanbulHeader != nil {
+			return rlpHash(istanbulHeader)
+		}
+	}
 	return rlpHash(h)
 }
 
diff --git a/core/types/istanbul.go b/core/types/istanbul.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3375dbbda3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/types/istanbul.go
@@ -0,0 +1,107 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The go-ethereum Authors
+// This file is part of the go-ethereum library.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+// GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with the go-ethereum library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package types
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/rlp"
+)
+
+var (
+	// IstanbulDigest represents a hash of "Istanbul practical byzantine fault tolerance"
+	// to identify whether the block is from Istanbul consensus engine
+	IstanbulDigest = common.HexToHash("0x63746963616c2062797a616e74696e65206661756c7420746f6c6572616e6365")
+
+	IstanbulExtraVanity = 32 // Fixed number of extra-data bytes reserved for validator vanity
+	IstanbulExtraSeal   = 65 // Fixed number of extra-data bytes reserved for validator seal
+
+	// ErrInvalidIstanbulHeaderExtra is returned if the length of extra-data is less than 32 bytes
+	ErrInvalidIstanbulHeaderExtra = errors.New("invalid istanbul header extra-data")
+)
+
+type IstanbulExtra struct {
+	Validators    []common.Address
+	Seal          []byte
+	CommittedSeal [][]byte
+}
+
+// EncodeRLP serializes ist into the Ethereum RLP format.
+func (ist *IstanbulExtra) EncodeRLP(w io.Writer) error {
+	return rlp.Encode(w, []interface{}{
+		ist.Validators,
+		ist.Seal,
+		ist.CommittedSeal,
+	})
+}
+
+// DecodeRLP implements rlp.Decoder, and load the istanbul fields from a RLP stream.
+func (ist *IstanbulExtra) DecodeRLP(s *rlp.Stream) error {
+	var istanbulExtra struct {
+		Validators    []common.Address
+		Seal          []byte
+		CommittedSeal [][]byte
+	}
+	if err := s.Decode(&istanbulExtra); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	ist.Validators, ist.Seal, ist.CommittedSeal = istanbulExtra.Validators, istanbulExtra.Seal, istanbulExtra.CommittedSeal
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ExtractIstanbulExtra extracts all values of the IstanbulExtra from the header. It returns an
+// error if the length of the given extra-data is less than 32 bytes or the extra-data can not
+// be decoded.
+func ExtractIstanbulExtra(h *Header) (*IstanbulExtra, error) {
+	if len(h.Extra) < IstanbulExtraVanity {
+		return nil, ErrInvalidIstanbulHeaderExtra
+	}
+
+	var istanbulExtra *IstanbulExtra
+	err := rlp.DecodeBytes(h.Extra[IstanbulExtraVanity:], &istanbulExtra)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return istanbulExtra, nil
+}
+
+// IstanbulFilteredHeader returns a filtered header which some information (like seal, committed seals)
+// are clean to fulfill the Istanbul hash rules. It returns nil if the extra-data cannot be
+// decoded/encoded by rlp.
+func IstanbulFilteredHeader(h *Header, keepSeal bool) *Header {
+	newHeader := CopyHeader(h)
+	istanbulExtra, err := ExtractIstanbulExtra(newHeader)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if !keepSeal {
+		istanbulExtra.Seal = []byte{}
+	}
+	istanbulExtra.CommittedSeal = [][]byte{}
+
+	payload, err := rlp.EncodeToBytes(&istanbulExtra)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	newHeader.Extra = append(newHeader.Extra[:IstanbulExtraVanity], payload...)
+
+	return newHeader
+}
diff --git a/core/types/istanbul_test.go b/core/types/istanbul_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..db5453b53a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/types/istanbul_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+// Copyright 2017 The go-ethereum Authors
+// This file is part of the go-ethereum library.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// The go-ethereum library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
+// GNU Lesser General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+// along with the go-ethereum library. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+
+package types
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common/hexutil"
+)
+
+func TestHeaderHash(t *testing.T) {
+	// 0xcefefd3ade63a5955bca4562ed840b67f39e74df217f7e5f7241a6e9552cca70
+	expectedExtra := common.FromHex("0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000f89af8549444add0ec310f115a0e603b2d7db9f067778eaf8a94294fc7e8f22b3bcdcf955dd7ff3ba2ed833f8212946beaaed781d2d2ab6350f5c4566a2c6eaac407a6948be76812f765c24641ec63dc2852b378aba2b440b8410000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000c0")
+	expectedHash := common.HexToHash("0xcefefd3ade63a5955bca4562ed840b67f39e74df217f7e5f7241a6e9552cca70")
+
+	// for istanbul consensus
+	header := &Header{MixDigest: IstanbulDigest, Extra: expectedExtra}
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(header.Hash(), expectedHash) {
+		t.Errorf("expected: %v, but got: %v", expectedHash.Hex(), header.Hash().Hex())
+	}
+
+	// append useless information to extra-data
+	unexpectedExtra := append(expectedExtra, []byte{1, 2, 3}...)
+	header.Extra = unexpectedExtra
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(header.Hash(), rlpHash(header)) {
+		t.Errorf("expected: %v, but got: %v", rlpHash(header).Hex(), header.Hash().Hex())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestExtractToIstanbul(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		vanity         []byte
+		istRawData     []byte
+		expectedResult *IstanbulExtra
+		expectedErr    error
+	}{
+		{
+			// normal case
+			bytes.Repeat([]byte{0x00}, IstanbulExtraVanity),
+			hexutil.MustDecode("0xf858f8549444add0ec310f115a0e603b2d7db9f067778eaf8a94294fc7e8f22b3bcdcf955dd7ff3ba2ed833f8212946beaaed781d2d2ab6350f5c4566a2c6eaac407a6948be76812f765c24641ec63dc2852b378aba2b44080c0"),
+			&IstanbulExtra{
+				Validators: []common.Address{
+					common.BytesToAddress(hexutil.MustDecode("0x44add0ec310f115a0e603b2d7db9f067778eaf8a")),
+					common.BytesToAddress(hexutil.MustDecode("0x294fc7e8f22b3bcdcf955dd7ff3ba2ed833f8212")),
+					common.BytesToAddress(hexutil.MustDecode("0x6beaaed781d2d2ab6350f5c4566a2c6eaac407a6")),
+					common.BytesToAddress(hexutil.MustDecode("0x8be76812f765c24641ec63dc2852b378aba2b440")),
+				},
+				Seal:          []byte{},
+				CommittedSeal: [][]byte{},
+			},
+			nil,
+		},
+		{
+			// insufficient vanity
+			bytes.Repeat([]byte{0x00}, IstanbulExtraVanity-1),
+			nil,
+			nil,
+			ErrInvalidIstanbulHeaderExtra,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, test := range testCases {
+		h := &Header{Extra: append(test.vanity, test.istRawData...)}
+		istanbulExtra, err := ExtractIstanbulExtra(h)
+		if err != test.expectedErr {
+			t.Errorf("expected: %v, but got: %v", test.expectedErr, err)
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(istanbulExtra, test.expectedResult) {
+			t.Errorf("expected: %v, but got: %v", test.expectedResult, istanbulExtra)
+		}
+	}
+}