diff --git a/binary/binary.go b/binary/binary.go
index 2fb4bf34a..5632ac69b 100644
--- a/binary/binary.go
+++ b/binary/binary.go
@@ -25,19 +25,23 @@ func WriteBinary(o interface{}, w io.Writer, n *int64, err *error) {
 }
 
 func ReadJSON(o interface{}, bytes []byte, err *error) interface{} {
-	var parsed interface{}
-	*err = json.Unmarshal(bytes, &parsed)
+	var object interface{}
+	*err = json.Unmarshal(bytes, &object)
 	if *err != nil {
 		return o
 	}
 
+	return ReadJSONFromObject(o, object, err)
+}
+
+func ReadJSONFromObject(o interface{}, object interface{}, err *error) interface{} {
 	rv, rt := reflect.ValueOf(o), reflect.TypeOf(o)
 	if rv.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
-		readReflectJSON(rv.Elem(), rt.Elem(), parsed, err)
+		readReflectJSON(rv.Elem(), rt.Elem(), object, err)
 		return o
 	} else {
 		ptrRv := reflect.New(rt)
-		readReflectJSON(ptrRv.Elem(), rt, parsed, err)
+		readReflectJSON(ptrRv.Elem(), rt, object, err)
 		return ptrRv.Elem().Interface()
 	}
 }
diff --git a/p2p/pex_reactor.go b/p2p/pex_reactor.go
index 5ba238d31..6af070589 100644
--- a/p2p/pex_reactor.go
+++ b/p2p/pex_reactor.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func DecodeMessage(bz []byte) (msg interface{}, err error) {
 }
 
 /*
-A pexHandshakeMessage contains the peer's chainId
+A pexHandshakeMessage contains the network identifier.
 */
 type pexHandshakeMessage struct {
 	Network string
diff --git a/rpc/http_handlers.go b/rpc/http_handlers.go
index 225561360..10e981dc1 100644
--- a/rpc/http_handlers.go
+++ b/rpc/http_handlers.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package rpc
 
 import (
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/binary"
@@ -9,7 +8,6 @@ import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
 	"reflect"
-	"strconv"
 )
 
 // cache all type information about each function up front
@@ -66,71 +64,24 @@ func toHandler(funcName string) func(http.ResponseWriter, *http.Request) {
 
 // convert a (json) string to a given type
 func jsonToArg(ty reflect.Type, arg string) (reflect.Value, error) {
-	v := reflect.New(ty).Elem()
-	kind := v.Kind()
 	var err error
-	switch kind {
-	case reflect.Interface:
-		v = reflect.New(ty)
-		binary.ReadJSON(v.Interface(), []byte(arg), &err)
-		if err != nil {
-			return v, err
-		}
-		v = v.Elem()
-	case reflect.Struct:
-		binary.ReadJSON(v.Interface(), []byte(arg), &err)
-		if err != nil {
-			return v, err
-		}
-	case reflect.Slice:
-		rt := ty.Elem()
-		if rt.Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
-			// if hex, decode
-			if len(arg) > 2 && arg[:2] == "0x" {
-				arg = arg[2:]
-				b, err := hex.DecodeString(arg)
-				if err != nil {
-					return v, err
-				}
-				v = reflect.ValueOf(b)
-			} else {
-				v = reflect.ValueOf([]byte(arg))
-			}
-		} else {
-			v = reflect.New(ty)
-			binary.ReadJSON(v.Interface(), []byte(arg), &err)
-			if err != nil {
-				return v, err
-			}
-			v = v.Elem()
-		}
-	case reflect.Int64:
-		u, err := strconv.ParseInt(arg, 10, 64)
-		if err != nil {
-			return v, err
-		}
-		v = reflect.ValueOf(u)
-	case reflect.Int32:
-		u, err := strconv.ParseInt(arg, 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return v, err
-		}
-		v = reflect.ValueOf(u)
-	case reflect.Uint64:
-		u, err := strconv.ParseUint(arg, 10, 64)
-		if err != nil {
-			return v, err
-		}
-		v = reflect.ValueOf(u)
-	case reflect.Uint:
-		u, err := strconv.ParseUint(arg, 10, 32)
-		if err != nil {
-			return v, err
-		}
-		v = reflect.ValueOf(u)
-	default:
-		v = reflect.ValueOf(arg)
+	v := reflect.New(ty)
+	binary.ReadJSON(v.Interface(), []byte(arg), &err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return v, err
+	}
+	v = v.Elem()
+	return v, nil
+}
+
+func jsonObjectToArg(ty reflect.Type, object interface{}) (reflect.Value, error) {
+	var err error
+	v := reflect.New(ty)
+	binary.ReadJSONFromObject(v.Interface(), object, &err)
+	if err != nil {
+		return v, err
 	}
+	v = v.Elem()
 	return v, nil
 }
 
@@ -145,6 +96,7 @@ func queryToValues(funcInfo *FuncWrapper, r *http.Request) ([]reflect.Value, err
 	for i, name := range argNames {
 		ty := argTypes[i]
 		arg := GetParam(r, name)
+		//fmt.Println("GetParam()", r, name, arg)
 		values[i], err = jsonToArg(ty, arg)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -154,12 +106,11 @@ func queryToValues(funcInfo *FuncWrapper, r *http.Request) ([]reflect.Value, err
 }
 
 // covert a list of interfaces to properly typed values
-// TODO!
-func paramsToValues(funcInfo *FuncWrapper, params []string) ([]reflect.Value, error) {
+func paramsToValues(funcInfo *FuncWrapper, params []interface{}) ([]reflect.Value, error) {
 	values := make([]reflect.Value, len(params))
 	for i, p := range params {
 		ty := funcInfo.args[i]
-		v, err := jsonToArg(ty, p)
+		v, err := jsonObjectToArg(ty, p)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -249,10 +200,10 @@ func initHandlers() {
 }
 
 type JsonRpc struct {
-	JsonRpc string   `json:"jsonrpc"`
-	Method  string   `json:"method"`
-	Params  []string `json:"params"`
-	Id      int      `json:"id"`
+	JsonRpc string        `json:"jsonrpc"`
+	Method  string        `json:"method"`
+	Params  []interface{} `json:"params"`
+	Id      int           `json:"id"`
 }
 
 // this will panic if not passed a function
diff --git a/rpc/test/http_rpc_test.go b/rpc/test/http_rpc_test.go
index 3021584c3..fa0eb29c7 100644
--- a/rpc/test/http_rpc_test.go
+++ b/rpc/test/http_rpc_test.go
@@ -71,6 +71,9 @@ func TestHTTPGenPriv(t *testing.T) {
 func TestHTTPGetAccount(t *testing.T) {
 	byteAddr, _ := hex.DecodeString(userAddr)
 	acc := getAccount(t, "HTTP", byteAddr)
+	if acc == nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Account was nil")
+	}
 	if bytes.Compare(acc.Address, byteAddr) != 0 {
 		t.Fatalf("Failed to get correct account. Got %x, expected %x", acc.Address, byteAddr)
 	}
diff --git a/rpc/test/json_rpc_test.go b/rpc/test/json_rpc_test.go
index 3b857f24e..e0f15150f 100644
--- a/rpc/test/json_rpc_test.go
+++ b/rpc/test/json_rpc_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func TestJSONStatus(t *testing.T) {
 	s := rpc.JsonRpc{
 		JsonRpc: "2.0",
 		Method:  "status",
-		Params:  []string{},
+		Params:  []interface{}{},
 		Id:      0,
 	}
 	b, err := json.Marshal(s)
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func TestJSONGenPriv(t *testing.T) {
 	s := rpc.JsonRpc{
 		JsonRpc: "2.0",
 		Method:  "unsafe/gen_priv_account",
-		Params:  []string{},
+		Params:  []interface{}{},
 		Id:      0,
 	}
 	b, err := json.Marshal(s)
diff --git a/rpc/test/test.go b/rpc/test/test.go
index 45a5f412a..37420e5f9 100644
--- a/rpc/test/test.go
+++ b/rpc/test/test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/account"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/binary"
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/config"
@@ -24,8 +23,6 @@ var (
 	rpcAddr     = "127.0.0.1:8089"
 	requestAddr = "http://" + rpcAddr + "/"
 
-	chainId string
-
 	node *daemon.Node
 
 	mempoolCount = 0
@@ -78,7 +75,7 @@ func getAccount(t *testing.T, typ string, addr []byte) *account.Account {
 		s := rpc.JsonRpc{
 			JsonRpc: "2.0",
 			Method:  "get_account",
-			Params:  []string{"0x" + hex.EncodeToString(addr)},
+			Params:  []interface{}{hex.EncodeToString(addr)},
 			Id:      0,
 		}
 		b, err := json.Marshal(s)
@@ -89,9 +86,8 @@ func getAccount(t *testing.T, typ string, addr []byte) *account.Account {
 		resp, err = http.Post(requestAddr, "text/json", buf)
 	case "HTTP":
 		resp, err = http.PostForm(requestAddr+"get_account",
-			url.Values{"address": {string(addr)}})
+			url.Values{"address": {"\"" + (hex.EncodeToString(addr)) + "\""}})
 	}
-	fmt.Println("RESPONSE:", resp)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
@@ -105,7 +101,6 @@ func getAccount(t *testing.T, typ string, addr []byte) *account.Account {
 		Data   core.ResponseGetAccount
 		Error  string
 	}
-	fmt.Println(string(body))
 	binary.ReadJSON(&status, body, &err)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -153,7 +148,6 @@ func requestResponse(t *testing.T, method string, values url.Values, status inte
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	fmt.Println(string(body))
 	binary.ReadJSON(status, body, &err)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
@@ -206,7 +200,6 @@ func checkTx(t *testing.T, fromAddr []byte, priv *account.PrivAccount, tx *types
 	if err := in.ValidateBasic(); err != nil {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
-	fmt.Println(priv.PubKey, in.PubKey)
 	// Check signatures
 	// acc := getAccount(t, byteAddr)
 	// NOTE: using the acc here instead of the in fails; its PubKeyNil ... ?