diff --git a/merkle/simple_map.go b/merkle/simple_map.go
index b59e3b4b6..cd38de761 100644
--- a/merkle/simple_map.go
+++ b/merkle/simple_map.go
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ func (sm *SimpleMap) KVPairs() cmn.KVPairs {
 //----------------------------------------
 
 // A local extension to KVPair that can be hashed.
-type kvPair cmn.KVPair
+type KVPair cmn.KVPair
 
-func (kv kvPair) Hash() []byte {
+func (kv KVPair) Hash() []byte {
 	hasher := ripemd160.New()
 	err := encodeByteSlice(hasher, kv.Key)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ func (kv kvPair) Hash() []byte {
 func hashKVPairs(kvs cmn.KVPairs) []byte {
 	kvsH := make([]Hasher, 0, len(kvs))
 	for _, kvp := range kvs {
-		kvsH = append(kvsH, kvPair(kvp))
+		kvsH = append(kvsH, KVPair(kvp))
 	}
 	return SimpleHashFromHashers(kvsH)
 }
diff --git a/merkle/simple_proof.go b/merkle/simple_proof.go
index c81ed674a..ca6ccf372 100644
--- a/merkle/simple_proof.go
+++ b/merkle/simple_proof.go
@@ -22,6 +22,20 @@ func SimpleProofsFromHashers(items []Hasher) (rootHash []byte, proofs []*SimpleP
 	return
 }
 
+func SimpleProofsFromMap(m map[string]Hasher) (rootHash []byte, proofs []*SimpleProof) {
+	sm := NewSimpleMap()
+	for k, v := range m {
+		sm.Set(k, v)
+	}
+	sm.Sort()
+	kvs := sm.kvs
+	kvsH := make([]Hasher, 0, len(kvs))
+	for _, kvp := range kvs {
+		kvsH = append(kvsH, KVPair(kvp))
+	}
+	return SimpleProofsFromHashers(kvsH)
+}
+
 // Verify that leafHash is a leaf hash of the simple-merkle-tree
 // which hashes to rootHash.
 func (sp *SimpleProof) Verify(index int, total int, leafHash []byte, rootHash []byte) bool {
diff --git a/merkle/simple_tree_test.go b/merkle/simple_tree_test.go
index 26f35c807..8c4ed01f8 100644
--- a/merkle/simple_tree_test.go
+++ b/merkle/simple_tree_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package merkle
 import (
 	"bytes"
 
-	. "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
 	. "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/test"
 
 	"testing"
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func TestSimpleProof(t *testing.T) {
 
 	items := make([]Hasher, total)
 	for i := 0; i < total; i++ {
-		items[i] = testItem(RandBytes(32))
+		items[i] = testItem(cmn.RandBytes(32))
 	}
 
 	rootHash := SimpleHashFromHashers(items)
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ func TestSimpleProof(t *testing.T) {
 
 		// Trail too long should make it fail
 		origAunts := proof.Aunts
-		proof.Aunts = append(proof.Aunts, RandBytes(32))
+		proof.Aunts = append(proof.Aunts, cmn.RandBytes(32))
 		{
 			ok = proof.Verify(i, total, itemHash, rootHash)
 			if ok {