diff --git a/keys/cryptostore/encoder_test.go b/keys/cryptostore/encoder_test.go
index e5ea21111..945e19865 100644
--- a/keys/cryptostore/encoder_test.go
+++ b/keys/cryptostore/encoder_test.go
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+
 	"github.com/tendermint/go-crypto/keys/cryptostore"
 )
 
@@ -12,8 +15,8 @@ func TestNoopEncoder(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 	noop := cryptostore.Noop
 
-	key := cryptostore.GenEd25519.Generate()
-	key2 := cryptostore.GenSecp256k1.Generate()
+	key := cryptostore.GenEd25519.Generate(cmn.RandBytes(16))
+	key2 := cryptostore.GenSecp256k1.Generate(cmn.RandBytes(16))
 
 	b, err := noop.Encrypt(key, "encode")
 	require.Nil(err)
@@ -40,7 +43,7 @@ func TestSecretBox(t *testing.T) {
 	assert, require := assert.New(t), require.New(t)
 	enc := cryptostore.SecretBox
 
-	key := cryptostore.GenEd25519.Generate()
+	key := cryptostore.GenEd25519.Generate(cmn.RandBytes(16))
 	pass := "some-special-secret"
 
 	b, err := enc.Encrypt(key, pass)
diff --git a/keys/cryptostore/generator.go b/keys/cryptostore/generator.go
index 6bbdb6441..307a0ae86 100644
--- a/keys/cryptostore/generator.go
+++ b/keys/cryptostore/generator.go
@@ -14,22 +14,22 @@ var (
 
 // Generator determines the type of private key the keystore creates
 type Generator interface {
-	Generate() crypto.PrivKey
+	Generate(secret []byte) crypto.PrivKey
 }
 
 // GenFunc is a helper to transform a function into a Generator
-type GenFunc func() crypto.PrivKey
+type GenFunc func(secret []byte) crypto.PrivKey
 
-func (f GenFunc) Generate() crypto.PrivKey {
-	return f()
+func (f GenFunc) Generate(secret []byte) crypto.PrivKey {
+	return f(secret)
 }
 
-func genEd25519() crypto.PrivKey {
-	return crypto.GenPrivKeyEd25519().Wrap()
+func genEd25519(secret []byte) crypto.PrivKey {
+	return crypto.GenPrivKeyEd25519FromSecret(secret).Wrap()
 }
 
-func genSecp256() crypto.PrivKey {
-	return crypto.GenPrivKeySecp256k1().Wrap()
+func genSecp256(secret []byte) crypto.PrivKey {
+	return crypto.GenPrivKeySecp256k1FromSecret(secret).Wrap()
 }
 
 func getGenerator(algo string) (Generator, error) {
diff --git a/keys/cryptostore/holder.go b/keys/cryptostore/holder.go
index 0e4fde042..a3b5d2f61 100644
--- a/keys/cryptostore/holder.go
+++ b/keys/cryptostore/holder.go
@@ -43,12 +43,16 @@ func (s Manager) Create(name, passphrase, algo string) (keys.Info, string, error
 	if err != nil {
 		return keys.Info{}, "", err
 	}
-	key := gen.Generate()
+
+	// 128-bits the the all the randomness we can make use of
+	secret := crypto.CRandBytes(16)
+	key := gen.Generate(secret)
 	err = s.es.Put(name, passphrase, key)
 	if err != nil {
 		return keys.Info{}, "", err
 	}
-	seed, err := s.codec.BytesToWords(key.Bytes())
+
+	seed, err := s.codec.BytesToWords(secret)
 	phrase := strings.Join(seed, " ")
 	return info(name, key), phrase, err
 }
@@ -61,15 +65,18 @@ func (s Manager) Create(name, passphrase, algo string) (keys.Info, string, error
 // Result similar to New(), except it doesn't return the seed again...
 func (s Manager) Recover(name, passphrase, seedphrase string) (keys.Info, error) {
 	words := strings.Split(strings.TrimSpace(seedphrase), " ")
-	data, err := s.codec.WordsToBytes(words)
+	secret, err := s.codec.WordsToBytes(words)
 	if err != nil {
 		return keys.Info{}, err
 	}
 
-	key, err := crypto.PrivKeyFromBytes(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		return keys.Info{}, err
-	}
+	// TODO: flag this???
+	gen := GenEd25519
+	// gen, err := getGenerator(algo)
+	// if err != nil {
+	//   return keys.Info{}, "", err
+	// }
+	key := gen.Generate(secret)
 
 	// d00d, it worked!  create the bugger....
 	err = s.es.Put(name, passphrase, key)
diff --git a/keys/cryptostore/storage_test.go b/keys/cryptostore/storage_test.go
index b109c44e8..907a19f11 100644
--- a/keys/cryptostore/storage_test.go
+++ b/keys/cryptostore/storage_test.go
@@ -4,13 +4,17 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	crypto "github.com/tendermint/go-crypto"
+	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+
 	keys "github.com/tendermint/go-crypto/keys"
 )
 
 func TestSortKeys(t *testing.T) {
 	assert := assert.New(t)
 
-	gen := GenEd25519.Generate
+	gen := func() crypto.PrivKey { return GenEd25519.Generate(cmn.RandBytes(16)) }
 	assert.NotEqual(gen(), gen())
 
 	// alphabetical order is n3, n1, n2
diff --git a/keys/wordcodec.go b/keys/wordcodec.go
index ee1374644..214fe7e0b 100644
--- a/keys/wordcodec.go
+++ b/keys/wordcodec.go
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ func NewCodec(words []string) (codec *WordCodec, err error) {
 	res := &WordCodec{
 		words: words,
 		// TODO: configure this outside???
-		check: NewIEEECRC32(),
+		// check: NewIEEECRC32(),
+		check: NewIBMCRC16(),
 	}
 
 	return res, nil
diff --git a/keys/wordcodec_test.go b/keys/wordcodec_test.go
index 1ae97d8a7..25c5439a6 100644
--- a/keys/wordcodec_test.go
+++ b/keys/wordcodec_test.go
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ func TestCheckTypoDetection(t *testing.T) {
 		codec, err := LoadCodec(bank)
 		require.Nil(err, "%s: %+v", bank, err)
 		for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
-			numBytes := cmn.RandInt()%60 + 1
+			numBytes := cmn.RandInt()%60 + 4
 			data := cmn.RandBytes(numBytes)
 
 			words, err := codec.BytesToWords(data)