diff --git a/common/http.go b/common/http.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..56b5b6c63
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/http.go
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
+package common
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"gopkg.in/go-playground/validator.v9"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+type ErrorResponse struct {
+	Success bool `json:"success,omitempty"`
+
+	// Err is the error message if Success is false
+	Err string `json:"error,omitempty"`
+
+	// Code is set if Success is false
+	Code int `json:"code,omitempty"`
+}
+
+// ErrorWithCode makes an ErrorResponse with the
+// provided err's Error() content, and status code.
+// It panics if err is nil.
+func ErrorWithCode(err error, code int) *ErrorResponse {
+	return &ErrorResponse{
+		Err:  err.Error(),
+		Code: code,
+	}
+}
+
+// Ensure that ErrorResponse implements error
+var _ error = (*ErrorResponse)(nil)
+
+func (er *ErrorResponse) Error() string {
+	return er.Err
+}
+
+// Ensure that ErrorResponse implements httpCoder
+var _ httpCoder = (*ErrorResponse)(nil)
+
+func (er *ErrorResponse) HTTPCode() int {
+	return er.Code
+}
+
+var errNilBody = errors.Errorf("expecting a non-nil body")
+
+// FparseJSON unmarshals into save, the body of the provided reader.
+// Since it uses json.Unmarshal, save must be of a pointer type
+// or compatible with json.Unmarshal.
+func FparseJSON(r io.Reader, save interface{}) error {
+	if r == nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(errNilBody, "Reader")
+	}
+
+	dec := json.NewDecoder(r)
+	if err := dec.Decode(save); err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrap(err, "Decode/Unmarshal")
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ParseRequestJSON unmarshals into save, the body of the
+// request. It closes the body of the request after parsing.
+// Since it uses json.Unmarshal, save must be of a pointer type
+// or compatible with json.Unmarshal.
+func ParseRequestJSON(r *http.Request, save interface{}) error {
+	if r == nil || r.Body == nil {
+		return errNilBody
+	}
+	defer r.Body.Close()
+
+	return FparseJSON(r.Body, save)
+}
+
+// ParseRequestAndValidateJSON unmarshals into save, the body of the
+// request and invokes a validator on the saved content. To ensure
+// validation, make sure to set tags "validate" on your struct as
+// per https://godoc.org/gopkg.in/go-playground/validator.v9.
+// It closes the body of the request after parsing.
+// Since it uses json.Unmarshal, save must be of a pointer type
+// or compatible with json.Unmarshal.
+func ParseRequestAndValidateJSON(r *http.Request, save interface{}) error {
+	if r == nil || r.Body == nil {
+		return errNilBody
+	}
+	defer r.Body.Close()
+
+	return FparseAndValidateJSON(r.Body, save)
+}
+
+// FparseAndValidateJSON like FparseJSON unmarshals into save,
+// the body of the provided reader. However, it invokes the validator
+// to check the set validators on your struct fields as per
+// per https://godoc.org/gopkg.in/go-playground/validator.v9.
+// Since it uses json.Unmarshal, save must be of a pointer type
+// or compatible with json.Unmarshal.
+func FparseAndValidateJSON(r io.Reader, save interface{}) error {
+	if err := FparseJSON(r, save); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return validate(save)
+}
+
+var theValidator = validator.New()
+
+func validate(obj interface{}) error {
+	return errors.Wrap(theValidator.Struct(obj), "Validate")
+}
+
+// WriteSuccess JSON marshals the content provided, to an HTTP
+// response, setting the provided status code and setting header
+// "Content-Type" to "application/json".
+func WriteSuccess(w http.ResponseWriter, data interface{}) {
+	WriteCode(w, data, 200)
+}
+
+// WriteCode JSON marshals content, to an HTTP response,
+// setting the provided status code, and setting header
+// "Content-Type" to "application/json". If JSON marshalling fails
+// with an error, WriteCode instead writes out the error invoking
+// WriteError.
+func WriteCode(w http.ResponseWriter, out interface{}, code int) {
+	blob, err := json.MarshalIndent(out, "", "  ")
+	if err != nil {
+		WriteError(w, err)
+	} else {
+		w.Header().Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
+		w.WriteHeader(code)
+		w.Write(blob)
+	}
+}
+
+type httpCoder interface {
+	HTTPCode() int
+}
+
+// WriteError is a convenience function to write out an
+// error to an http.ResponseWriter, to send out an error
+// that's structured as JSON i.e the form
+//    {"error": sss, "code": ddd}
+// If err implements the interface HTTPCode() int,
+// it will use that status code otherwise, it will
+// set code to be http.StatusBadRequest
+func WriteError(w http.ResponseWriter, err error) {
+	code := http.StatusBadRequest
+	if httpC, ok := err.(httpCoder); ok {
+		code = httpC.HTTPCode()
+	}
+
+	WriteCode(w, ErrorWithCode(err, code), code)
+}
diff --git a/common/http_test.go b/common/http_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b207684b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/common/http_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,250 @@
+package common_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"reflect"
+	"strings"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+)
+
+func TestWriteSuccess(t *testing.T) {
+	w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	common.WriteSuccess(w, "foo")
+	assert.Equal(t, w.Code, 200, "should get a 200")
+}
+
+var blankErrResponse = new(common.ErrorResponse)
+
+func TestWriteError(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := [...]struct {
+		msg  string
+		code int
+	}{
+		0: {
+			msg:  "this is a message",
+			code: 419,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range tests {
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		msg := tt.msg
+
+		// First check without a defined code, should send back a 400
+		common.WriteError(w, errors.New(msg))
+		assert.Equal(t, w.Code, http.StatusBadRequest, "#%d: should get a 400", i)
+		blob, err := ioutil.ReadAll(w.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			assert.Failf(t, "expecting a successful ioutil.ReadAll", "#%d", i)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		recv := new(common.ErrorResponse)
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(blob, recv); err != nil {
+			assert.Failf(t, "expecting a successful json.Unmarshal", "#%d", i)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		assert.Equal(t, reflect.DeepEqual(recv, blankErrResponse), false, "expecting a non-blank error response")
+
+		// Now test with an error that's .HTTPCode() int conforming
+
+		// Reset w
+		w = httptest.NewRecorder()
+
+		common.WriteError(w, common.ErrorWithCode(errors.New("foo"), tt.code))
+		assert.Equal(t, w.Code, tt.code, "case #%d", i)
+	}
+}
+
+type marshalFailer struct{}
+
+var errFooFailed = errors.New("foo failed here")
+
+func (mf *marshalFailer) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
+	return nil, errFooFailed
+}
+
+func TestWriteCode(t *testing.T) {
+	codes := [...]int{
+		0: http.StatusOK,
+		1: http.StatusBadRequest,
+		2: http.StatusUnauthorized,
+		3: http.StatusInternalServerError,
+	}
+
+	for i, code := range codes {
+		w := httptest.NewRecorder()
+		common.WriteCode(w, "foo", code)
+		assert.Equal(t, w.Code, code, "#%d", i)
+
+		// Then for the failed JSON marshaling
+		w = httptest.NewRecorder()
+		common.WriteCode(w, &marshalFailer{}, code)
+		wantCode := http.StatusBadRequest
+		assert.Equal(t, w.Code, wantCode, "#%d", i)
+		assert.True(t, strings.Contains(string(w.Body.Bytes()), errFooFailed.Error()),
+			"#%d: expected %q in the error message", i, errFooFailed)
+	}
+}
+
+type saver struct {
+	Foo int    `json:"foo" validate:"min=10"`
+	Bar string `json:"bar"`
+}
+
+type rcloser struct {
+	closeOnce sync.Once
+	body      *bytes.Buffer
+	closeChan chan bool
+}
+
+var errAlreadyClosed = errors.New("already closed")
+
+func (rc *rcloser) Close() error {
+	var err = errAlreadyClosed
+	rc.closeOnce.Do(func() {
+		err = nil
+		rc.closeChan <- true
+		close(rc.closeChan)
+	})
+	return err
+}
+
+func (rc *rcloser) Read(b []byte) (int, error) {
+	return rc.body.Read(b)
+}
+
+var _ io.ReadCloser = (*rcloser)(nil)
+
+func makeReq(strBody string) (*http.Request, <-chan bool) {
+	closeChan := make(chan bool, 1)
+	buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	buf.Write([]byte(strBody))
+	req := &http.Request{
+		Header: make(http.Header),
+		Body:   &rcloser{body: buf, closeChan: closeChan},
+	}
+	return req, closeChan
+}
+
+func TestParseRequestJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := [...]struct {
+		body    string
+		wantErr bool
+		useNil  bool
+	}{
+		0: {wantErr: true, body: ``},
+		1: {body: `{}`},
+		2: {body: `{"foo": 2}`}, // Not that the validate tags don't matter here since we are just parsing
+		3: {body: `{"foo": "abcd"}`, wantErr: true},
+		4: {useNil: true, wantErr: true},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range tests {
+		req, closeChan := makeReq(tt.body)
+		if tt.useNil {
+			req.Body = nil
+		}
+		sav := new(saver)
+		err := common.ParseRequestJSON(req, sav)
+		if tt.wantErr {
+			assert.NotEqual(t, err, nil, "#%d: want non-nil error", i)
+			continue
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, err, nil, "#%d: want nil error", i)
+		wasClosed := <-closeChan
+		assert.Equal(t, wasClosed, true, "#%d: should have invoked close", i)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestFparseJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	r1 := strings.NewReader(`{"foo": 1}`)
+	sav := new(saver)
+	require.Equal(t, common.FparseJSON(r1, sav), nil, "expecting successful parsing")
+	r2 := strings.NewReader(`{"bar": "blockchain"}`)
+	require.Equal(t, common.FparseJSON(r2, sav), nil, "expecting successful parsing")
+	require.Equal(t, reflect.DeepEqual(sav, &saver{Foo: 1, Bar: "blockchain"}), true, "should have parsed both")
+
+	// Now with a nil body
+	require.NotEqual(t, nil, common.FparseJSON(nil, sav), "expecting a nil error report")
+}
+
+func TestFparseAndValidateJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	r1 := strings.NewReader(`{"foo": 1}`)
+	sav := new(saver)
+	require.NotEqual(t, common.FparseAndValidateJSON(r1, sav), nil, "expecting validation to fail")
+	r1 = strings.NewReader(`{"foo": 100}`)
+	require.Equal(t, common.FparseJSON(r1, sav), nil, "expecting successful parsing")
+	r2 := strings.NewReader(`{"bar": "blockchain"}`)
+	require.Equal(t, common.FparseAndValidateJSON(r2, sav), nil, "expecting successful parsing")
+	require.Equal(t, reflect.DeepEqual(sav, &saver{Foo: 100, Bar: "blockchain"}), true, "should have parsed both")
+
+	// Now with a nil body
+	require.NotEqual(t, nil, common.FparseJSON(nil, sav), "expecting a nil error report")
+}
+
+var blankSaver = new(saver)
+
+func TestParseAndValidateRequestJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := [...]struct {
+		body    string
+		wantErr bool
+		useNil  bool
+	}{
+		0: {wantErr: true, body: ``},
+		1: {body: `{}`, wantErr: true},         // Here it should fail since Foo doesn't meet the minimum value
+		2: {body: `{"foo": 2}`, wantErr: true}, // Here validation should fail
+		3: {body: `{"foo": "abcd"}`, wantErr: true},
+		4: {useNil: true, wantErr: true},
+		5: {body: `{"foo": 100}`}, // Must succeed
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range tests {
+		req, closeChan := makeReq(tt.body)
+		if tt.useNil {
+			req.Body = nil
+		}
+		sav := new(saver)
+		err := common.ParseRequestAndValidateJSON(req, sav)
+		if tt.wantErr {
+			assert.NotEqual(t, err, nil, "#%d: want non-nil error", i)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		assert.Equal(t, err, nil, "#%d: want nil error", i)
+		assert.False(t, reflect.DeepEqual(blankSaver, sav), "#%d: expecting a set saver", i)
+
+		wasClosed := <-closeChan
+		assert.Equal(t, wasClosed, true, "#%d: should have invoked close", i)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestErrorWithCode(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := [...]struct {
+		code int
+		err  error
+	}{
+		0: {code: 500, err: errors.New("funky")},
+		1: {code: 406, err: errors.New("purist")},
+	}
+
+	for i, tt := range tests {
+		errRes := common.ErrorWithCode(tt.err, tt.code)
+		assert.Equal(t, errRes.Error(), tt.err.Error(), "#%d: expecting the error values to be equal", i)
+		assert.Equal(t, errRes.Code, tt.code, "expecting the same status code", i)
+		assert.Equal(t, errRes.HTTPCode(), tt.code, "expecting the same status code", i)
+	}
+}