diff --git a/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go b/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go
index 1c25d9e75..51eaf1401 100644
--- a/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go
+++ b/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package rpcserver
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 	//wire "github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
-	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire/data"
 	types "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/lib/types"
 	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
 	events "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/events"
@@ -206,32 +204,7 @@ func jsonParamsToArgsWS(rpcFunc *RPCFunc, paramsI interface{}, wsCtx types.WSRPC
 func _jsonObjectToArg(ty reflect.Type, object interface{}) (reflect.Value, error) {
 	var err error
 	v := reflect.New(ty)
-
-	// if the object is a byte array, we need to decode it
-	if ty.Kind() == reflect.Slice && ty.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
-		s, ok := object.(string)
-		if !ok {
-			return v, fmt.Errorf("cmah")
-		}
-
-		// if its data.Bytes, use hex
-		// else use base64
-		dbty := reflect.TypeOf(data.Bytes{})
-		if ty == dbty {
-			decoded, err := hex.DecodeString(s)
-			if err != nil {
-				return v, err
-			}
-			object = decoded
-		} else {
-			decoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(s)
-			if err != nil {
-				return v, err
-			}
-			object = decoded
-		}
-	}
-	v.Elem().Set(reflect.ValueOf(object))
+	readJSONObjectPtr(v.Interface(), object, &err)
 	if err != nil {
 		return v, err
 	}
diff --git a/rpc/lib/server/wire.go b/rpc/lib/server/wire.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad3d61f8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rpc/lib/server/wire.go
@@ -0,0 +1,290 @@
+package rpcserver
+
+import (
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"reflect"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire/data"
+	cmn "github.com/tendermint/tmlibs/common"
+)
+
+var (
+	timeType = wire.GetTypeFromStructDeclaration(struct{ time.Time }{})
+)
+
+func readJSONObjectPtr(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(), wire.Options{}, object, err)
+	} else {
+		cmn.PanicSanity("ReadJSON(Object)Ptr expects o to be a pointer")
+	}
+	return o
+}
+
+func readByteJSON(o interface{}) (typeByte byte, rest interface{}, err error) {
+	oSlice, ok := o.([]interface{})
+	if !ok {
+		err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected type [Byte,?] but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+		return
+	}
+	if len(oSlice) != 2 {
+		err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected [Byte,?] len 2 but got len %v", len(oSlice)))
+		return
+	}
+	typeByte_, ok := oSlice[0].(float64)
+	typeByte = byte(typeByte_)
+	rest = oSlice[1]
+	return
+}
+
+// Contract: Caller must ensure that rt is supported
+// (e.g. is recursively composed of supported native types, and structs and slices.)
+// rv and rt refer to the object we're unmarhsaling into, whereas o is the result of naiive json unmarshal (map[string]interface{})
+func readReflectJSON(rv reflect.Value, rt reflect.Type, opts wire.Options, o interface{}, err *error) {
+
+	// Get typeInfo
+	typeInfo := wire.GetTypeInfo(rt)
+
+	if rt.Kind() == reflect.Interface {
+		if !typeInfo.IsRegisteredInterface {
+			// There's no way we can read such a thing.
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Cannot read unregistered interface type %v", rt))
+			return
+		}
+		if o == nil {
+			return // nil
+		}
+		typeByte, rest, err_ := readByteJSON(o)
+		if err_ != nil {
+			*err = err_
+			return
+		}
+		crt, ok := typeInfo.ByteToType[typeByte]
+		if !ok {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Byte %X not registered for interface %v", typeByte, rt))
+			return
+		}
+		if crt.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+			crt = crt.Elem()
+			crv := reflect.New(crt)
+			readReflectJSON(crv.Elem(), crt, opts, rest, err)
+			rv.Set(crv) // NOTE: orig rv is ignored.
+		} else {
+			crv := reflect.New(crt).Elem()
+			readReflectJSON(crv, crt, opts, rest, err)
+			rv.Set(crv) // NOTE: orig rv is ignored.
+		}
+		return
+	}
+
+	if rt.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+		if o == nil {
+			return // nil
+		}
+		// Create new struct if rv is nil.
+		if rv.IsNil() {
+			newRv := reflect.New(rt.Elem())
+			rv.Set(newRv)
+			rv = newRv
+		}
+		// Dereference pointer
+		rv, rt = rv.Elem(), rt.Elem()
+		typeInfo = wire.GetTypeInfo(rt)
+		// continue...
+	}
+
+	switch rt.Kind() {
+	case reflect.Array:
+		elemRt := rt.Elem()
+		length := rt.Len()
+		if elemRt.Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
+			// Special case: Bytearrays
+			oString, ok := o.(string)
+			if !ok {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected string but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+				return
+			}
+
+			// if its data.Bytes, use hex; else use base64
+			dbty := reflect.TypeOf(data.Bytes{})
+			var buf []byte
+			var err_ error
+			if rt == dbty {
+				buf, err_ = hex.DecodeString(oString)
+			} else {
+				buf, err_ = base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(oString)
+			}
+			if err_ != nil {
+				*err = err_
+				return
+			}
+			if len(buf) != length {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected bytearray of length %v but got %v", length, len(buf)))
+				return
+			}
+			//log.Info("Read bytearray", "bytes", buf)
+			reflect.Copy(rv, reflect.ValueOf(buf))
+		} else {
+			oSlice, ok := o.([]interface{})
+			if !ok {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected array of %v but got type %v", rt, reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+				return
+			}
+			if len(oSlice) != length {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected array of length %v but got %v", length, len(oSlice)))
+				return
+			}
+			for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
+				elemRv := rv.Index(i)
+				readReflectJSON(elemRv, elemRt, opts, oSlice[i], err)
+			}
+			//log.Info("Read x-array", "x", elemRt, "length", length)
+		}
+
+	case reflect.Slice:
+		elemRt := rt.Elem()
+		if elemRt.Kind() == reflect.Uint8 {
+			// Special case: Byteslices
+			oString, ok := o.(string)
+			if !ok {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected string but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+				return
+			}
+			// if its data.Bytes, use hex; else use base64
+			dbty := reflect.TypeOf(data.Bytes{})
+			var buf []byte
+			var err_ error
+			if rt == dbty {
+				buf, err_ = hex.DecodeString(oString)
+			} else {
+				buf, err_ = base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(oString)
+			}
+			if err_ != nil {
+				*err = err_
+				return
+			}
+			//log.Info("Read byteslice", "bytes", byteslice)
+			rv.Set(reflect.ValueOf(buf))
+		} else {
+			// Read length
+			oSlice, ok := o.([]interface{})
+			if !ok {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected array of %v but got type %v", rt, reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+				return
+			}
+			length := len(oSlice)
+			//log.Info("Read slice", "length", length)
+			sliceRv := reflect.MakeSlice(rt, length, length)
+			// Read elems
+			for i := 0; i < length; i++ {
+				elemRv := sliceRv.Index(i)
+				readReflectJSON(elemRv, elemRt, opts, oSlice[i], err)
+			}
+			rv.Set(sliceRv)
+		}
+
+	case reflect.Struct:
+		if rt == timeType {
+			// Special case: time.Time
+			str, ok := o.(string)
+			if !ok {
+				*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected string but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+				return
+			}
+			// try three ways, seconds, milliseconds, or microseconds...
+			t, err_ := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, str)
+			if err_ != nil {
+				*err = err_
+				return
+			}
+			rv.Set(reflect.ValueOf(t))
+		} else {
+			if typeInfo.Unwrap {
+				f := typeInfo.Fields[0]
+				fieldIdx, fieldType, opts := f.Index, f.Type, f.Options
+				fieldRv := rv.Field(fieldIdx)
+				readReflectJSON(fieldRv, fieldType, opts, o, err)
+			} else {
+				oMap, ok := o.(map[string]interface{})
+				if !ok {
+					*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected map but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+					return
+				}
+				// TODO: ensure that all fields are set?
+				// TODO: disallow unknown oMap fields?
+				for _, fieldInfo := range typeInfo.Fields {
+					f := fieldInfo
+					fieldIdx, fieldType, opts := f.Index, f.Type, f.Options
+					value, ok := oMap[opts.JSONName]
+					if !ok {
+						continue // Skip missing fields.
+					}
+					fieldRv := rv.Field(fieldIdx)
+					readReflectJSON(fieldRv, fieldType, opts, value, err)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+	case reflect.String:
+		str, ok := o.(string)
+		if !ok {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected string but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+			return
+		}
+		//log.Info("Read string", "str", str)
+		rv.SetString(str)
+
+	case reflect.Int64, reflect.Int32, reflect.Int16, reflect.Int8, reflect.Int:
+		num, ok := o.(float64)
+		if !ok {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected numeric but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+			return
+		}
+		//log.Info("Read num", "num", num)
+		rv.SetInt(int64(num))
+
+	case reflect.Uint64, reflect.Uint32, reflect.Uint16, reflect.Uint8, reflect.Uint:
+		num, ok := o.(float64)
+		if !ok {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected numeric but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+			return
+		}
+		if num < 0 {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected unsigned numeric but got %v", num))
+			return
+		}
+		//log.Info("Read num", "num", num)
+		rv.SetUint(uint64(num))
+
+	case reflect.Float64, reflect.Float32:
+		if !opts.Unsafe {
+			*err = errors.New("Wire float* support requires `wire:\"unsafe\"`")
+			return
+		}
+		num, ok := o.(float64)
+		if !ok {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected numeric but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+			return
+		}
+		//log.Info("Read num", "num", num)
+		rv.SetFloat(num)
+
+	case reflect.Bool:
+		bl, ok := o.(bool)
+		if !ok {
+			*err = errors.New(cmn.Fmt("Expected boolean but got type %v", reflect.TypeOf(o)))
+			return
+		}
+		//log.Info("Read boolean", "boolean", bl)
+		rv.SetBool(bl)
+
+	default:
+		cmn.PanicSanity(cmn.Fmt("Unknown field type %v", rt.Kind()))
+	}
+}