diff --git a/rpc/lib/rpc_test.go b/rpc/lib/rpc_test.go
index cd42f20a6..2f61f3887 100644
--- a/rpc/lib/rpc_test.go
+++ b/rpc/lib/rpc_test.go
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	data "github.com/tendermint/go-data"
+	"github.com/tendermint/go-wire/data"
 	client "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/lib/client"
 	server "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/lib/server"
 	types "github.com/tendermint/tendermint/rpc/lib/types"
@@ -64,19 +64,31 @@ type ResultEcho struct {
 	Value string
 }
 
+type ResultEchoInt struct {
+	Value int
+}
+
 type ResultEchoBytes struct {
 	Value []byte
 }
 
+type ResultEchoDataBytes struct {
+	Value data.Bytes
+}
+
 var resultMapper = data.NewMapper(Result{}).
 	RegisterImplementation(&ResultEcho{}, "echo", 0x1).
-	RegisterImplementation(&ResultEchoBytes{}, "echo_bytes", 0x2)
+	RegisterImplementation(&ResultEchoBytes{}, "echo_bytes", 0x2).
+	RegisterImplementation(&ResultEchoDataBytes{}, "echo_data_bytes", 0x3).
+	RegisterImplementation(&ResultEchoInt{}, "echo_int", 0x4)
 
 // Define some routes
 var Routes = map[string]*server.RPCFunc{
-	"echo":       server.NewRPCFunc(EchoResult, "arg"),
-	"echo_ws":    server.NewWSRPCFunc(EchoWSResult, "arg"),
-	"echo_bytes": server.NewRPCFunc(EchoBytesResult, "arg"),
+	"echo":            server.NewRPCFunc(EchoResult, "arg"),
+	"echo_ws":         server.NewWSRPCFunc(EchoWSResult, "arg"),
+	"echo_bytes":      server.NewRPCFunc(EchoBytesResult, "arg"),
+	"echo_data_bytes": server.NewRPCFunc(EchoDataBytesResult, "arg"),
+	"echo_int":        server.NewRPCFunc(EchoIntResult, "arg"),
 }
 
 func EchoResult(v string) (Result, error) {
@@ -87,10 +99,18 @@ func EchoWSResult(wsCtx types.WSRPCContext, v string) (Result, error) {
 	return Result{&ResultEcho{v}}, nil
 }
 
+func EchoIntResult(v int) (Result, error) {
+	return Result{&ResultEchoInt{v}}, nil
+}
+
 func EchoBytesResult(v []byte) (Result, error) {
 	return Result{&ResultEchoBytes{v}}, nil
 }
 
+func EchoDataBytesResult(v data.Bytes) (Result, error) {
+	return Result{&ResultEchoDataBytes{v}}, nil
+}
+
 // launch unix and tcp servers
 func init() {
 	cmd := exec.Command("rm", "-f", unixSocket)
@@ -139,6 +159,17 @@ func echoViaHTTP(cl client.HTTPClient, val string) (string, error) {
 	return result.Unwrap().(*ResultEcho).Value, nil
 }
 
+func echoIntViaHTTP(cl client.HTTPClient, val int) (int, error) {
+	params := map[string]interface{}{
+		"arg": val,
+	}
+	var result Result
+	if _, err := cl.Call("echo_int", params, &result); err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+	return result.Unwrap().(*ResultEchoInt).Value, nil
+}
+
 func echoBytesViaHTTP(cl client.HTTPClient, bytes []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	params := map[string]interface{}{
 		"arg": bytes,
@@ -150,6 +181,17 @@ func echoBytesViaHTTP(cl client.HTTPClient, bytes []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	return result.Unwrap().(*ResultEchoBytes).Value, nil
 }
 
+func echoDataBytesViaHTTP(cl client.HTTPClient, bytes data.Bytes) (data.Bytes, error) {
+	params := map[string]interface{}{
+		"arg": bytes,
+	}
+	var result Result
+	if _, err := cl.Call("echo_data_bytes", params, &result); err != nil {
+		return []byte{}, err
+	}
+	return result.Unwrap().(*ResultEchoDataBytes).Value, nil
+}
+
 func testWithHTTPClient(t *testing.T, cl client.HTTPClient) {
 	val := "acbd"
 	got, err := echoViaHTTP(cl, val)
@@ -160,6 +202,18 @@ func testWithHTTPClient(t *testing.T, cl client.HTTPClient) {
 	got2, err := echoBytesViaHTTP(cl, val2)
 	require.Nil(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, got2, val2)
+
+	val3 := data.Bytes(randBytes(t))
+	got3, err := echoDataBytesViaHTTP(cl, val3)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, got3, val3)
+
+	/*
+		val4 := rand.Intn(10000)
+		got4, err := echoIntViaHTTP(cl, val4)
+		require.Nil(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, got4, val4)
+	*/
 }
 
 func echoViaWS(cl *client.WSClient, val string) (string, error) {
diff --git a/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go b/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go
index 27451c23d..1c25d9e75 100644
--- a/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go
+++ b/rpc/lib/server/handlers.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package rpcserver
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
-	wire "github.com/tendermint/go-wire"
+	//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"
@@ -204,7 +206,32 @@ 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)
-	wire.ReadJSONObjectPtr(v.Interface(), object, &err)
+
+	// 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))
 	if err != nil {
 		return v, err
 	}