diff --git a/benchmarks/simu/counter.go b/benchmarks/simu/counter.go
index 8191e8de8..5f49eb9f4 100644
--- a/benchmarks/simu/counter.go
+++ b/benchmarks/simu/counter.go
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 package main
 
 import (
+	"encoding/binary"
+	"time"
+	//"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/websocket"
@@ -31,16 +34,21 @@ func main() {
 	}()
 
 	// Make a bunch of requests
-	request := rpctypes.NewRPCRequest("fakeid", "net_info", nil)
+	buf := make([]byte, 32)
 	for i := 0; ; i++ {
+		binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(buf, uint64(i))
+		//txBytes := hex.EncodeToString(buf[:n])
+		request := rpctypes.NewRPCRequest("fakeid", "broadcast_tx", Arr(buf[:8]))
 		reqBytes := wire.JSONBytes(request)
+		fmt.Println("!!", string(reqBytes))
 		err := ws.WriteMessage(websocket.TextMessage, reqBytes)
 		if err != nil {
 			Exit(err.Error())
 		}
-		if i%1000 == 0 {
+		if i%100 == 0 {
 			fmt.Println(i)
 		}
+		time.Sleep(time.Millisecond * 10)
 	}
 
 	ws.Stop()
diff --git a/consensus/common_test.go b/consensus/common_test.go
index 0c75bc7fb..4f05dff9c 100644
--- a/consensus/common_test.go
+++ b/consensus/common_test.go
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ func simpleConsensusState(nValidators int) (*ConsensusState, []*validatorStub) {
 	blockStore := bc.NewBlockStore(blockDB)
 
 	// one for mempool, one for consensus
-	app := example.NewCounterApplication()
+	app := example.NewCounterApplication(false)
 	appCMem := app.Open()
 	appCCon := app.Open()
 	proxyAppCtxMem := proxy.NewLocalAppContext(appCMem)
diff --git a/mempool/mempool_test.go b/mempool/mempool_test.go
index 4cc55283c..a3c5cff01 100644
--- a/mempool/mempool_test.go
+++ b/mempool/mempool_test.go
@@ -12,9 +12,8 @@ import (
 
 func TestSerialReap(t *testing.T) {
 
-	app := example.NewCounterApplication()
+	app := example.NewCounterApplication(true)
 	appCtxMempool := app.Open()
-	appCtxMempool.SetOption("serial", "on")
 	proxyAppCtx := proxy.NewLocalAppContext(appCtxMempool)
 	mempool := NewMempool(proxyAppCtx)
 
@@ -28,7 +27,7 @@ func TestSerialReap(t *testing.T) {
 
 			// This will succeed
 			txBytes := make([]byte, 32)
-			_ = binary.PutVarint(txBytes, int64(i))
+			binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(txBytes, uint64(i))
 			err := mempool.AppendTx(txBytes)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatal("Error after AppendTx: %v", err)
@@ -59,7 +58,7 @@ func TestSerialReap(t *testing.T) {
 		txs := make([]types.Tx, 0)
 		for i := start; i < end; i++ {
 			txBytes := make([]byte, 32)
-			_ = binary.PutVarint(txBytes, int64(i))
+			binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(txBytes, uint64(i))
 			txs = append(txs, txBytes)
 		}
 		blockHeader := &types.Header{Height: 0}
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ func TestSerialReap(t *testing.T) {
 		// Append some txs.
 		for i := start; i < end; i++ {
 			txBytes := make([]byte, 32)
-			_ = binary.PutVarint(txBytes, int64(i))
+			binary.LittleEndian.PutUint64(txBytes, uint64(i))
 			_, retCode := appCtxConsensus.AppendTx(txBytes)
 			if retCode != tmsp.RetCodeOK {
 				t.Error("Error committing tx", retCode)