diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 4cc7c1594..3b005ea36 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,10 +2,8 @@
 
 all: test
 
-test:
-	go test --race github.com/tendermint/go-rpc/...
-	cd ./test && bash test.sh
-
+test: 
+	bash ./test/test.sh
 
 get_deps:
-	go get -t -d github.com/tendermint/go-rpc/...
+	go get -t -u github.com/tendermint/go-rpc/...
diff --git a/circle.yml b/circle.yml
index f022d5a6b..99af678c6 100644
--- a/circle.yml
+++ b/circle.yml
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ checkout:
 
 dependencies:
   override:
-    - "cd $REPO && make get_deps"
+    - "cd $REPO"
 
 test:
   override:
diff --git a/client/http_client.go b/client/http_client.go
index 816791b5c..57da5d6ec 100644
--- a/client/http_client.go
+++ b/client/http_client.go
@@ -4,10 +4,12 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
+	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 
 	. "github.com/tendermint/go-common"
@@ -119,7 +121,7 @@ func (c *ClientURI) call(method string, params map[string]interface{}, result in
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	//log.Info(Fmt("URI request to %v (%v): %v", c.address, method, values))
+	// log.Info(Fmt("URI request to %v (%v): %v", c.address, method, values))
 	resp, err := c.client.PostForm(c.address+"/"+method, values)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -176,6 +178,14 @@ func argsToJson(args map[string]interface{}) error {
 	var n int
 	var err error
 	for k, v := range args {
+		// Convert byte slices to "0x"-prefixed hex
+		byteSlice, isByteSlice := reflect.ValueOf(v).Interface().([]byte)
+		if isByteSlice {
+			args[k] = fmt.Sprintf("0x%X", byteSlice)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Pass everything else to go-wire
 		buf := new(bytes.Buffer)
 		wire.WriteJSON(v, buf, &n, &err)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/client/ws_client.go b/client/ws_client.go
index 00e4222ad..4d975f8ec 100644
--- a/client/ws_client.go
+++ b/client/ws_client.go
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ const (
 )
 
 type WSClient struct {
-	QuitService
+	BaseService
 	Address  string // IP:PORT or /path/to/socket
 	Endpoint string // /websocket/url/endpoint
 	Dialer   func(string, string) (net.Conn, error)
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func NewWSClient(remoteAddr, endpoint string) *WSClient {
 		ResultsCh: make(chan json.RawMessage, wsResultsChannelCapacity),
 		ErrorsCh:  make(chan error, wsErrorsChannelCapacity),
 	}
-	wsClient.QuitService = *NewQuitService(log, "WSClient", wsClient)
+	wsClient.BaseService = *NewBaseService(log, "WSClient", wsClient)
 	return wsClient
 }
 
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ func (wsc *WSClient) String() string {
 }
 
 func (wsc *WSClient) OnStart() error {
-	wsc.QuitService.OnStart()
+	wsc.BaseService.OnStart()
 	err := wsc.dial()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ func (wsc *WSClient) dial() error {
 }
 
 func (wsc *WSClient) OnStop() {
-	wsc.QuitService.OnStop()
+	wsc.BaseService.OnStop()
 	// ResultsCh/ErrorsCh is closed in receiveEventsRoutine.
 }
 
diff --git a/rpc_test.go b/rpc_test.go
index 0c6e1dbdb..1fcda0e5e 100644
--- a/rpc_test.go
+++ b/rpc_test.go
@@ -164,3 +164,39 @@ func TestWS_UNIX(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	testWS(t, cl)
 }
+
+func TestHexStringArg(t *testing.T) {
+	cl := rpcclient.NewClientURI(tcpAddr)
+	// should NOT be handled as hex
+	val := "0xabc"
+	params := map[string]interface{}{
+		"arg": val,
+	}
+	var result Result
+	_, err := cl.Call("status", params, &result)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	got := result.(*ResultStatus).Value
+	if got != val {
+		t.Fatalf("Got: %v   ....   Expected: %v \n", got, val)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestQuotedStringArg(t *testing.T) {
+	cl := rpcclient.NewClientURI(tcpAddr)
+	// should NOT be unquoted
+	val := "\"abc\""
+	params := map[string]interface{}{
+		"arg": val,
+	}
+	var result Result
+	_, err := cl.Call("status", params, &result)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	got := result.(*ResultStatus).Value
+	if got != val {
+		t.Fatalf("Got: %v   ....   Expected: %v \n", got, val)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/handlers.go b/server/handlers.go
index 2b2bb90ce..7a4ec1a45 100644
--- a/server/handlers.go
+++ b/server/handlers.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package rpcserver
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -224,12 +225,22 @@ func httpParamsToArgs(rpcFunc *RPCFunc, r *http.Request) ([]reflect.Value, error
 	argTypes := rpcFunc.args
 	argNames := rpcFunc.argNames
 
-	var err error
 	values := make([]reflect.Value, len(argNames))
 	for i, name := range argNames {
 		ty := argTypes[i]
 		arg := GetParam(r, name)
-		//log.Notice("param to arg", "ty", ty, "name", name, "arg", arg)
+		// log.Notice("param to arg", "ty", ty, "name", name, "arg", arg)
+
+		v, err, ok := nonJsonToArg(ty, arg)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		if ok {
+			values[i] = v
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Pass values to go-wire
 		values[i], err = _jsonStringToArg(ty, arg)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
@@ -249,6 +260,44 @@ func _jsonStringToArg(ty reflect.Type, arg string) (reflect.Value, error) {
 	return v, nil
 }
 
+func nonJsonToArg(ty reflect.Type, arg string) (reflect.Value, error, bool) {
+	isQuotedString := strings.HasPrefix(arg, `"`) && strings.HasSuffix(arg, `"`)
+	isHexString := strings.HasPrefix(strings.ToLower(arg), "0x")
+	expectingString := ty.Kind() == reflect.String
+	expectingByteSlice := ty.Kind() == reflect.Slice && ty.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8
+
+	if isHexString {
+		if !expectingString && !expectingByteSlice {
+			err := fmt.Errorf("Got a hex string arg, but expected '%s'",
+				ty.Kind().String())
+			return reflect.ValueOf(nil), err, false
+		}
+
+		var value []byte
+		value, err := hex.DecodeString(arg[2:])
+		if err != nil {
+			return reflect.ValueOf(nil), err, false
+		}
+		if ty.Kind() == reflect.String {
+			return reflect.ValueOf(string(value)), nil, true
+		}
+		return reflect.ValueOf([]byte(value)), nil, true
+	}
+
+	if isQuotedString && expectingByteSlice {
+		var err error
+		v := reflect.New(reflect.TypeOf(""))
+		wire.ReadJSONPtr(v.Interface(), []byte(arg), &err)
+		if err != nil {
+			return reflect.ValueOf(nil), err, false
+		}
+		v = v.Elem()
+		return reflect.ValueOf([]byte(v.String())), nil, true
+	}
+
+	return reflect.ValueOf(nil), nil, false
+}
+
 // rpc.http
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // rpc.websocket
@@ -264,7 +313,7 @@ const (
 // contains listener id, underlying ws connection,
 // and the event switch for subscribing to events
 type wsConnection struct {
-	QuitService
+	BaseService
 
 	remoteAddr  string
 	baseConn    *websocket.Conn
@@ -285,13 +334,13 @@ func NewWSConnection(baseConn *websocket.Conn, funcMap map[string]*RPCFunc, evsw
 		funcMap:    funcMap,
 		evsw:       evsw,
 	}
-	wsc.QuitService = *NewQuitService(log, "wsConnection", wsc)
+	wsc.BaseService = *NewBaseService(log, "wsConnection", wsc)
 	return wsc
 }
 
 // wsc.Start() blocks until the connection closes.
 func (wsc *wsConnection) OnStart() error {
-	wsc.QuitService.OnStart()
+	wsc.BaseService.OnStart()
 
 	// Read subscriptions/unsubscriptions to events
 	go wsc.readRoutine()
@@ -318,7 +367,7 @@ func (wsc *wsConnection) OnStart() error {
 }
 
 func (wsc *wsConnection) OnStop() {
-	wsc.QuitService.OnStop()
+	wsc.BaseService.OnStop()
 	wsc.evsw.RemoveListener(wsc.remoteAddr)
 	wsc.readTimeout.Stop()
 	wsc.pingTicker.Stop()
diff --git a/test/test.sh b/test/test.sh
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
index 3d1f599dd..f5e740241
--- a/test/test.sh
+++ b/test/test.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,16 @@
 #! /bin/bash
+
+cd $GOPATH/src/github.com/tendermint/go-rpc
+
+# get deps
+go get -u -t ./...
+
+# go tests
+go test --race github.com/tendermint/go-rpc/...
+
+
+# integration tests
+cd test
 set -e
 
 go build -o server main.go
@@ -6,18 +18,52 @@ go build -o server main.go
 PID=$!
 sleep 2
 
-
+# simple request
 R1=`curl -s 'http://localhost:8008/hello_world?name="my_world"&num=5'`
-
-
 R2=`curl -s --data @data.json http://localhost:8008`
+if [[ "$R1" != "$R2" ]]; then
+	echo "responses are not identical:"
+	echo "R1: $R1"
+	echo "R2: $R2"
+	exit 1
+else
+	echo "Success"
+fi
 
-kill -9 $PID
+# request with 0x-prefixed hex string arg
+R1=`curl -s 'http://localhost:8008/hello_world?name=0x41424344&num=123'`
+R2='{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":"","result":{"Result":"hi ABCD 123"},"error":""}'
+if [[ "$R1" != "$R2" ]]; then
+	echo "responses are not identical:"
+	echo "R1: $R1"
+	echo "R2: $R2"
+	exit 1
+else
+	echo "Success"
+fi
+
+# request with unquoted string arg
+R1=`curl -s 'http://localhost:8008/hello_world?name=abcd&num=123'`
+R2="{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":\"\",\"result\":null,\"error\":\"Error converting http params to args: invalid character 'a' looking for beginning of value\"}"
+if [[ "$R1" != "$R2" ]]; then
+	echo "responses are not identical:"
+	echo "R1: $R1"
+	echo "R2: $R2"
+	exit 1
+else
+	echo "Success"
+fi
 
+# request with string type when expecting number arg
+R1=`curl -s 'http://localhost:8008/hello_world?name="abcd"&num=0xabcd'`
+R2="{\"jsonrpc\":\"2.0\",\"id\":\"\",\"result\":null,\"error\":\"Error converting http params to args: Got a hex string arg, but expected 'int'\"}"
 if [[ "$R1" != "$R2" ]]; then
 	echo "responses are not identical:"
 	echo "R1: $R1"
 	echo "R2: $R2"
 	exit 1
+else
+	echo "Success"
 fi
-echo "Success"
+
+kill -9 $PID || exit 0
diff --git a/version.go b/version.go
index edf8d40da..33eb7fe51 100644
--- a/version.go
+++ b/version.go
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 package rpc
 
 const Maj = "0"
-const Min = "5" // refactored out of tendermint/tendermint; RPCResponse.Result is RawJSON
-const Fix = "1" // support tcp:// or unix:// prefixes
+const Min = "6" // 0x-prefixed string args handled as hex
+const Fix = "0" //
 
 const Version = Maj + "." + Min + "." + Fix