diff --git a/tests/test_generalstate_json.nim b/tests/test_generalstate_json.nim
index a1f53099f..c4c2375ab 100644
--- a/tests/test_generalstate_json.nim
+++ b/tests/test_generalstate_json.nim
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import
   byteutils, ranges/typedranges, nimcrypto/[keccak, hash], options,
   eth/[rlp, common, keys], eth/trie/db, chronicles,
   ./test_helpers, ../nimbus/p2p/executor,
-  ../nimbus/[constants, errors],
+  ../nimbus/[constants, errors, transaction],
   ../nimbus/[vm_state, vm_types, vm_state_transactions, utils],
   ../nimbus/vm/interpreter,
   ../nimbus/db/[db_chain, state_db]
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ suite "generalstate json tests":
   jsonTest("GeneralStateTests", testFixture)
 
 proc testFixtureIndexes(prevStateRoot: Hash256, header: BlockHeader, pre: JsonNode, tx: Transaction,
-                        sender: EthAddress, expectedHash, expectedLogs: string, testStatusIMPL: var TestStatus, fork: Fork) =
+                        expectedHash, expectedLogs: string, testStatusIMPL: var TestStatus, fork: Fork) =
   when enabledLogLevel <= TRACE:
     let tracerFlags = {TracerFlags.EnableTracing}
   else:
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ proc testFixtureIndexes(prevStateRoot: Hash256, header: BlockHeader, pre: JsonNo
     let expectedLogsHash = toLowerAscii(expectedLogs)
     check(expectedLogsHash == actualLogsHash)
 
+  let sender = tx.getSender()
   if not validateTransaction(vmState, tx, sender):
     vmState.mutateStateDB:
       # pre-EIP158 (e.g., Byzantium) should ensure currentCoinbase exists
@@ -89,7 +90,5 @@ proc testFixture(fixtures: JsonNode, testStatusIMPL: var TestStatus) =
           gasIndex = indexes["gas"].getInt
           valueIndex = indexes["value"].getInt
         let transaction = ftrans.getFixtureTransaction(dataIndex, gasIndex, valueIndex)
-        let sender = ftrans.getFixtureTransactionSender
         testFixtureIndexes(emptyRlpHash, header, fixture["pre"], transaction,
-                           sender, expectedHash, expectedLogs, testStatusIMPL, fork)
-
+                           expectedHash, expectedLogs, testStatusIMPL, fork)
diff --git a/tests/test_helpers.nim b/tests/test_helpers.nim
index 1e17eb8d9..88cba39c6 100644
--- a/tests/test_helpers.nim
+++ b/tests/test_helpers.nim
@@ -277,17 +277,12 @@ proc getFixtureTransaction*(j: JsonNode, dataIndex, gasIndex, valueIndex: int):
   result.value = fromHex(UInt256, j["value"][valueIndex].getStr)
   result.payload = j["data"][dataIndex].getStr.safeHexToSeqByte
 
-proc getFixtureTransactionSender*(j: JsonNode): EthAddress =
   var secretKey = j["secretKey"].getStr
   removePrefix(secretKey, "0x")
   let privateKey = initPrivateKey(secretKey)
+  let sig = signMessage(privateKey, result.rlpEncode)
+  let raw = sig.getRaw()
 
-  var pubKey: PublicKey
-  let transaction = j.getFixtureTransaction(0, 0, 0)
-  if recoverSignatureKey(signMessage(privateKey, transaction.rlpEncode),
-                         transaction.txHashNoSignature.data,
-                         pubKey) == EthKeysStatus.Success:
-    return pubKey.toCanonicalAddress()
-  else:
-    # XXX: appropriate failure mode; probably raise something
-    discard
+  result.R = fromBytesBE(Uint256, raw[0..31])
+  result.S = fromBytesBE(Uint256, raw[32..63])
+  result.V = raw[64] + 27.byte