diff --git a/beacon_chain/spec/keystore.nim b/beacon_chain/spec/keystore.nim
index ca33d6b07..5d285a8f4 100644
--- a/beacon_chain/spec/keystore.nim
+++ b/beacon_chain/spec/keystore.nim
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@
 # at your option. This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to those terms.
 
 import
-  json, math,
-  stew/results,
-  nimcrypto/[sha2, rijndael, pbkdf2, bcmode, hash, sysrand, utils],
+  json, math, strutils,
+  eth/keyfile/uuid,
+  stew/[results, byteutils],
+  nimcrypto/[sha2, rijndael, pbkdf2, bcmode, hash, sysrand],
   ./crypto
 
-import strutils except fromHex
-
 export results
 
 type
@@ -109,11 +108,11 @@ proc decryptKeystore*(data, passphrase: string): KsResult[seq[byte]] =
       crypto = ks{"crypto"}.to(Crypto[KdfPbkdf2])
       kdfParams = crypto.kdf.params
 
-    salt = fromHex(kdfParams.salt)
+    salt = hexToSeqByte(kdfParams.salt)
     decKey = sha256.pbkdf2(passphrase, salt, kdfParams.c, kdfParams.dklen)
-    iv = fromHex(crypto.cipher.params.iv)
-    cipherMsg = fromHex(crypto.cipher.message)
-    checksumMsg = fromHex(crypto.checksum.message)
+    iv = hexToSeqByte(crypto.cipher.params.iv)
+    cipherMsg = hexToSeqByte(crypto.cipher.message)
+    checksumMsg = hexToSeqByte(crypto.checksum.message)
   else:
     return err "ks: unknown cipher"
 
@@ -166,7 +165,7 @@ proc encryptKeystore*[T: KdfParams](secret: openarray[byte];
                            pbkdf2Params.dklen)
 
     var kdf = Kdf[KdfPbkdf2](function: "pbkdf2", params: pbkdf2Params, message: "")
-    kdf.params.salt = kdfSalt.toHex(lowercase=true)
+    kdf.params.salt = kdfSalt.toHex()
   else:
     return
 
@@ -185,17 +184,17 @@ proc encryptKeystore*[T: KdfParams](secret: openarray[byte];
         kdf: kdf,
         checksum: Checksum(
           function: "sha256",
-          message: sum.toHex(lowercase=true)
+          message: sum.toHex()
         ),
         cipher: Cipher(
           function: "aes-128-ctr",
-          params: CipherParams(iv: aesIv.toHex(lowercase=true)),
-          message: cipherMsg.toHex(lowercase=true)
+          params: CipherParams(iv: aesIv.toHex()),
+          message: cipherMsg.toHex()
         )
       ),
       pubkey: pubkey.toHex(),
       path: path,
-      uuid: "", # TODO: uuid library?
+      uuid: $(uuidGenerate().tryGet()), # error handling?
       version: 4
     )
 
diff --git a/tests/test_keystore.nim b/tests/test_keystore.nim
index b2b3c17af..ce0f4aad1 100644
--- a/tests/test_keystore.nim
+++ b/tests/test_keystore.nim
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 
 import
   unittest, ./testutil, json,
-  nimcrypto/utils,
+  stew/byteutils,
   ../beacon_chain/spec/keystore
 
 from strutils import replace
@@ -80,10 +80,9 @@ const
 
 const
   password = "testpassword"
-  secret = fromHex("000000000019d6689c085ae165831e934ff763ae46a2a6c172b3f1b60a8ce26f")
-  salt = fromHex("d4e56740f876aef8c010b86a40d5f56745a118d0906a34e69aec8c0db1cb8fa3")
-  iv = fromHex("264daa3f303d7259501c93d997d84fe6")
-  uuid = "64625def-3331-4eea-ab6f-782f3ed16a83"
+  secret = hexToSeqByte("000000000019d6689c085ae165831e934ff763ae46a2a6c172b3f1b60a8ce26f")
+  salt = hexToSeqByte("d4e56740f876aef8c010b86a40d5f56745a118d0906a34e69aec8c0db1cb8fa3")
+  iv = hexToSeqByte("264daa3f303d7259501c93d997d84fe6")
 
 suiteReport "Keystore":
   timedTest "Pbkdf2 decryption":
@@ -94,9 +93,15 @@ suiteReport "Keystore":
   timedTest "Pbkdf2 encryption":
     let encrypt = encryptKeystore[KdfPbkdf2](secret, password, salt=salt, iv=iv,
                                              path="m/12381/60/0/0", ugly=false)
-
     check encrypt.isOk
-    check encrypt.get() == pbkdf2Vector.replace(uuid, "")
+
+    var
+      encryptJson = parseJson(encrypt.get())
+      pbkdf2Json = parseJson(pbkdf2Vector)
+    encryptJson{"uuid"} = %""
+    pbkdf2Json{"uuid"} = %""
+
+    check encryptJson == pbkdf2Json
 
   timedTest "Pbkdf2 error":
     check encryptKeystore[KdfPbkdf2](secret, "", salt = [byte 1]).isErr