diff --git a/core/chain_manager.go b/core/chain_manager.go
index 2d4001f0f..5ff3b88c9 100644
--- a/core/chain_manager.go
+++ b/core/chain_manager.go
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ func (bc *ChainManager) setLastBlock() {
 		bc.Reset()
 	}
 
-	chainlogger.Infof("Last block (#%d) %x\n", bc.lastBlockNumber, bc.currentBlock.Hash())
+	chainlogger.Infof("Last block (#%d) %x TD=%v\n", bc.lastBlockNumber, bc.currentBlock.Hash(), bc.td)
 }
 
 // Block creation & chain handling
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ func (bc *ChainManager) insert(block *types.Block) {
 func (bc *ChainManager) write(block *types.Block) {
 	bc.writeBlockInfo(block)
 
-	encodedBlock := ethutil.Encode(block)
+	encodedBlock := ethutil.Encode(block.RlpDataForStorage())
 	bc.db.Put(block.Hash(), encodedBlock)
 }
 
diff --git a/core/genesis.go b/core/genesis.go
index 1590818a8..d9edaace2 100644
--- a/core/genesis.go
+++ b/core/genesis.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ func GenesisBlock(db ethutil.Database) *types.Block {
 	genesis.Header().GasLimit = big.NewInt(1000000)
 	genesis.Header().GasUsed = ethutil.Big0
 	genesis.Header().Time = 0
+	genesis.Td = ethutil.Big0
 
 	genesis.SetUncles([]*types.Header{})
 	genesis.SetTransactions(types.Transactions{})
diff --git a/ethutil/path.go b/ethutil/path.go
index f64e3849e..e545c8731 100644
--- a/ethutil/path.go
+++ b/ethutil/path.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ func ExpandHomePath(p string) (path string) {
 	path = p
 
 	// Check in case of paths like "/something/~/something/"
-	if path[:2] == "~/" {
+	if len(path) > 1 && path[:2] == "~/" {
 		usr, _ := user.Current()
 		dir := usr.HomeDir
 
diff --git a/ethutil/rlp.go b/ethutil/rlp.go
index 1bc1a58a7..0cb0d611c 100644
--- a/ethutil/rlp.go
+++ b/ethutil/rlp.go
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func Encode(object interface{}) []byte {
 		case byte:
 			buff.Write(Encode(big.NewInt(int64(t))))
 		case *big.Int:
-			// Not sure how this is possible while we check for
+			// Not sure how this is possible while we check for nil
 			if t == nil {
 				buff.WriteByte(0xc0)
 			} else {