diff --git a/tests/blocktest.go b/tests/blocktest.go
index 84b70678d..2d6b11944 100644
--- a/tests/blocktest.go
+++ b/tests/blocktest.go
@@ -187,9 +187,9 @@ func mustConvertHeader(in btHeader) *types.Header {
 		UncleHash:   mustConvertHash(in.UncleHash),
 		ParentHash:  mustConvertHash(in.ParentHash),
 		Extra:       mustConvertBytes(in.ExtraData),
-		GasUsed:     mustConvertBigInt10(in.GasUsed),
-		GasLimit:    mustConvertBigInt10(in.GasLimit),
-		Difficulty:  mustConvertBigInt10(in.Difficulty),
+		GasUsed:     mustConvertBigInt(in.GasUsed),
+		GasLimit:    mustConvertBigInt(in.GasLimit),
+		Difficulty:  mustConvertBigInt(in.Difficulty),
 		Time:        mustConvertUint(in.Timestamp),
 	}
 	// XXX cheats? :-)
@@ -211,9 +211,13 @@ func mustConvertBlocks(testBlocks []btBlock) []*types.Block {
 }
 
 func mustConvertBytes(in string) []byte {
-	out, err := hex.DecodeString(strings.TrimPrefix(in, "0x"))
+	if in == "0x" {
+		return []byte{}
+	}
+	h := strings.TrimPrefix(unfuckCPPHexInts(in), "0x")
+	out, err := hex.DecodeString(h)
 	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid hex: %q", in))
+		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid hex: %q", h))
 	}
 	return out
 }
@@ -242,16 +246,8 @@ func mustConvertBloom(in string) types.Bloom {
 	return types.BytesToBloom(out)
 }
 
-func mustConvertBigInt10(in string) *big.Int {
-	out, ok := new(big.Int).SetString(in, 10)
-	if !ok {
-		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid integer: %q", in))
-	}
-	return out
-}
-
-func mustConvertBigIntHex(in string) *big.Int {
-	out, ok := new(big.Int).SetString(in, 16)
+func mustConvertBigInt(in string) *big.Int {
+	out, ok := new(big.Int).SetString(unfuckCPPHexInts(in), 0)
 	if !ok {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid integer: %q", in))
 	}
@@ -259,15 +255,7 @@ func mustConvertBigIntHex(in string) *big.Int {
 }
 
 func mustConvertUint(in string) uint64 {
-	out, err := strconv.ParseUint(in, 0, 64)
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid integer: %q", in))
-	}
-	return out
-}
-
-func mustConvertUintHex(in string) uint64 {
-	out, err := strconv.ParseUint(in, 16, 64)
+	out, err := strconv.ParseUint(unfuckCPPHexInts(in), 0, 64)
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Errorf("invalid integer: %q", in))
 	}
@@ -303,3 +291,13 @@ func findLine(data []byte, offset int64) (line int) {
 	}
 	return
 }
+
+func unfuckCPPHexInts(s string) string {
+	if s == "0x" { // no respect for the empty value :(
+		return "0x00"
+	}
+	if (len(s) % 2) != 0 { // motherfucking nibbles
+		return "0x0" + s[2:]
+	}
+	return s
+}
diff --git a/tests/transaction_test.go b/tests/transaction_test.go
index dabc7823b..a6c7492d5 100644
--- a/tests/transaction_test.go
+++ b/tests/transaction_test.go
@@ -6,19 +6,11 @@ import (
 
 func TestTransactions(t *testing.T) {
 	notWorking := make(map[string]bool, 100)
-	// TODO: all commented out tests should work!
 
+	// TODO: all these tests should work! remove them from the array when they work
 	snafus := []string{
-		"EmptyTransaction",
-		"TransactionWithHihghNonce",
-		"TransactionWithRvalueWrongSize",
-		"TransactionWithSvalueHigh",
-		"TransactionWithSvalueTooHigh",
-		"TransactionWithSvalueWrongSize",
-		"ValuesAsDec",
-		"ValuesAsHex",
-		"libsecp256k1test",
-		"unpadedRValue",
+		"TransactionWithHihghNonce", // fails due to testing upper bound of 256 bit nonce
+		"TransactionWithSvalueHigh", // fails due to C++ wrong ECDSA r,s ranges. see https://github.com/ethereum/yellowpaper/pull/112
 	}
 
 	for _, name := range snafus {
@@ -42,3 +34,18 @@ func TestWrongRLPTransactions(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
+
+/*
+
+Not working until it's fields are in HEX
+
+func Test10MBtx(t *testing.T) {
+	notWorking := make(map[string]bool, 100)
+	var err error
+	err = RunTransactionTests("./files/TransactionTests/tt10mbDataField.json",
+		notWorking)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
+*/
diff --git a/tests/transaction_test_util.go b/tests/transaction_test_util.go
index 1b2ee88b1..567aba66f 100644
--- a/tests/transaction_test_util.go
+++ b/tests/transaction_test_util.go
@@ -90,9 +90,16 @@ func runTest(txTest TransactionTest) (err error) {
 	if expectedV != uint64(tx.V) {
 		return fmt.Errorf("V mismatch: %v %v", expectedV, uint64(tx.V))
 	}
-	if expectedTo != *tx.Recipient {
-		return fmt.Errorf("To mismatch: %v %v", expectedTo, *tx.Recipient)
+	if tx.Recipient == nil {
+		if expectedTo != common.BytesToAddress([]byte{}) { // "empty" or "zero" address
+			return fmt.Errorf("To mismatch when recipient is nil (contract creation): %v", expectedTo)
+		}
+	} else {
+		if expectedTo != *tx.Recipient {
+			return fmt.Errorf("To mismatch: %v %v", expectedTo, *tx.Recipient)
+		}
 	}
+
 	if expectedValue.Cmp(tx.Amount) != 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf("Value mismatch: %v %v", expectedValue, tx.Amount)
 	}
@@ -120,14 +127,14 @@ func convertTestTypes(txTest TransactionTest) (sender, to common.Address,
 	txInputData = mustConvertBytes(txTest.Transaction.Data)
 	rlpBytes = mustConvertBytes(txTest.Rlp)
 
-	gasLimit = mustConvertBigInt10(txTest.Transaction.GasLimit)
-	gasPrice = mustConvertBigInt10(txTest.Transaction.GasPrice)
-	value = mustConvertBigInt10(txTest.Transaction.Value)
+	gasLimit = mustConvertBigInt(txTest.Transaction.GasLimit)
+	gasPrice = mustConvertBigInt(txTest.Transaction.GasPrice)
+	value = mustConvertBigInt(txTest.Transaction.Value)
 
 	r = common.Bytes2Big(mustConvertBytes(txTest.Transaction.R))
 	s = common.Bytes2Big(mustConvertBytes(txTest.Transaction.S))
 
-	nonce = mustConvertUintHex(txTest.Transaction.Nonce)
+	nonce = mustConvertUint(txTest.Transaction.Nonce)
 	v = mustConvertUint(txTest.Transaction.V)
 
 	return sender, to, txInputData, rlpBytes, gasLimit, gasPrice, value, r, s, nonce, v, nil