diff --git a/trie/encoding_test.go b/trie/encoding_test.go
index c9bc113c9f..193c898f3d 100644
--- a/trie/encoding_test.go
+++ b/trie/encoding_test.go
@@ -1,68 +1,59 @@
 package trie
 
 import (
-	"bytes"
-	"fmt"
-	"testing"
+	checker "gopkg.in/check.v1"
 )
 
-func TestCompactEncode(t *testing.T) {
+type TrieEncodingSuite struct{}
+
+var _ = checker.Suite(&TrieEncodingSuite{})
+
+func (s *TrieEncodingSuite) TestCompactEncode(c *checker.C) {
+	// even compact encode
 	test1 := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
-	if res := CompactEncode(test1); res != "\x11\x23\x45" {
-		t.Error(fmt.Sprintf("even compact encode failed. Got: %q", res))
-	}
+	res1 := CompactEncode(test1)
+	c.Assert(res1, checker.Equals, "\x11\x23\x45")
 
+	// odd compact encode
 	test2 := []byte{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
-	if res := CompactEncode(test2); res != "\x00\x01\x23\x45" {
-		t.Error(fmt.Sprintf("odd compact encode failed. Got: %q", res))
-	}
+	res2 := CompactEncode(test2)
+	c.Assert(res2, checker.Equals, "\x00\x01\x23\x45")
 
+	//odd terminated compact encode
 	test3 := []byte{0, 15, 1, 12, 11, 8 /*term*/, 16}
-	if res := CompactEncode(test3); res != "\x20\x0f\x1c\xb8" {
-		t.Error(fmt.Sprintf("odd terminated compact encode failed. Got: %q", res))
-	}
+	res3 := CompactEncode(test3)
+	c.Assert(res3, checker.Equals, "\x20\x0f\x1c\xb8")
 
+	// even terminated compact encode
 	test4 := []byte{15, 1, 12, 11, 8 /*term*/, 16}
-	if res := CompactEncode(test4); res != "\x3f\x1c\xb8" {
-		t.Error(fmt.Sprintf("even terminated compact encode failed. Got: %q", res))
-	}
+	res4 := CompactEncode(test4)
+	c.Assert(res4, checker.Equals, "\x3f\x1c\xb8")
 }
 
-func TestCompactHexDecode(t *testing.T) {
+func (s *TrieEncodingSuite) TestCompactHexDecode(c *checker.C) {
 	exp := []byte{7, 6, 6, 5, 7, 2, 6, 2, 16}
 	res := CompactHexDecode("verb")
-
-	if !bytes.Equal(res, exp) {
-		t.Error("Error compact hex decode. Expected", exp, "got", res)
-	}
+	c.Assert(res, checker.DeepEquals, exp)
 }
 
-func TestCompactDecode(t *testing.T) {
+func (s *TrieEncodingSuite) TestCompactDecode(c *checker.C) {
+	// odd compact decode
 	exp := []byte{1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
 	res := CompactDecode("\x11\x23\x45")
+	c.Assert(res, checker.DeepEquals, exp)
 
-	if !bytes.Equal(res, exp) {
-		t.Error("odd compact decode. Expected", exp, "got", res)
-	}
-
+	// even compact decode
 	exp = []byte{0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
 	res = CompactDecode("\x00\x01\x23\x45")
+	c.Assert(res, checker.DeepEquals, exp)
 
-	if !bytes.Equal(res, exp) {
-		t.Error("even compact decode. Expected", exp, "got", res)
-	}
-
+	// even terminated compact decode
 	exp = []byte{0, 15, 1, 12, 11, 8 /*term*/, 16}
 	res = CompactDecode("\x20\x0f\x1c\xb8")
+	c.Assert(res, checker.DeepEquals, exp)
 
-	if !bytes.Equal(res, exp) {
-		t.Error("even terminated compact decode. Expected", exp, "got", res)
-	}
-
+	// even terminated compact decode
 	exp = []byte{15, 1, 12, 11, 8 /*term*/, 16}
 	res = CompactDecode("\x3f\x1c\xb8")
-
-	if !bytes.Equal(res, exp) {
-		t.Error("even terminated compact decode. Expected", exp, "got", res)
-	}
+	c.Assert(res, checker.DeepEquals, exp)
 }