diff --git a/common/types.go b/common/types.go
index d05c21eecc..e41112a77a 100644
--- a/common/types.go
+++ b/common/types.go
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ func (h Hash) Generate(rand *rand.Rand, size int) reflect.Value {
 	return reflect.ValueOf(h)
 }
 
+func EmptyHash(h Hash) bool {
+	return h == Hash{}
+}
+
 /////////// Address
 func BytesToAddress(b []byte) Address {
 	var a Address
diff --git a/core/state/state_object.go b/core/state/state_object.go
index 6d2455d792..42dac632bf 100644
--- a/core/state/state_object.go
+++ b/core/state/state_object.go
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ func (self Code) String() string {
 	return string(self) //strings.Join(Disassemble(self), " ")
 }
 
-type Storage map[string]*common.Value
+type Storage map[string]common.Hash
 
 func (self Storage) String() (str string) {
 	for key, value := range self {
-		str += fmt.Sprintf("%X : %X\n", key, value.Bytes())
+		str += fmt.Sprintf("%X : %X\n", key, value)
 	}
 
 	return
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ func (self Storage) String() (str string) {
 func (self Storage) Copy() Storage {
 	cpy := make(Storage)
 	for key, value := range self {
-		// XXX Do we need a 'value' copy or is this sufficient?
 		cpy[key] = value
 	}
 
@@ -112,7 +111,7 @@ func NewStateObjectFromBytes(address common.Address, data []byte, db common.Data
 	object.balance = extobject.Balance
 	object.codeHash = extobject.CodeHash
 	object.State = New(extobject.Root, db)
-	object.storage = make(map[string]*common.Value)
+	object.storage = make(map[string]common.Hash)
 	object.gasPool = new(big.Int)
 	object.prepaid = new(big.Int)
 	object.code, _ = db.Get(extobject.CodeHash)
@@ -129,35 +128,29 @@ func (self *StateObject) MarkForDeletion() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (c *StateObject) getAddr(addr common.Hash) *common.Value {
-	return common.NewValueFromBytes([]byte(c.State.trie.Get(addr[:])))
+func (c *StateObject) getAddr(addr common.Hash) (ret common.Hash) {
+	return common.BytesToHash(common.NewValueFromBytes([]byte(c.State.trie.Get(addr[:]))).Bytes())
 }
 
-func (c *StateObject) setAddr(addr []byte, value interface{}) {
-	c.State.trie.Update(addr, common.Encode(value))
-}
-
-func (self *StateObject) GetStorage(key *big.Int) *common.Value {
-	fmt.Printf("%v: get %v %v", self.address.Hex(), key)
-	return self.GetState(common.BytesToHash(key.Bytes()))
-}
-
-func (self *StateObject) SetStorage(key *big.Int, value *common.Value) {
-	fmt.Printf("%v: set %v -> %v", self.address.Hex(), key, value)
-	self.SetState(common.BytesToHash(key.Bytes()), value)
+func (c *StateObject) setAddr(addr []byte, value common.Hash) {
+	v, err := rlp.EncodeToBytes(bytes.TrimLeft(value[:], "\x00"))
+	if err != nil {
+		// if RLPing failed we better panic and not fail silently. This would be considered a consensus issue
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	c.State.trie.Update(addr, v)
 }
 
 func (self *StateObject) Storage() Storage {
 	return self.storage
 }
 
-func (self *StateObject) GetState(key common.Hash) *common.Value {
+func (self *StateObject) GetState(key common.Hash) common.Hash {
 	strkey := key.Str()
-	value := self.storage[strkey]
-	if value == nil {
+	value, exists := self.storage[strkey]
+	if !exists {
 		value = self.getAddr(key)
-
-		if !value.IsNil() {
+		if (value != common.Hash{}) {
 			self.storage[strkey] = value
 		}
 	}
@@ -165,14 +158,14 @@ func (self *StateObject) GetState(key common.Hash) *common.Value {
 	return value
 }
 
-func (self *StateObject) SetState(k common.Hash, value *common.Value) {
-	self.storage[k.Str()] = value.Copy()
+func (self *StateObject) SetState(k, value common.Hash) {
+	self.storage[k.Str()] = value
 	self.dirty = true
 }
 
 func (self *StateObject) Sync() {
 	for key, value := range self.storage {
-		if value.Len() == 0 {
+		if (value == common.Hash{}) {
 			self.State.trie.Delete([]byte(key))
 			continue
 		}
@@ -370,7 +363,7 @@ func (c *StateObject) RlpDecode(data []byte) {
 	c.nonce = decoder.Get(0).Uint()
 	c.balance = decoder.Get(1).BigInt()
 	c.State = New(common.BytesToHash(decoder.Get(2).Bytes()), c.db) //New(trie.New(common.Config.Db, decoder.Get(2).Interface()))
-	c.storage = make(map[string]*common.Value)
+	c.storage = make(map[string]common.Hash)
 	c.gasPool = new(big.Int)
 
 	c.codeHash = decoder.Get(3).Bytes()
diff --git a/core/state/statedb.go b/core/state/statedb.go
index 895d9fe8ba..1c75ee4db9 100644
--- a/core/state/statedb.go
+++ b/core/state/statedb.go
@@ -103,13 +103,13 @@ func (self *StateDB) GetCode(addr common.Address) []byte {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (self *StateDB) GetState(a common.Address, b common.Hash) []byte {
+func (self *StateDB) GetState(a common.Address, b common.Hash) common.Hash {
 	stateObject := self.GetStateObject(a)
 	if stateObject != nil {
-		return stateObject.GetState(b).Bytes()
+		return stateObject.GetState(b)
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	return common.Hash{}
 }
 
 func (self *StateDB) IsDeleted(addr common.Address) bool {
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ func (self *StateDB) SetCode(addr common.Address, code []byte) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (self *StateDB) SetState(addr common.Address, key common.Hash, value interface{}) {
+func (self *StateDB) SetState(addr common.Address, key common.Hash, value common.Hash) {
 	stateObject := self.GetOrNewStateObject(addr)
 	if stateObject != nil {
-		stateObject.SetState(key, common.NewValue(value))
+		stateObject.SetState(key, value)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/core/vm/vm.go b/core/vm/vm.go
index 0486fbbc7c..336f6cf958 100644
--- a/core/vm/vm.go
+++ b/core/vm/vm.go
@@ -506,14 +506,14 @@ func (self *Vm) Run(context *Context, input []byte) (ret []byte, err error) {
 
 		case SLOAD:
 			loc := common.BigToHash(stack.pop())
-			val := common.Bytes2Big(statedb.GetState(context.Address(), loc))
+			val := statedb.GetState(context.Address(), loc).Big()
 			stack.push(val)
 
 		case SSTORE:
 			loc := common.BigToHash(stack.pop())
 			val := stack.pop()
 
-			statedb.SetState(context.Address(), loc, val)
+			statedb.SetState(context.Address(), loc, common.BigToHash(val))
 
 		case JUMP:
 			if err := jump(pc, stack.pop()); err != nil {
@@ -686,10 +686,10 @@ func (self *Vm) calculateGasAndSize(context *Context, caller ContextRef, op OpCo
 		var g *big.Int
 		y, x := stack.data[stack.len()-2], stack.data[stack.len()-1]
 		val := statedb.GetState(context.Address(), common.BigToHash(x))
-		if len(val) == 0 && len(y.Bytes()) > 0 {
+		if common.EmptyHash(val) && !common.EmptyHash(common.BigToHash(y)) {
 			// 0 => non 0
 			g = params.SstoreSetGas
-		} else if len(val) > 0 && len(y.Bytes()) == 0 {
+		} else if !common.EmptyHash(val) && common.EmptyHash(common.BigToHash(y)) {
 			statedb.Refund(params.SstoreRefundGas)
 
 			g = params.SstoreClearGas
@@ -697,6 +697,13 @@ func (self *Vm) calculateGasAndSize(context *Context, caller ContextRef, op OpCo
 			// non 0 => non 0 (or 0 => 0)
 			g = params.SstoreClearGas
 		}
+
+		/*
+			if len(val) == 0 && len(y.Bytes()) > 0 {
+			} else if len(val) > 0 && len(y.Bytes()) == 0 {
+			} else {
+			}
+		*/
 		gas.Set(g)
 	case SUICIDE:
 		if !statedb.IsDeleted(context.Address()) {
diff --git a/tests/vm/gh_test.go b/tests/vm/gh_test.go
index a95d02576a..be9e89d9c0 100644
--- a/tests/vm/gh_test.go
+++ b/tests/vm/gh_test.go
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ func RunVmTest(p string, t *testing.T) {
 			obj := StateObjectFromAccount(db, addr, account)
 			statedb.SetStateObject(obj)
 			for a, v := range account.Storage {
-				obj.SetState(common.HexToHash(a), common.NewValue(helper.FromHex(v)))
+				obj.SetState(common.HexToHash(a), common.HexToHash(v))
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -168,11 +168,11 @@ func RunVmTest(p string, t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			for addr, value := range account.Storage {
-				v := obj.GetState(common.HexToHash(addr)).Bytes()
-				vexp := helper.FromHex(value)
+				v := obj.GetState(common.HexToHash(addr))
+				vexp := common.HexToHash(value)
 
-				if bytes.Compare(v, vexp) != 0 {
-					t.Errorf("%s's : (%x: %s) storage failed. Expected %x, got %x (%v %v)\n", name, obj.Address().Bytes()[0:4], addr, vexp, v, common.BigD(vexp), common.BigD(v))
+				if v != vexp {
+					t.Errorf("%s's : (%x: %s) storage failed. Expected %x, got %x (%v %v)\n", name, obj.Address().Bytes()[0:4], addr, vexp, v, vexp.Big(), v.Big())
 				}
 			}
 		}