diff --git a/common.c b/common.c
index 163cbfa..3fd8f48 100644
--- a/common.c
+++ b/common.c
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ void ecdaa_bintohex(const uint8_t *in_bin, char *out_hex, size_t inlen) {
     }
 }
 
-void ecdaa_encode(const uint8_t *in_dec, char *out_enc, size_t inlen) {
+int ecdaa_encode(const uint8_t *in_dec, char *out_enc, size_t inlen) {
     int outlen = 4 * ((inlen + 2) / 3);
     int i = 0;
     int j = 0;
@@ -73,9 +73,10 @@ void ecdaa_encode(const uint8_t *in_dec, char *out_enc, size_t inlen) {
     default:
         break;
     }
+    return j;
 }
 
-void ecdaa_decode(const uint8_t *in_enc, char *out_dec, size_t outlen) {
+int ecdaa_decode(const char *in_enc, uint8_t *out_dec, size_t outlen) {
     int inlen = 4 * ((outlen + 2) / 3); 
     int i = 0;
     int j = 0;
@@ -92,4 +93,5 @@ void ecdaa_decode(const uint8_t *in_enc, char *out_dec, size_t outlen) {
         if (j < outlen) out_dec[j++] = (triple >> 8) & 0xFF;
         if (j < outlen) out_dec[j++] = triple & 0xFF;
     }
+    return i;
 }  
diff --git a/common.h b/common.h
index 0d89807..b28108a 100644
--- a/common.h
+++ b/common.h
@@ -31,4 +31,8 @@ void ecdaa_hextobin(const char *in_hex, uint8_t *out_bin, size_t outlen);
 
 void ecdaa_bintohex(const uint8_t *in_bin, char *out_hex, size_t inlen);
 
+int ecdaa_decode(const char *in_enc, uint8_t *out_dec, size_t outlen);
+
+int ecdaa_encode(const uint8_t *in_dec, char *out_enc, size_t inlen);
+
 #endif //ECDAA_ISSUER_COMMON_H
diff --git a/daa-test.c b/daa-test.c
index b996858..54b89c0 100644
--- a/daa-test.c
+++ b/daa-test.c
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ int test2() {
 
   if(0 != ecdaa_signature_FP256BN_verify(&sig2, &ipk2.gpk, &revocations, msg, msg_len, bsn, bsn_len)) {
     printf("verify message failed\n");
-    //return 1;
+    return 1;
   }
 
   strncpy(bsn, "test basename", 13);
@@ -238,15 +238,30 @@ int test3() {
   }
 
   ecdaa_issuer_public_key_FP256BN_serialize(binbuf, &ipk);
-  ecdaa_bintohex(binbuf, current, ECDAA_ISSUER_PUBLIC_KEY_FP256BN_LENGTH);
-  
+  int numbytes = ecdaa_encode(binbuf, current, ECDAA_ISSUER_PUBLIC_KEY_FP256BN_LENGTH);
+  current = &current[numbytes];
 
-  if(0 != ecdaa_issuer_public_key_FP256BN_deserialize_file(&ipk2, "ipktest.bin") || 
-      0 != ecdaa_issuer_secret_key_FP256BN_deserialize_file(&isk2, "isktest.bin")) {
+  bzero(binbuf,MAX_BUFSIZE);
+  ecdaa_issuer_secret_key_FP256BN_serialize(binbuf, &isk);
+  numbytes += ecdaa_encode(binbuf, current, ECDAA_ISSUER_SECRET_KEY_FP256BN_LENGTH);
+  //current = &buffer[numbytes];
+
+  printf("Encoded issuer key pair: %s\n%s\n", buffer, current);
+
+  current = buffer;
+  int numbytes2 = ecdaa_decode(current, binbuf, ECDAA_ISSUER_PUBLIC_KEY_FP256BN_LENGTH);
+  int ret = ecdaa_issuer_public_key_FP256BN_deserialize(&ipk2, binbuf);
+  
+  current = &buffer[numbytes2];
+  bzero(binbuf,MAX_BUFSIZE);
+  numbytes2 += ecdaa_decode(current, binbuf, ECDAA_ISSUER_SECRET_KEY_FP256BN_LENGTH);
+  ret += ecdaa_issuer_secret_key_FP256BN_deserialize(&isk2, binbuf);
+  if(0 != ret) {
+    printf("numbytes = %i, numbytes2 = %i\n", numbytes, numbytes2);
     printf("loading issuer key pair failed\n");
     return 1;
   }
-
+    
   ecdaa_rand(nonce, NONCE_SIZE);
   if(0 != ecdaa_member_key_pair_FP256BN_generate(&mpk, &msk, nonce, NONCE_SIZE, ecdaa_rand)) {
     printf("generate member key pair failed\n");
diff --git a/ecdaa_test b/ecdaa_test
index 7e98880..f23a4d2 100755
Binary files a/ecdaa_test and b/ecdaa_test differ