diff --git a/account.go b/account.go
index b1b9415..832544e 100644
--- a/account.go
+++ b/account.go
@@ -307,14 +307,14 @@ func (a *Account) DumpPrivKeys() ([]string, error) {
 		if !ok {
 			continue
 		}
-		encKey, err := pka.ExportPrivKey()
+		wif, err := pka.ExportPrivKey()
 		if err != nil {
 			// It would be nice to zero out the array here. However,
 			// since strings in go are immutable, and we have no
 			// control over the caller I don't think we can. :(
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		privkeys = append(privkeys, encKey)
+		privkeys = append(privkeys, wif.String())
 	}
 
 	return privkeys, nil
@@ -334,16 +334,20 @@ func (a *Account) DumpWIFPrivateKey(addr btcutil.Address) (string, error) {
 		return "", fmt.Errorf("address %s is not a key type", addr)
 	}
 
-	return pka.ExportPrivKey()
+	wif, err := pka.ExportPrivKey()
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return wif.String(), nil
 }
 
 // ImportPrivateKey imports a private key to the account's wallet and
 // writes the new wallet to disk.
-func (a *Account) ImportPrivateKey(pk []byte, compressed bool,
-	bs *wallet.BlockStamp, rescan bool) (string, error) {
+func (a *Account) ImportPrivateKey(wif *btcutil.WIF, bs *wallet.BlockStamp,
+	rescan bool) (string, error) {
 
 	// Attempt to import private key into wallet.
-	addr, err := a.Wallet.ImportPrivateKey(pk, compressed, bs)
+	addr, err := a.Wallet.ImportPrivateKey(wif, bs)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
diff --git a/rpcserver.go b/rpcserver.go
index 60102ab..7ac33c6 100644
--- a/rpcserver.go
+++ b/rpcserver.go
@@ -772,14 +772,14 @@ func ImportPrivKey(icmd btcjson.Cmd) (interface{}, *btcjson.Error) {
 		return nil, &e
 	}
 
-	pk, net, compressed, err := btcutil.DecodePrivateKey(cmd.PrivKey)
-	if err != nil || net != a.Net() {
+	wif, err := btcutil.DecodeWIF(cmd.PrivKey)
+	if err != nil || !wif.IsForNet(a.Net()) {
 		return nil, &btcjson.ErrInvalidAddressOrKey
 	}
 
 	// Import the private key, handling any errors.
 	bs := &wallet.BlockStamp{}
-	switch _, err := a.ImportPrivateKey(pk, compressed, bs, cmd.Rescan); err {
+	switch _, err := a.ImportPrivateKey(wif, bs, cmd.Rescan); err {
 	case nil:
 		// If the import was successful, reply with nil.
 		return nil, nil
@@ -1742,12 +1742,6 @@ type pendingTx struct {
 	inputs []uint32 // list of inputs that care about this tx.
 }
 
-// keyInfo is used to store provided keys in SignRawTransaction.
-type keyInfo struct {
-	key        *ecdsa.PrivateKey
-	compressed bool
-}
-
 // SignRawTransaction handles the signrawtransaction command.
 func SignRawTransaction(icmd btcjson.Cmd) (interface{}, *btcjson.Error) {
 	cmd, ok := icmd.(*btcjson.SignRawTransactionCmd)
@@ -1854,13 +1848,12 @@ func SignRawTransaction(icmd btcjson.Cmd) (interface{}, *btcjson.Error) {
 	// Parse list of private keys, if present. If there are any keys here
 	// they are the keys that we may use for signing. If empty we will
 	// use any keys known to us already.
-	var keys map[string]keyInfo
+	var keys map[string]*btcutil.WIF
 	if len(cmd.PrivKeys) != 0 {
-		keys = make(map[string]keyInfo)
+		keys = make(map[string]*btcutil.WIF)
 
 		for _, key := range cmd.PrivKeys {
-			key, net, compressed, err :=
-				btcutil.DecodePrivateKey(key)
+			wif, err := btcutil.DecodeWIF(key)
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, &btcjson.Error{
 					Code:    btcjson.ErrDeserialization.Code,
@@ -1868,7 +1861,7 @@ func SignRawTransaction(icmd btcjson.Cmd) (interface{}, *btcjson.Error) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			if net != cfg.Net() {
+			if !wif.IsForNet(cfg.Net()) {
 				return nil, &btcjson.Error{
 					Code: btcjson.ErrDeserialization.Code,
 					Message: "key network doesn't match " +
@@ -1876,35 +1869,15 @@ func SignRawTransaction(icmd btcjson.Cmd) (interface{}, *btcjson.Error) {
 				}
 			}
 
-			privk, pubk := btcec.PrivKeyFromBytes(btcec.S256(),
-				key)
-
-			var addr btcutil.Address
-			if compressed {
-				pkc := pubk.SerializeCompressed()
-				addr, err = btcutil.NewAddressPubKey(pkc,
-					cfg.Net())
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, &btcjson.Error{
-						Code:    btcjson.ErrDeserialization.Code,
-						Message: err.Error(),
-					}
-				}
-			} else {
-				pku := pubk.SerializeUncompressed()
-				addr, err = btcutil.NewAddressPubKey(pku,
-					cfg.Net())
-				if err != nil {
-					return nil, &btcjson.Error{
-						Code:    btcjson.ErrDeserialization.Code,
-						Message: err.Error(),
-					}
+			addr, err := btcutil.NewAddressPubKey(wif.SerializePubKey(),
+				cfg.Net())
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, &btcjson.Error{
+					Code:    btcjson.ErrDeserialization.Code,
+					Message: err.Error(),
 				}
 			}
-			keys[addr.EncodeAddress()] = keyInfo{
-				key:        privk.ToECDSA(),
-				compressed: compressed,
-			}
+			keys[addr.EncodeAddress()] = wif
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1984,12 +1957,12 @@ func SignRawTransaction(icmd btcjson.Cmd) (interface{}, *btcjson.Error) {
 		getKey := btcscript.KeyClosure(func(addr btcutil.Address) (
 			*ecdsa.PrivateKey, bool, error) {
 			if len(keys) != 0 {
-				info, ok := keys[addr.EncodeAddress()]
+				wif, ok := keys[addr.EncodeAddress()]
 				if !ok {
 					return nil, false,
 						errors.New("no key for address")
 				}
-				return info.key, info.compressed, nil
+				return wif.PrivKey.ToECDSA(), wif.CompressPubKey, nil
 			}
 			address, err := AcctMgr.Address(addr)
 			if err != nil {
diff --git a/wallet/wallet.go b/wallet/wallet.go
index 0e4398d..a4be9df 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet.go
+++ b/wallet/wallet.go
@@ -1333,16 +1333,17 @@ func (w *Wallet) SetBetterEarliestBlockHeight(height int32) {
 	}
 }
 
-// ImportPrivateKey creates a new encrypted btcAddress with a
-// user-provided private key and adds it to the wallet.
-func (w *Wallet) ImportPrivateKey(privkey []byte, compressed bool, bs *BlockStamp) (btcutil.Address, error) {
+// ImportPrivateKey imports a WIF private key into the keystore.  The imported
+// address is created using either a compressed or uncompressed serialized
+// public key, depending on the CompressPubKey bool of the WIF.
+func (w *Wallet) ImportPrivateKey(wif *btcutil.WIF, bs *BlockStamp) (btcutil.Address, error) {
 	if w.flags.watchingOnly {
 		return nil, ErrWalletIsWatchingOnly
 	}
 
 	// First, must check that the key being imported will not result
 	// in a duplicate address.
-	pkh := btcutil.Hash160(pubkeyFromPrivkey(privkey, compressed))
+	pkh := btcutil.Hash160(wif.SerializePubKey())
 	if _, ok := w.addrMap[addressKey(pkh)]; ok {
 		return nil, ErrDuplicate
 	}
@@ -1353,7 +1354,8 @@ func (w *Wallet) ImportPrivateKey(privkey []byte, compressed bool, bs *BlockStam
 	}
 
 	// Create new address with this private key.
-	btcaddr, err := newBtcAddress(w, privkey, nil, bs, compressed)
+	privKey := wif.PrivKey.Serialize()
+	btcaddr, err := newBtcAddress(w, privKey, nil, bs, wif.CompressPubKey)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -2067,8 +2069,8 @@ type PubKeyAddress interface {
 	// It can fail if the wallet is watching only, the wallet is locked,
 	// or the address doesn't have any keys.
 	PrivKey() (*ecdsa.PrivateKey, error)
-	// ExportPrivKey exports the private key in WIF format as a string.
-	ExportPrivKey() (string, error)
+	// ExportPrivKey exports the WIF private key.
+	ExportPrivKey() (*btcutil.WIF, error)
 }
 
 // newBtcAddress initializes and returns a new address.  privkey must
@@ -2523,16 +2525,14 @@ func (a *btcAddress) PrivKey() (*ecdsa.PrivateKey, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
-// ExportPrivKey exports the private key in WIF format as a string. Implementing
-// PubKeyAddress.
-func (a *btcAddress) ExportPrivKey() (string, error) {
+// ExportPrivKey exports the private key as a WIF for encoding as a string
+// in the Wallet Import Formt.
+func (a *btcAddress) ExportPrivKey() (*btcutil.WIF, error) {
 	pk, err := a.PrivKey()
 	if err != nil {
-		return "", err
+		return nil, err
 	}
-
-	return btcutil.EncodePrivateKey(pad(32, pk.D.Bytes()),
-		a.wallet.Net(), a.Compressed())
+	return btcutil.NewWIF((*btcec.PrivateKey)(pk), a.wallet.Net(), a.Compressed())
 }
 
 // watchingCopy creates a copy of an address without a private key.
diff --git a/wallet/wallet_test.go b/wallet/wallet_test.go
index f3b6863..2e4b38f 100644
--- a/wallet/wallet_test.go
+++ b/wallet/wallet_test.go
@@ -714,7 +714,12 @@ func TestWatchingWalletExport(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("Nonsensical func ExportWatchingWallet returned no or incorrect error: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
-	if _, err := ww.ImportPrivateKey(make([]byte, 32), true, createdAt); err != ErrWalletIsWatchingOnly {
+	pk, _ := btcec.PrivKeyFromBytes(btcec.S256(), make([]byte, 32))
+	wif, err := btcutil.NewWIF(pk, btcwire.MainNet, true)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if _, err := ww.ImportPrivateKey(wif, createdAt); err != ErrWalletIsWatchingOnly {
 		t.Errorf("Nonsensical func ImportPrivateKey returned no or incorrect error: %v", err)
 		return
 	}
@@ -754,9 +759,13 @@ func TestImportPrivateKey(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// import priv key
+	wif, err := btcutil.NewWIF((*btcec.PrivateKey)(pk), btcwire.MainNet, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
 	importHeight := int32(50)
 	importedAt := &BlockStamp{Height: importHeight}
-	address, err := w.ImportPrivateKey(pad(32, pk.D.Bytes()), false, importedAt)
+	address, err := w.ImportPrivateKey(wif, importedAt)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("importing private key: " + err.Error())
 		return