diff --git a/src/bitcoinrpc.cpp b/src/bitcoinrpc.cpp
index c26ba55d..1e7ffe63 100644
--- a/src/bitcoinrpc.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoinrpc.cpp
@@ -526,6 +526,72 @@ Value sendtoaddress(const Array& params, bool fHelp)
     return wtx.GetHash().GetHex();
 }
 
+static const string strMessageMagic = "Bitcoin Signed Message:\n";
+
+Value signmessage(const Array& params, bool fHelp)
+{
+    if (fHelp || params.size() != 2)
+        throw runtime_error(
+            "signmessage <bitcoinaddress> <message>\n"
+            "Sign a message with the private key of an address");
+
+    if (pwalletMain->IsLocked())
+        throw JSONRPCError(-13, "Error: Please enter the wallet passphrase with walletpassphrase first.");
+
+    string strAddress = params[0].get_str();
+    string strMessage = params[1].get_str();
+
+    CBitcoinAddress addr(strAddress);
+    if (!addr.IsValid())
+        throw JSONRPCError(-3, "Invalid address");
+
+    CKey key;
+    if (!pwalletMain->GetKey(addr, key))
+        throw JSONRPCError(-4, "Private key not available");
+
+    CDataStream ss(SER_GETHASH);
+    ss << strMessageMagic;
+    ss << strMessage;
+
+    vector<unsigned char> vchSig;
+    if (!key.SignCompact(Hash(ss.begin(), ss.end()), vchSig))
+        throw JSONRPCError(-5, "Sign failed");
+
+    return EncodeBase64(&vchSig[0], vchSig.size());
+}
+
+Value verifymessage(const Array& params, bool fHelp)
+{
+    if (fHelp || params.size() != 3)
+        throw runtime_error(
+            "verifymessage <bitcoinaddress> <signature> <message>\n"
+            "Verify a signed message");
+
+    string strAddress  = params[0].get_str();
+    string strSign     = params[1].get_str();
+    string strMessage  = params[2].get_str();
+
+    CBitcoinAddress addr(strAddress);
+    if (!addr.IsValid())
+        throw JSONRPCError(-3, "Invalid address");
+
+    bool fInvalid = false;
+    vector<unsigned char> vchSig = DecodeBase64(strSign.c_str(), &fInvalid);
+
+    if (fInvalid)
+        throw JSONRPCError(-5, "Malformed base64 encoding");
+
+    CDataStream ss(SER_GETHASH);
+    ss << strMessageMagic;
+    ss << strMessage;
+
+    CKey key;
+    if (!key.SetCompactSignature(Hash(ss.begin(), ss.end()), vchSig))
+        return false;
+
+    return (key.GetAddress() == addr);
+}
+
 
 Value getreceivedbyaddress(const Array& params, bool fHelp)
 {
@@ -1627,6 +1693,8 @@ pair<string, rpcfn_type> pCallTable[] =
     make_pair("sendmany",               &sendmany),
     make_pair("gettransaction",         &gettransaction),
     make_pair("listtransactions",       &listtransactions),
+    make_pair("signmessage",           &signmessage),
+    make_pair("verifymessage",         &verifymessage),
     make_pair("getwork",                &getwork),
     make_pair("listaccounts",           &listaccounts),
     make_pair("settxfee",               &settxfee),
@@ -1799,43 +1867,6 @@ int ReadHTTP(std::basic_istream<char>& stream, map<string, string>& mapHeadersRe
     return nStatus;
 }
 
-string EncodeBase64(string s)
-{
-    BIO *b64, *bmem;
-    BUF_MEM *bptr;
-
-    b64 = BIO_new(BIO_f_base64());
-    BIO_set_flags(b64, BIO_FLAGS_BASE64_NO_NL);
-    bmem = BIO_new(BIO_s_mem());
-    b64 = BIO_push(b64, bmem);
-    BIO_write(b64, s.c_str(), s.size());
-    BIO_flush(b64);
-    BIO_get_mem_ptr(b64, &bptr);
-
-    string result(bptr->data, bptr->length);
-    BIO_free_all(b64);
-
-    return result;
-}
-
-string DecodeBase64(string s)
-{
-    BIO *b64, *bmem;
-
-    char* buffer = static_cast<char*>(calloc(s.size(), sizeof(char)));
-
-    b64 = BIO_new(BIO_f_base64());
-    BIO_set_flags(b64, BIO_FLAGS_BASE64_NO_NL);
-    bmem = BIO_new_mem_buf(const_cast<char*>(s.c_str()), s.size());
-    bmem = BIO_push(b64, bmem);
-    BIO_read(bmem, buffer, s.size());
-    BIO_free_all(bmem);
-
-    string result(buffer);
-    free(buffer);
-    return result;
-}
-
 bool HTTPAuthorized(map<string, string>& mapHeaders)
 {
     string strAuth = mapHeaders["authorization"];
diff --git a/src/key.h b/src/key.h
index d2e66894..5ffd7b9c 100644
--- a/src/key.h
+++ b/src/key.h
@@ -75,6 +75,76 @@ err:
     return(ok);
 }
 
+int static inline ECDSA_SIG_recover_key_GFp(EC_KEY *eckey, ECDSA_SIG *ecsig, const unsigned char *msg, int msglen, int recid, int check)
+{
+    if (!eckey) return 0;
+
+    int ret = 0;
+    BN_CTX *ctx = NULL;
+
+    BIGNUM *x = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *e = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *order = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *sor = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *eor = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *field = NULL;
+    EC_POINT *R = NULL;
+    EC_POINT *O = NULL;
+    EC_POINT *Q = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *rr = NULL;
+    BIGNUM *zero = NULL;
+    int n = 0;
+    int i = recid / 2;
+
+    const EC_GROUP *group = EC_KEY_get0_group(eckey);
+    if ((ctx = BN_CTX_new()) == NULL) { ret = -1; goto err; }
+    BN_CTX_start(ctx);
+    order = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!EC_GROUP_get_order(group, order, ctx)) { ret = -2; goto err; }
+    x = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!BN_copy(x, order)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    if (!BN_mul_word(x, i)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    if (!BN_add(x, x, ecsig->r)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    field = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!EC_GROUP_get_curve_GFp(group, field, NULL, NULL, ctx)) { ret=-2; goto err; }
+    if (BN_cmp(x, field) >= 0) { ret=0; goto err; }
+    if ((R = EC_POINT_new(group)) == NULL) { ret = -2; goto err; }
+    if (!EC_POINT_set_compressed_coordinates_GFp(group, R, x, recid % 2, ctx)) { ret=0; goto err; }
+    if (check)
+    {
+        if ((O = EC_POINT_new(group)) == NULL) { ret = -2; goto err; }
+        if (!EC_POINT_mul(group, O, NULL, R, order, ctx)) { ret=-2; goto err; }
+        if (!EC_POINT_is_at_infinity(group, O)) { ret = 0; goto err; }
+    }
+    if ((Q = EC_POINT_new(group)) == NULL) { ret = -2; goto err; }
+    n = EC_GROUP_get_degree(group);
+    e = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!BN_bin2bn(msg, msglen, e)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    if (8*msglen > n) BN_rshift(e, e, 8-(n & 7));
+    zero = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!BN_zero(zero)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    if (!BN_mod_sub(e, zero, e, order, ctx)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    rr = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!BN_mod_inverse(rr, ecsig->r, order, ctx)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    sor = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!BN_mod_mul(sor, ecsig->s, rr, order, ctx)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    eor = BN_CTX_get(ctx);
+    if (!BN_mod_mul(eor, e, rr, order, ctx)) { ret=-1; goto err; }
+    if (!EC_POINT_mul(group, Q, eor, R, sor, ctx)) { ret=-2; goto err; }
+    if (!EC_KEY_set_public_key(eckey, Q)) { ret=-2; goto err; }
+
+    ret = 1;
+
+err:
+    if (ctx) {
+        BN_CTX_end(ctx);
+        BN_CTX_free(ctx);
+    }
+    if (R != NULL) EC_POINT_free(R);
+    if (O != NULL) EC_POINT_free(O);
+    if (Q != NULL) EC_POINT_free(Q);
+    return ret;
+}
 
 class key_error : public std::runtime_error
 {
@@ -221,6 +291,66 @@ public:
         return true;
     }
 
+    // create a compact signature (65 bytes), which allows reconstructing the used public key
+    bool SignCompact(uint256 hash, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchSig)
+    {
+        bool fOk = false;
+        ECDSA_SIG *sig = ECDSA_do_sign((unsigned char*)&hash, sizeof(hash), pkey);
+        if (sig==NULL)
+            return false;
+        vchSig.clear();
+        vchSig.resize(65,0);
+        int nBitsR = BN_num_bits(sig->r);
+        int nBitsS = BN_num_bits(sig->s);
+        if (nBitsR <= 256 && nBitsS <= 256)
+        {
+            int nRecId = -1;
+            for (int i=0; i<4; i++)
+            {
+                CKey keyRec;
+                keyRec.fSet = true;
+                if (ECDSA_SIG_recover_key_GFp(keyRec.pkey, sig, (unsigned char*)&hash, sizeof(hash), i, 1) == 1)
+                    if (keyRec.GetPubKey() == this->GetPubKey())
+                    {
+                        nRecId = i;
+                        break;
+                    }
+            }
+
+            if (nRecId == -1)
+                throw key_error("CKEy::SignCompact() : unable to construct recoverable key");
+
+            vchSig[0] = nRecId+27;
+            BN_bn2bin(sig->r,&vchSig[33-(nBitsR+7)/8]);
+            BN_bn2bin(sig->s,&vchSig[65-(nBitsS+7)/8]);
+            fOk = true;
+        }
+        ECDSA_SIG_free(sig);
+        return fOk;
+    }
+
+    // reconstruct public key from a compact signature
+    bool SetCompactSignature(uint256 hash, const std::vector<unsigned char>& vchSig)
+    {
+        if (vchSig.size() != 65)
+            return false;
+        if (vchSig[0]<27 || vchSig[0]>=31)
+            return false;
+        ECDSA_SIG *sig = ECDSA_SIG_new();
+        BN_bin2bn(&vchSig[1],32,sig->r);
+        BN_bin2bn(&vchSig[33],32,sig->s);
+
+        EC_KEY_free(pkey);
+        pkey = EC_KEY_new_by_curve_name(NID_secp256k1);
+        if (ECDSA_SIG_recover_key_GFp(pkey, sig, (unsigned char*)&hash, sizeof(hash), vchSig[0] - 27, 0) == 1)
+        {
+            fSet = true;
+            ECDSA_SIG_free(sig);
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     bool Verify(uint256 hash, const std::vector<unsigned char>& vchSig)
     {
         // -1 = error, 0 = bad sig, 1 = good
@@ -229,6 +359,16 @@ public:
         return true;
     }
 
+    bool VerifyCompact(uint256 hash, const std::vector<unsigned char>& vchSig)
+    {
+        CKey key;
+        if (!key.SetCompactSignature(hash, vchSig))
+            return false;
+        if (GetPubKey() != key.GetPubKey())
+            return false;
+        return true;
+    }
+
     CBitcoinAddress GetAddress() const
     {
         return CBitcoinAddress(GetPubKey());
diff --git a/src/test/base64_tests.cpp b/src/test/base64_tests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f30f7f89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/base64_tests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+#include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
+
+#include "../util.h"
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(base64_tests)
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(base64_testvectors)
+{
+    static const string vstrIn[]  = {"","f","fo","foo","foob","fooba","foobar"};
+    static const string vstrOut[] = {"","Zg==","Zm8=","Zm9v","Zm9vYg==","Zm9vYmE=","Zm9vYmFy"};
+    for (int i=0; i<sizeof(vstrIn)/sizeof(vstrIn[0]); i++)
+    {
+        string strEnc = EncodeBase64(vstrIn[i]);
+        BOOST_CHECK(strEnc == vstrOut[i]);
+        string strDec = DecodeBase64(strEnc);
+        BOOST_CHECK(strDec == vstrIn[i]);
+    }
+}
+
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
diff --git a/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp b/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
index c6f6d94b..a42ad752 100644
--- a/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
+++ b/src/test/test_bitcoin.cpp
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #include "script_tests.cpp"
 #include "transaction_tests.cpp"
 #include "DoS_tests.cpp"
+#include "base64_tests.cpp"
 
 CWallet* pwalletMain;
 
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index a5e3d309..fb648a97 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -443,7 +443,6 @@ vector<unsigned char> ParseHex(const string& str)
     return ParseHex(str.c_str());
 }
 
-
 void ParseParameters(int argc, char* argv[])
 {
     mapArgs.clear();
@@ -470,6 +469,145 @@ void ParseParameters(int argc, char* argv[])
     }
 }
 
+string EncodeBase64(const unsigned char* pch, size_t len)
+{
+    static const char *pbase64 = "ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/";
+
+    string strRet="";
+    strRet.reserve((len+2)/3*4);
+
+    int mode=0, left=0;
+    const unsigned char *pchEnd = pch+len;
+
+    while (pch<pchEnd)
+    {
+        int enc = *(pch++);
+        switch (mode)
+        {
+            case 0: // we have no bits
+                strRet += pbase64[enc >> 2];
+                left = (enc & 3) << 4;
+                mode = 1;
+                break;
+
+            case 1: // we have two bits
+                strRet += pbase64[left | (enc >> 4)];
+                left = (enc & 15) << 2;
+                mode = 2;
+                break;
+
+            case 2: // we have four bits
+                strRet += pbase64[left | (enc >> 6)];
+                strRet += pbase64[enc & 63];
+                mode = 0;
+                break;
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (mode)
+    {
+        strRet += pbase64[left];
+        strRet += '=';
+        if (mode == 1)
+            strRet += '=';
+    }
+
+    return strRet;
+}
+
+string EncodeBase64(const string& str)
+{
+    return EncodeBase64((const unsigned char*)str.c_str(), str.size());
+}
+
+vector<unsigned char> DecodeBase64(const char* p, bool* pfInvalid)
+{
+    static const int decode64_table[256] =
+    {
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, 62, -1, -1, -1, 63, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,  0,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14,
+        15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, 26, 27, 28,
+        29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48,
+        49, 50, 51, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,
+        -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1
+    };
+
+    if (pfInvalid)
+        *pfInvalid = false;
+
+    vector<unsigned char> vchRet;
+    vchRet.reserve(strlen(p)*3/4);
+
+    int mode = 0;
+    int left = 0;
+
+    while (1)
+    {
+         int dec = decode64_table[*p];
+         if (dec == -1) break;
+         p++;
+         switch (mode)
+         {
+             case 0: // we have no bits and get 6
+                 left = dec;
+                 mode = 1;
+                 break;
+
+              case 1: // we have 6 bits and keep 4
+                  vchRet.push_back((left<<2) | (dec>>4));
+                  left = dec & 15;
+                  mode = 2;
+                  break;
+
+             case 2: // we have 4 bits and get 6, we keep 2
+                 vchRet.push_back((left<<4) | (dec>>2));
+                 left = dec & 3;
+                 mode = 3;
+                 break;
+
+             case 3: // we have 2 bits and get 6
+                 vchRet.push_back((left<<6) | dec);
+                 mode = 0;
+                 break;
+         }
+    }
+
+    if (pfInvalid)
+        switch (mode)
+        {
+            case 0: // 4n base64 characters processed: ok
+                break;
+
+            case 1: // 4n+1 base64 character processed: impossible
+                *pfInvalid = true;
+                break;
+
+            case 2: // 4n+2 base64 characters processed: require '=='
+                if (left || p[0] != '=' || p[1] != '=' || decode64_table[p[2]] != -1)
+                    *pfInvalid = true;
+                break;
+
+            case 3: // 4n+3 base64 characters processed: require '='
+                if (left || p[0] != '=' || decode64_table[p[1]] != -1)
+                    *pfInvalid = true;
+                break;
+        }
+
+    return vchRet;
+}
+
+string DecodeBase64(const string& str)
+{
+    vector<unsigned char> vchRet = DecodeBase64(str.c_str());
+    return string((const char*)&vchRet[0], vchRet.size());
+}
 
 
 bool WildcardMatch(const char* psz, const char* mask)
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 60e99431..f0b2f4a7 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -178,6 +178,10 @@ bool ParseMoney(const std::string& str, int64& nRet);
 bool ParseMoney(const char* pszIn, int64& nRet);
 std::vector<unsigned char> ParseHex(const char* psz);
 std::vector<unsigned char> ParseHex(const std::string& str);
+std::vector<unsigned char> DecodeBase64(const char* p, bool* pfInvalid = NULL);
+std::string DecodeBase64(const std::string& str);
+std::string EncodeBase64(const unsigned char* pch, size_t len);
+std::string EncodeBase64(const std::string& str);
 void ParseParameters(int argc, char* argv[]);
 const char* wxGetTranslation(const char* psz);
 bool WildcardMatch(const char* psz, const char* mask);