diff --git a/src/key.cpp b/src/key.cpp
index e146e47d0d..83128e4acc 100644
--- a/src/key.cpp
+++ b/src/key.cpp
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ bool CExtKey::Derive(CExtKey &out, unsigned int nChild) const {
     CKeyID id = key.GetPubKey().GetID();
     memcpy(&out.vchFingerprint[0], &id, 4);
     out.nChild = nChild;
-    return key.Derive(out.key, out.vchChainCode, nChild, vchChainCode);
+    return key.Derive(out.key, out.chaincode.data, nChild, chaincode.data);
 }
 
 void CExtKey::SetMaster(const unsigned char *seed, unsigned int nSeedLen) {
@@ -161,7 +161,7 @@ void CExtKey::SetMaster(const unsigned char *seed, unsigned int nSeedLen) {
     LockObject(out);
     CHMAC_SHA512(hashkey, sizeof(hashkey)).Write(seed, nSeedLen).Finalize(out);
     key.Set(&out[0], &out[32], true);
-    memcpy(vchChainCode, &out[32], 32);
+    memcpy(chaincode.data, &out[32], 32);
     UnlockObject(out);
     nDepth = 0;
     nChild = 0;
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ CExtPubKey CExtKey::Neuter() const {
     memcpy(&ret.vchFingerprint[0], &vchFingerprint[0], 4);
     ret.nChild = nChild;
     ret.pubkey = key.GetPubKey();
-    memcpy(&ret.vchChainCode[0], &vchChainCode[0], 32);
+    memcpy(&ret.chaincode.data[0], &chaincode.data[0], 32);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ void CExtKey::Encode(unsigned char code[74]) const {
     memcpy(code+1, vchFingerprint, 4);
     code[5] = (nChild >> 24) & 0xFF; code[6] = (nChild >> 16) & 0xFF;
     code[7] = (nChild >>  8) & 0xFF; code[8] = (nChild >>  0) & 0xFF;
-    memcpy(code+9, vchChainCode, 32);
+    memcpy(code+9, chaincode.data, 32);
     code[41] = 0;
     assert(key.size() == 32);
     memcpy(code+42, key.begin(), 32);
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ void CExtKey::Decode(const unsigned char code[74]) {
     nDepth = code[0];
     memcpy(vchFingerprint, code+1, 4);
     nChild = (code[5] << 24) | (code[6] << 16) | (code[7] << 8) | code[8];
-    memcpy(vchChainCode, code+9, 32);
+    memcpy(chaincode.data, code+9, 32);
     key.Set(code+42, code+74, true);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/key.h b/src/key.h
index 104a8f5c72..d3c7a28e01 100644
--- a/src/key.h
+++ b/src/key.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 #ifndef BITCOIN_KEY_H
 #define BITCOIN_KEY_H
 
+#include "pubkey.h"
 #include "serialize.h"
 #include "support/allocators/secure.h"
 #include "uint256.h"
@@ -13,9 +14,6 @@
 #include <stdexcept>
 #include <vector>
 
-class CPubKey;
-
-struct CExtPubKey;
 
 /** 
  * secp256k1:
@@ -157,13 +155,13 @@ struct CExtKey {
     unsigned char nDepth;
     unsigned char vchFingerprint[4];
     unsigned int nChild;
-    unsigned char vchChainCode[32];
+    CChainCode chaincode;
     CKey key;
 
     friend bool operator==(const CExtKey& a, const CExtKey& b)
     {
         return a.nDepth == b.nDepth && memcmp(&a.vchFingerprint[0], &b.vchFingerprint[0], 4) == 0 && a.nChild == b.nChild &&
-               memcmp(&a.vchChainCode[0], &b.vchChainCode[0], 32) == 0 && a.key == b.key;
+               memcmp(&a.chaincode.data[0], &b.chaincode.data[0], 32) == 0 && a.key == b.key;
     }
 
     void Encode(unsigned char code[74]) const;
diff --git a/src/pubkey.cpp b/src/pubkey.cpp
index a4c046bff5..52aeb7be8b 100644
--- a/src/pubkey.cpp
+++ b/src/pubkey.cpp
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ void CExtPubKey::Encode(unsigned char code[74]) const {
     memcpy(code+1, vchFingerprint, 4);
     code[5] = (nChild >> 24) & 0xFF; code[6] = (nChild >> 16) & 0xFF;
     code[7] = (nChild >>  8) & 0xFF; code[8] = (nChild >>  0) & 0xFF;
-    memcpy(code+9, vchChainCode, 32);
+    memcpy(code+9, chaincode.data, 32);
     assert(pubkey.size() == 33);
     memcpy(code+41, pubkey.begin(), 33);
 }
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ void CExtPubKey::Decode(const unsigned char code[74]) {
     nDepth = code[0];
     memcpy(vchFingerprint, code+1, 4);
     nChild = (code[5] << 24) | (code[6] << 16) | (code[7] << 8) | code[8];
-    memcpy(vchChainCode, code+9, 32);
+    memcpy(chaincode.data, code+9, 32);
     pubkey.Set(code+41, code+74);
 }
 
@@ -93,5 +93,5 @@ bool CExtPubKey::Derive(CExtPubKey &out, unsigned int nChild) const {
     CKeyID id = pubkey.GetID();
     memcpy(&out.vchFingerprint[0], &id, 4);
     out.nChild = nChild;
-    return pubkey.Derive(out.pubkey, out.vchChainCode, nChild, vchChainCode);
+    return pubkey.Derive(out.pubkey, out.chaincode.data, nChild, chaincode.data);
 }
diff --git a/src/pubkey.h b/src/pubkey.h
index b0768d4f47..8924708835 100644
--- a/src/pubkey.h
+++ b/src/pubkey.h
@@ -31,6 +31,36 @@ public:
     CKeyID(const uint160& in) : uint160(in) {}
 };
 
+struct CChainCode
+{
+    unsigned char data[32];
+    
+    void SetNull()
+    {
+        memset(data, 0, sizeof(data));
+    }
+    
+    CChainCode()
+    {
+        SetNull();
+    }
+    
+    bool IsNull() const
+    {
+        for (int i=0; i<32; i++)
+            if (data[i])
+                return false;
+        return true;
+    }
+    
+    ADD_SERIALIZE_METHODS;
+    
+    template <typename Stream, typename Operation>
+    inline void SerializationOp(Stream& s, Operation ser_action, int nType, int nVersion) {
+        READWRITE(FLATDATA(data));
+    }
+};
+
 /** An encapsulated public key. */
 class CPubKey
 {
@@ -189,13 +219,13 @@ struct CExtPubKey {
     unsigned char nDepth;
     unsigned char vchFingerprint[4];
     unsigned int nChild;
-    unsigned char vchChainCode[32];
+    CChainCode chaincode;
     CPubKey pubkey;
 
-    friend bool operator==(const CExtPubKey& a, const CExtPubKey& b)
+    friend bool operator==(const CExtPubKey &a, const CExtPubKey &b)
     {
         return a.nDepth == b.nDepth && memcmp(&a.vchFingerprint[0], &b.vchFingerprint[0], 4) == 0 && a.nChild == b.nChild &&
-               memcmp(&a.vchChainCode[0], &b.vchChainCode[0], 32) == 0 && a.pubkey == b.pubkey;
+               memcmp(&a.chaincode.data[0], &b.chaincode.data[0], 32) == 0 && a.pubkey == b.pubkey;
     }
 
     void Encode(unsigned char code[74]) const;