diff --git a/src/bignum.h b/src/bignum.h
index 0881807d7..98655cc0e 100644
--- a/src/bignum.h
+++ b/src/bignum.h
@@ -347,13 +347,13 @@ public:
             psz++;
 
         // hex string to bignum
-        static const signed char phexdigit[256] = { 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0xa,0xb,0xc,0xd,0xe,0xf,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0xa,0xb,0xc,0xd,0xe,0xf,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 };
         *this = 0;
-        while (isxdigit(*psz))
+        int n;
+        while ((n = HexDigit(*psz)) != -1)
         {
             *this <<= 4;
-            int n = phexdigit[(unsigned char)*psz++];
             *this += n;
+            ++psz;
         }
         if (fNegative)
             *this = 0 - *this;
diff --git a/src/test/bignum_tests.cpp b/src/test/bignum_tests.cpp
index 196b7274f..f16c26fd1 100644
--- a/src/test/bignum_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/bignum_tests.cpp
@@ -175,4 +175,12 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(bignum_SetCompact)
     BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(num.GetCompact(), 0xff123456U);
 }
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(bignum_SetHex)
+{
+    std::string hexStr = "deecf97fd890808b9cc0f1b6a3e7a60b400f52710e6ad075b1340755bfa58cc9";
+    CBigNum num;
+    num.SetHex(hexStr);
+    BOOST_CHECK_EQUAL(num.GetHex(), hexStr);
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
diff --git a/src/test/uint256_tests.cpp b/src/test/uint256_tests.cpp
index efdc8a6ae..e34efcc47 100644
--- a/src/test/uint256_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/test/uint256_tests.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #include <boost/test/unit_test.hpp>
 
 #include "uint256.h"
+#include <string>
 
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE(uint256_tests)
 
@@ -15,4 +16,12 @@ BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(uint256_equality)
     BOOST_CHECK(num1+num2 == num3+num2);
 }
 
+BOOST_AUTO_TEST_CASE(uint256_hex)
+{
+    std::string hexStr = "d35583ed493a5eee756931353144f558e6a9ab3ad6024a63ced7f10daf7faad9";
+    uint256 num1;
+    num1.SetHex(hexStr);
+    BOOST_CHECK(num1.GetHex() == hexStr);
+}
+
 BOOST_AUTO_TEST_SUITE_END()
diff --git a/src/uint256.h b/src/uint256.h
index 45ab8abb5..562426a0d 100644
--- a/src/uint256.h
+++ b/src/uint256.h
@@ -14,7 +14,12 @@
 
 typedef long long  int64;
 typedef unsigned long long  uint64;
+extern const signed char p_util_hexdigit[256]; // defined in util.cpp
 
+inline signed char HexDigit(char c)
+{
+    return p_util_hexdigit[(unsigned char)c];
+}
 
 inline int Testuint256AdHoc(std::vector<std::string> vArg);
 
@@ -305,8 +310,7 @@ public:
 
     void SetHex(const char* psz)
     {
-        for (int i = 0; i < WIDTH; i++)
-            pn[i] = 0;
+        memset(pn,0,sizeof(pn));
 
         // skip leading spaces
         while (isspace(*psz))
@@ -317,19 +321,18 @@ public:
             psz += 2;
 
         // hex string to uint
-        static const unsigned char phexdigit[256] = { 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0xa,0xb,0xc,0xd,0xe,0xf,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0xa,0xb,0xc,0xd,0xe,0xf,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0 };
         const char* pbegin = psz;
-        while (phexdigit[(unsigned char)*psz] || *psz == '0')
+        while (::HexDigit(*psz) != -1)
             psz++;
         psz--;
         unsigned char* p1 = (unsigned char*)pn;
         unsigned char* pend = p1 + WIDTH * 4;
         while (psz >= pbegin && p1 < pend)
         {
-            *p1 = phexdigit[(unsigned char)*psz--];
+            *p1 = ::HexDigit(*psz--);
             if (psz >= pbegin)
             {
-                *p1 |= (phexdigit[(unsigned char)*psz--] << 4);
+                *p1 |= ((unsigned char)::HexDigit(*psz--) << 4);
                 p1++;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/util.cpp b/src/util.cpp
index 73428b4c2..e0b738dcc 100644
--- a/src/util.cpp
+++ b/src/util.cpp
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ bool ParseMoney(const char* pszIn, int64& nRet)
 }
 
 
-static const signed char phexdigit[256] =
+const signed char p_util_hexdigit[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,-1,-1,-1,-1,-1,
@@ -475,9 +475,9 @@ static const signed char phexdigit[256] =
 
 bool IsHex(const string& str)
 {
-    BOOST_FOREACH(unsigned char c, str)
+    BOOST_FOREACH(char c, str)
     {
-        if (phexdigit[c] < 0)
+        if (HexDigit(c) < 0)
             return false;
     }
     return (str.size() > 0) && (str.size()%2 == 0);
@@ -491,11 +491,11 @@ vector<unsigned char> ParseHex(const char* psz)
     {
         while (isspace(*psz))
             psz++;
-        signed char c = phexdigit[(unsigned char)*psz++];
+        signed char c = HexDigit(*psz++);
         if (c == (signed char)-1)
             break;
         unsigned char n = (c << 4);
-        c = phexdigit[(unsigned char)*psz++];
+        c = HexDigit(*psz++);
         if (c == (signed char)-1)
             break;
         n |= c;