diff --git a/WalletKey.js b/WalletKey.js
index 0c2abb517..2c9c6e31c 100644
--- a/WalletKey.js
+++ b/WalletKey.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ var imports = require('soop').imports();
 
 var coinUtil = require('./util/util');
 var timeUtil = require('./util/time');
-var Key= require('./Key');
+var Key = require('./Key');
 var PrivateKey = require('./PrivateKey');
 var Address = require('./Address');
 
@@ -37,11 +37,10 @@ WalletKey.prototype.storeObj = function() {
 WalletKey.prototype.fromObj = function(obj) {
   this.created = obj.created;
   this.privKey = new Key();
-  if (obj.priv.length==64) {
-    this.privKey.private = new Buffer(obj.priv,'hex');
-    this.privKey.compressed = true;
-  }
-  else {
+  if (obj.priv.length == 64) {
+    this.privKey.private = new Buffer(obj.priv, 'hex');
+    this.privKey.compressed = typeof obj.compressed === 'undefined'? true: obj.compressed;
+  } else {
     var priv = new PrivateKey(obj.priv);
     this.privKey.private = new Buffer(priv.payload());
     this.privKey.compressed = priv.compressed();
diff --git a/test/test.misc.js b/test/test.misc.js
index b854abac1..22bfc40fc 100644
--- a/test/test.misc.js
+++ b/test/test.misc.js
@@ -75,12 +75,13 @@ describe('Miscelaneous stuff', function() {
     if (meta.isPrivkey) {
       describe('base58 private key valid ' + b58, function() {
         var k;
+        var opts = {
+          network: network
+        };
         before(function() {
-          k = new WalletKey({
-            network: network
-          });
+          k = new WalletKey(opts);
         });
-        it('parse', function() {
+        it('should generate correctly from WIF', function() {
           k.fromObj({
             priv: b58
           });
@@ -95,6 +96,14 @@ describe('Miscelaneous stuff', function() {
         it('should not be an Address', function() {
           new Address(b58).isValid().should.equal(false);
         });
+        it('should generate correctly from hex', function() {
+          var k2 = new WalletKey(opts);
+          k2.fromObj({
+            priv: hexPayload,
+            compressed: meta.isCompressed
+          });
+          k2.storeObj().priv.should.equal(b58);
+        });
       });
     } else {
       describe('base58 address valid ' + b58, function() {