diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index faacc6e34..f2f68824a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,16 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## Pending
+
+BREAKING CHANGES
+
+FEATURES
+
+IMPROVEMENTS
+* bank module uses go-wire codec instead of 'encoding/json'
+
+FIXES
+
 ## 0.18.1
 
 BREAKING CHANGES
diff --git a/x/bank/msgs.go b/x/bank/msgs.go
index de7f2a8b1..c256b6de6 100644
--- a/x/bank/msgs.go
+++ b/x/bank/msgs.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package bank
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
-
 	sdk "github.com/cosmos/cosmos-sdk/types"
 )
 
@@ -55,7 +53,8 @@ func (msg MsgSend) ValidateBasic() sdk.Error {
 
 // Implements Msg.
 func (msg MsgSend) GetSignBytes() []byte {
-	b, err := json.Marshal(msg) // XXX: ensure some canonical form
+	cdc := getCodec()
+	b, err := cdc.MarshalJSON(msg) // XXX: ensure some canonical form
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
@@ -104,7 +103,8 @@ func (msg MsgIssue) ValidateBasic() sdk.Error {
 
 // Implements Msg.
 func (msg MsgIssue) GetSignBytes() []byte {
-	b, err := json.Marshal(msg) // XXX: ensure some canonical form
+	cdc := getCodec()
+	b, err := cdc.MarshalJSON(msg) // XXX: ensure some canonical form
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
diff --git a/x/bank/msgs_test.go b/x/bank/msgs_test.go
index 78de01f40..fd1992e3c 100644
--- a/x/bank/msgs_test.go
+++ b/x/bank/msgs_test.go
@@ -186,8 +186,15 @@ func TestMsgSendGetSignBytes(t *testing.T) {
 		Outputs: []Output{NewOutput(addr2, coins)},
 	}
 	res := msg.GetSignBytes()
+
+	cdc := getCodec()
+	unmarshaledMsg := &MsgSend{}
+	cdc.UnmarshalJSON(res, unmarshaledMsg)
+	assert.Equal(t, &msg, unmarshaledMsg)
+
 	// TODO bad results
-	assert.Equal(t, string(res), `{"inputs":[{"address":"696E707574","coins":[{"denom":"atom","amount":10}]}],"outputs":[{"address":"6F7574707574","coins":[{"denom":"atom","amount":10}]}]}`)
+	expected := `{"type":"EAFDE32A2C87F8","value":{"inputs":[{"address":"696E707574","coins":[{"denom":"atom","amount":10}]}],"outputs":[{"address":"6F7574707574","coins":[{"denom":"atom","amount":10}]}]}}`
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, string(res))
 }
 
 func TestMsgSendGetSigners(t *testing.T) {
@@ -255,8 +262,15 @@ func TestMsgIssueGetSignBytes(t *testing.T) {
 		Outputs: []Output{NewOutput(addr, coins)},
 	}
 	res := msg.GetSignBytes()
+
+	cdc := getCodec()
+	unmarshaledMsg := &MsgIssue{}
+	cdc.UnmarshalJSON(res, unmarshaledMsg)
+	assert.Equal(t, &msg, unmarshaledMsg)
+
 	// TODO bad results
-	assert.Equal(t, string(res), `{"banker":"696E707574","outputs":[{"address":"6C6F616E2D66726F6D2D62616E6B","coins":[{"denom":"atom","amount":10}]}]}`)
+	expected := `{"type":"72E617C06ABAD0","value":{"banker":"696E707574","outputs":[{"address":"6C6F616E2D66726F6D2D62616E6B","coins":[{"denom":"atom","amount":10}]}]}}`
+	assert.Equal(t, expected, string(res))
 }
 
 func TestMsgIssueGetSigners(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/x/bank/wire.go b/x/bank/wire.go
index fdb6c252b..49511ef0e 100644
--- a/x/bank/wire.go
+++ b/x/bank/wire.go
@@ -9,3 +9,9 @@ func RegisterWire(cdc *wire.Codec) {
 	cdc.RegisterConcrete(MsgSend{}, "cosmos-sdk/Send", nil)
 	cdc.RegisterConcrete(MsgIssue{}, "cosmos-sdk/Issue", nil)
 }
+
+func getCodec() *wire.Codec {
+	cdc := wire.NewCodec()
+	RegisterWire(cdc)
+	return cdc
+}