diff --git a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
index f82ddbc2..05369ea6 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG_PENDING.md
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ BREAKING CHANGES:
   * [types] \#2298 Remove `Index` and `Total` fields from `TxProof`.
   * [crypto/merkle & lite] \#2298 Various changes to accomodate General Merkle trees
   * [crypto/merkle] \#2595 Remove all Hasher objects in favor of byte slices
+  * [crypto/merkle] \#2635 merkle.SimpleHashFromTwoHashes is no longer exported
   * [types] \#2598 `VoteTypeXxx` are now
 
 * Blockchain Protocol
diff --git a/crypto/merkle/simple_proof.go b/crypto/merkle/simple_proof.go
index d2cbb126..fd6d07b8 100644
--- a/crypto/merkle/simple_proof.go
+++ b/crypto/merkle/simple_proof.go
@@ -134,13 +134,13 @@ func computeHashFromAunts(index int, total int, leafHash []byte, innerHashes [][
 			if leftHash == nil {
 				return nil
 			}
-			return SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(leftHash, innerHashes[len(innerHashes)-1])
+			return simpleHashFromTwoHashes(leftHash, innerHashes[len(innerHashes)-1])
 		}
 		rightHash := computeHashFromAunts(index-numLeft, total-numLeft, leafHash, innerHashes[:len(innerHashes)-1])
 		if rightHash == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
-		return SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(innerHashes[len(innerHashes)-1], rightHash)
+		return simpleHashFromTwoHashes(innerHashes[len(innerHashes)-1], rightHash)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func trailsFromByteSlices(items [][]byte) (trails []*SimpleProofNode, root *Simp
 	default:
 		lefts, leftRoot := trailsFromByteSlices(items[:(len(items)+1)/2])
 		rights, rightRoot := trailsFromByteSlices(items[(len(items)+1)/2:])
-		rootHash := SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(leftRoot.Hash, rightRoot.Hash)
+		rootHash := simpleHashFromTwoHashes(leftRoot.Hash, rightRoot.Hash)
 		root := &SimpleProofNode{rootHash, nil, nil, nil}
 		leftRoot.Parent = root
 		leftRoot.Right = rightRoot
diff --git a/crypto/merkle/simple_tree.go b/crypto/merkle/simple_tree.go
index 45e0c5c5..7aacb088 100644
--- a/crypto/merkle/simple_tree.go
+++ b/crypto/merkle/simple_tree.go
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/tendermint/tendermint/crypto/tmhash"
 )
 
-// SimpleHashFromTwoHashes is the basic operation of the Merkle tree: Hash(left | right).
-func SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(left, right []byte) []byte {
+// simpleHashFromTwoHashes is the basic operation of the Merkle tree: Hash(left | right).
+func simpleHashFromTwoHashes(left, right []byte) []byte {
 	var hasher = tmhash.New()
 	err := encodeByteSlice(hasher, left)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ func SimpleHashFromByteSlices(items [][]byte) []byte {
 	default:
 		left := SimpleHashFromByteSlices(items[:(len(items)+1)/2])
 		right := SimpleHashFromByteSlices(items[(len(items)+1)/2:])
-		return SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(left, right)
+		return simpleHashFromTwoHashes(left, right)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/types/block.go b/types/block.go
index f41f4c1f..45a5b8c3 100644
--- a/types/block.go
+++ b/types/block.go
@@ -576,7 +576,6 @@ func (sh SignedHeader) StringIndented(indent string) string {
 		indent, sh.Header.StringIndented(indent+"  "),
 		indent, sh.Commit.StringIndented(indent+"  "),
 		indent)
-	return ""
 }
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -660,7 +659,6 @@ func (data *EvidenceData) StringIndented(indent string) string {
 %s}#%v`,
 		indent, strings.Join(evStrings, "\n"+indent+"  "),
 		indent, data.hash)
-	return ""
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/types/evidence.go b/types/evidence.go
index 00c46c59..57523ab1 100644
--- a/types/evidence.go
+++ b/types/evidence.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ func (err *ErrEvidenceOverflow) Error() string {
 type Evidence interface {
 	Height() int64                                     // height of the equivocation
 	Address() []byte                                   // address of the equivocating validator
+	Bytes() []byte                                     // bytes which compromise the evidence
 	Hash() []byte                                      // hash of the evidence
 	Verify(chainID string, pubKey crypto.PubKey) error // verify the evidence
 	Equal(Evidence) bool                               // check equality of evidence
@@ -88,6 +89,8 @@ type DuplicateVoteEvidence struct {
 	VoteB  *Vote
 }
 
+var _ Evidence = &DuplicateVoteEvidence{}
+
 // String returns a string representation of the evidence.
 func (dve *DuplicateVoteEvidence) String() string {
 	return fmt.Sprintf("VoteA: %v; VoteB: %v", dve.VoteA, dve.VoteB)
@@ -104,6 +107,11 @@ func (dve *DuplicateVoteEvidence) Address() []byte {
 	return dve.PubKey.Address()
 }
 
+// Hash returns the hash of the evidence.
+func (dve *DuplicateVoteEvidence) Bytes() []byte {
+	return cdcEncode(dve)
+}
+
 // Hash returns the hash of the evidence.
 func (dve *DuplicateVoteEvidence) Hash() []byte {
 	return tmhash.Sum(cdcEncode(dve))
@@ -172,6 +180,8 @@ type MockGoodEvidence struct {
 	Address_ []byte
 }
 
+var _ Evidence = &MockGoodEvidence{}
+
 // UNSTABLE
 func NewMockGoodEvidence(height int64, idx int, address []byte) MockGoodEvidence {
 	return MockGoodEvidence{height, address}
@@ -182,6 +192,9 @@ func (e MockGoodEvidence) Address() []byte { return e.Address_ }
 func (e MockGoodEvidence) Hash() []byte {
 	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d-%x", e.Height_, e.Address_))
 }
+func (e MockGoodEvidence) Bytes() []byte {
+	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf("%d-%x", e.Height_, e.Address_))
+}
 func (e MockGoodEvidence) Verify(chainID string, pubKey crypto.PubKey) error { return nil }
 func (e MockGoodEvidence) Equal(ev Evidence) bool {
 	e2 := ev.(MockGoodEvidence)
@@ -216,18 +229,14 @@ type EvidenceList []Evidence
 
 // Hash returns the simple merkle root hash of the EvidenceList.
 func (evl EvidenceList) Hash() []byte {
-	// Recursive impl.
-	// Copied from crypto/merkle to avoid allocations
-	switch len(evl) {
-	case 0:
-		return nil
-	case 1:
-		return evl[0].Hash()
-	default:
-		left := EvidenceList(evl[:(len(evl)+1)/2]).Hash()
-		right := EvidenceList(evl[(len(evl)+1)/2:]).Hash()
-		return merkle.SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(left, right)
+	// These allocations are required because Evidence is not of type Bytes, and
+	// golang slices can't be typed cast. This shouldn't be a performance problem since
+	// the Evidence size is capped.
+	evidenceBzs := make([][]byte, len(evl))
+	for i := 0; i < len(evl); i++ {
+		evidenceBzs[i] = evl[i].Bytes()
 	}
+	return merkle.SimpleHashFromByteSlices(evidenceBzs)
 }
 
 func (evl EvidenceList) String() string {
diff --git a/types/tx.go b/types/tx.go
index ec42f3f1..10c097e3 100644
--- a/types/tx.go
+++ b/types/tx.go
@@ -31,18 +31,13 @@ type Txs []Tx
 
 // Hash returns the simple Merkle root hash of the transactions.
 func (txs Txs) Hash() []byte {
-	// Recursive impl.
-	// Copied from tendermint/crypto/merkle to avoid allocations
-	switch len(txs) {
-	case 0:
-		return nil
-	case 1:
-		return txs[0].Hash()
-	default:
-		left := Txs(txs[:(len(txs)+1)/2]).Hash()
-		right := Txs(txs[(len(txs)+1)/2:]).Hash()
-		return merkle.SimpleHashFromTwoHashes(left, right)
+	// These allocations will be removed once Txs is switched to [][]byte,
+	// ref #2603. This is because golang does not allow type casting slices without unsafe
+	txBzs := make([][]byte, len(txs))
+	for i := 0; i < len(txs); i++ {
+		txBzs[i] = txs[i]
 	}
+	return merkle.SimpleHashFromByteSlices(txBzs)
 }
 
 // Index returns the index of this transaction in the list, or -1 if not found