diff --git a/cmd/ethereum/blocktest.go b/cmd/ethereum/blocktest.go
index e6d701d2c..d9cdfa83f 100644
--- a/cmd/ethereum/blocktest.go
+++ b/cmd/ethereum/blocktest.go
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/codegangsta/cli"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/cmd/utils"
+	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/eth"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/ethdb"
-	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/tests"
 )
 
@@ -26,10 +26,10 @@ be able to interact with the chain defined by the test.
 }
 
 func runblocktest(ctx *cli.Context) {
-	if len(ctx.Args()) != 2 {
-		utils.Fatalf("This command requires two arguments.")
+	if len(ctx.Args()) != 3 {
+		utils.Fatalf("Usage: ethereum blocktest <path-to-test-file> <test-name> {rpc, norpc}")
 	}
-	file, testname := ctx.Args()[0], ctx.Args()[1]
+	file, testname, startrpc := ctx.Args()[0], ctx.Args()[1], ctx.Args()[2]
 
 	bt, err := tests.LoadBlockTests(file)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func runblocktest(ctx *cli.Context) {
 
 	cfg := utils.MakeEthConfig(ClientIdentifier, Version, ctx)
 	cfg.NewDB = func(path string) (common.Database, error) { return ethdb.NewMemDatabase() }
+	cfg.MaxPeers = 0 // disable network
 	ethereum, err := eth.New(cfg)
 	if err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("%v", err)
@@ -51,7 +52,8 @@ func runblocktest(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	ethereum.ResetWithGenesisBlock(test.Genesis)
 
 	// import pre accounts
-	if err := test.InsertPreState(ethereum.StateDb()); err != nil {
+	statedb, err := test.InsertPreState(ethereum.StateDb())
+	if err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("could not insert genesis accounts: %v", err)
 	}
 
@@ -60,7 +62,19 @@ func runblocktest(ctx *cli.Context) {
 	if err := chain.InsertChain(test.Blocks); err != nil {
 		utils.Fatalf("Block Test load error: %v", err)
 	} else {
-		fmt.Println("Block Test chain loaded, starting ethereum.")
+		fmt.Println("Block Test chain loaded")
+	}
+
+	if err := test.ValidatePostState(statedb); err != nil {
+		utils.Fatalf("post state validation failed: %v", err)
+	}
+	fmt.Println("Block Test post state validated, starting ethereum.")
+
+	if startrpc == "rpc" {
+		startEth(ctx, ethereum)
+		utils.StartRPC(ethereum, ctx)
+		ethereum.WaitForShutdown()
+	} else {
+		startEth(ctx, ethereum)
 	}
-	startEth(ctx, ethereum)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/ethtest/main.go b/cmd/ethtest/main.go
index f2f7d27f3..fdf573fd8 100644
--- a/cmd/ethtest/main.go
+++ b/cmd/ethtest/main.go
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ func RunVmTest(r io.Reader) (failed int) {
 }
 
 func main() {
-	helper.Logger.SetLogLevel(5)
+	//helper.Logger.SetLogLevel(5)
 	vm.Debug = true
 
 	if len(os.Args) > 1 {
diff --git a/cmd/utils/flags.go b/cmd/utils/flags.go
index f87d25ce9..9a4ab5804 100644
--- a/cmd/utils/flags.go
+++ b/cmd/utils/flags.go
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ func StartRPC(eth *eth.Ethereum, ctx *cli.Context) {
 	addr := ctx.GlobalString(RPCListenAddrFlag.Name)
 	port := ctx.GlobalInt(RPCPortFlag.Name)
 	dataDir := ctx.GlobalString(DataDirFlag.Name)
-
+	fmt.Println("Starting RPC on port: ", port)
 	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", addr, port))
 	if err != nil {
 		Fatalf("Can't listen on %s:%d: %v", addr, port, err)
diff --git a/core/chain_manager.go b/core/chain_manager.go
index 192fa1df0..56ea4de9f 100644
--- a/core/chain_manager.go
+++ b/core/chain_manager.go
@@ -32,8 +32,10 @@ type StateQuery interface {
 func CalcDifficulty(block, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
 	diff := new(big.Int)
 
-	min := big.NewInt(2048)
-	adjust := new(big.Int).Div(parent.Difficulty, min)
+	diffBoundDiv := big.NewInt(2048)
+	min := big.NewInt(131072)
+
+	adjust := new(big.Int).Div(parent.Difficulty, diffBoundDiv)
 	if (block.Time - parent.Time) < 8 {
 		diff.Add(parent.Difficulty, adjust)
 	} else {
diff --git a/rpc/args.go b/rpc/args.go
index 06dab99bc..6e02b65ef 100644
--- a/rpc/args.go
+++ b/rpc/args.go
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/common"
 )
 
-func blockAge(raw interface{}, number *int64) (err error) {
+func blockHeight(raw interface{}, number *int64) (err error) {
 	// Parse as integer
 	num, ok := raw.(float64)
 	if ok {
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ func blockAge(raw interface{}, number *int64) (err error) {
 	case "latest":
 		*number = -1
 	case "pending":
-		*number = 0
+		*number = -2
 	default:
 		*number = common.String2Big(str).Int64()
 	}
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ func (args *NewTxArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 			return NewDecodeParamError(err.Error())
 		}
 
-		if err := blockAge(raw, &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
+		if err := blockHeight(raw, &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func (args *GetStorageArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	args.Address = addstr
 
 	if len(obj) > 1 {
-		if err := blockAge(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
+		if err := blockHeight(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ func (args *GetStorageAtArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	args.Key = keystr
 
 	if len(obj) > 2 {
-		if err := blockAge(obj[2], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
+		if err := blockHeight(obj[2], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ func (args *GetTxCountArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	args.Address = addstr
 
 	if len(obj) > 1 {
-		if err := blockAge(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
+		if err := blockHeight(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ func (args *GetBalanceArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	args.Address = addstr
 
 	if len(obj) > 1 {
-		if err := blockAge(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
+		if err := blockHeight(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ func (args *GetDataArgs) UnmarshalJSON(b []byte) (err error) {
 	args.Address = addstr
 
 	if len(obj) > 1 {
-		if err := blockAge(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
+		if err := blockHeight(obj[1], &args.BlockNumber); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/tests/blocktest.go b/tests/blocktest.go
index 44b459c8d..5719a835b 100644
--- a/tests/blocktest.go
+++ b/tests/blocktest.go
@@ -19,11 +19,11 @@ import (
 )
 
 // Block Test JSON Format
-
 type btJSON struct {
 	Blocks             []btBlock
 	GenesisBlockHeader btHeader
 	Pre                map[string]btAccount
+	PostState          map[string]btAccount
 }
 
 type btAccount struct {
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ func LoadBlockTests(file string) (map[string]*BlockTest, error) {
 
 // InsertPreState populates the given database with the genesis
 // accounts defined by the test.
-func (t *BlockTest) InsertPreState(db common.Database) error {
+func (t *BlockTest) InsertPreState(db common.Database) (*state.StateDB, error) {
 	statedb := state.New(common.Hash{}, db)
 	for addrString, acct := range t.preAccounts {
 		// XXX: is is worth it checking for errors here?
@@ -119,8 +119,33 @@ func (t *BlockTest) InsertPreState(db common.Database) error {
 	// sync trie to disk
 	statedb.Sync()
 
-	if t.Genesis.Root() != statedb.Root() {
-		return errors.New("computed state root does not match genesis block")
+	if !bytes.Equal(t.Genesis.Root().Bytes(), statedb.Root().Bytes()) {
+		return nil, errors.New("computed state root does not match genesis block")
+	}
+	return statedb, nil
+}
+
+func (t *BlockTest) ValidatePostState(statedb *state.StateDB) error {
+	for addrString, acct := range t.preAccounts {
+		// XXX: is is worth it checking for errors here?
+		addr, _ := hex.DecodeString(addrString)
+		code, _ := hex.DecodeString(strings.TrimPrefix(acct.Code, "0x"))
+		balance, _ := new(big.Int).SetString(acct.Balance, 0)
+		nonce, _ := strconv.ParseUint(acct.Nonce, 16, 64)
+
+		// address is indirectly verified by the other fields, as it's the db key
+		code2 := statedb.GetCode(common.BytesToAddress(addr))
+		balance2 := statedb.GetBalance(common.BytesToAddress(addr))
+		nonce2 := statedb.GetNonce(common.BytesToAddress(addr))
+		if !bytes.Equal(code2, code) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("account code mismatch, addr, found, expected: ", addrString, hex.EncodeToString(code2), hex.EncodeToString(code))
+		}
+		if balance2.Cmp(balance) != 0 {
+			return fmt.Errorf("account balance mismatch, addr, found, expected: ", addrString, balance2, balance)
+		}
+		if nonce2 != nonce {
+			return fmt.Errorf("account nonce mismatch, addr, found, expected: ", addrString, nonce2, nonce)
+		}
 	}
 	return nil
 }
diff --git a/xeth/xeth.go b/xeth/xeth.go
index 23e523980..f7f4ce0cf 100644
--- a/xeth/xeth.go
+++ b/xeth/xeth.go
@@ -176,9 +176,12 @@ func (self *XEth) AtStateNum(num int64) *XEth {
 	chain := self.Backend().ChainManager()
 	var block *types.Block
 
+	// -1 generally means "latest"
+	// -2 means "pending", which has no blocknum
 	if num < 0 {
-		num = chain.CurrentBlock().Number().Int64() + num + 1
+		num = chain.CurrentBlock().Number().Int64()
 	}
+
 	block = chain.GetBlockByNumber(uint64(num))
 
 	var st *state.StateDB
@@ -229,6 +232,11 @@ func (self *XEth) EthTransactionByHash(hash string) *types.Transaction {
 }
 
 func (self *XEth) BlockByNumber(num int64) *Block {
+	if num == -2 {
+		// "pending" is non-existant
+		return &Block{}
+	}
+
 	if num == -1 {
 		return NewBlock(self.chainManager.CurrentBlock())
 	}
@@ -237,6 +245,11 @@ func (self *XEth) BlockByNumber(num int64) *Block {
 }
 
 func (self *XEth) EthBlockByNumber(num int64) *types.Block {
+	if num == -2 {
+		// "pending" is non-existant
+		return &types.Block{}
+	}
+
 	if num == -1 {
 		return self.chainManager.CurrentBlock()
 	}