diff --git a/ethchain/block_chain.go b/ethchain/block_chain.go
index c8e5c610e..467c54058 100644
--- a/ethchain/block_chain.go
+++ b/ethchain/block_chain.go
@@ -236,6 +236,16 @@ func (self *BlockChain) GetBlockByNumber(num uint64) *Block {
 	return block
 }
 
+func (self *BlockChain) GetBlockBack(num uint64) *Block {
+	block := self.CurrentBlock
+
+	for ; num != 0 && block != nil; num-- {
+		block = self.GetBlock(block.PrevHash)
+	}
+
+	return block
+}
+
 func (bc *BlockChain) BlockInfoByHash(hash []byte) BlockInfo {
 	bi := BlockInfo{}
 	data, _ := ethutil.Config.Db.Get(append(hash, []byte("Info")...))
diff --git a/ethchain/filter.go b/ethchain/filter.go
index d9f1796f4..0a97b3f98 100644
--- a/ethchain/filter.go
+++ b/ethchain/filter.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package ethchain
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/eth-go/ethstate"
 	"github.com/ethereum/eth-go/ethutil"
@@ -16,8 +17,8 @@ type data struct {
 // Filtering interface
 type Filter struct {
 	eth      EthManager
-	earliest []byte
-	latest   []byte
+	earliest int64
+	latest   int64
 	skip     int
 	from, to [][]byte
 	max      int
@@ -38,37 +39,33 @@ func NewFilterFromMap(object map[string]interface{}, eth EthManager) *Filter {
 	filter := NewFilter(eth)
 
 	if object["earliest"] != nil {
-		earliest := object["earliest"]
-		if e, ok := earliest.(string); ok {
-			filter.SetEarliestBlock(ethutil.Hex2Bytes(e))
-		} else {
-			filter.SetEarliestBlock(earliest)
-		}
+		val := ethutil.NewValue(object["earliest"])
+		filter.SetEarliestBlock(val.Int())
 	}
 
 	if object["latest"] != nil {
-		latest := object["latest"]
-		if l, ok := latest.(string); ok {
-			filter.SetLatestBlock(ethutil.Hex2Bytes(l))
-		} else {
-			filter.SetLatestBlock(latest)
-		}
+		val := ethutil.NewValue(object["latest"])
+		filter.SetLatestBlock(val.Int())
 	}
 
 	if object["to"] != nil {
-		filter.AddTo(ethutil.Hex2Bytes(object["to"].(string)))
+		val := ethutil.NewValue(object["to"])
+		filter.AddTo(ethutil.Hex2Bytes(val.Str()))
 	}
 
 	if object["from"] != nil {
-		filter.AddFrom(ethutil.Hex2Bytes(object["from"].(string)))
+		val := ethutil.NewValue(object["from"])
+		filter.AddFrom(ethutil.Hex2Bytes(val.Str()))
 	}
 
 	if object["max"] != nil {
-		filter.SetMax(object["max"].(int))
+		val := ethutil.NewValue(object["max"])
+		filter.SetMax(int(val.Uint()))
 	}
 
 	if object["skip"] != nil {
-		filter.SetSkip(object["skip"].(int))
+		val := ethutil.NewValue(object["skip"])
+		filter.SetSkip(int(val.Uint()))
 	}
 
 	if object["altered"] != nil {
@@ -85,30 +82,12 @@ func (self *Filter) AddAltered(id, address []byte) {
 // Set the earliest and latest block for filtering.
 // -1 = latest block (i.e., the current block)
 // hash = particular hash from-to
-func (self *Filter) SetEarliestBlock(earliest interface{}) {
-	e := ethutil.NewValue(earliest)
-
-	// Check for -1 (latest) otherwise assume bytes
-	if e.Int() == -1 {
-		self.earliest = self.eth.BlockChain().CurrentBlock.Hash()
-	} else if e.Len() > 0 {
-		self.earliest = e.Bytes()
-	} else {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("earliest has to be either -1 or a valid hash: %v (%T)", e, e.Val))
-	}
+func (self *Filter) SetEarliestBlock(earliest int64) {
+	self.earliest = earliest
 }
 
-func (self *Filter) SetLatestBlock(latest interface{}) {
-	l := ethutil.NewValue(latest)
-
-	// Check for -1 (latest) otherwise assume bytes
-	if l.Int() == -1 {
-		self.latest = self.eth.BlockChain().CurrentBlock.Hash()
-	} else if l.Len() > 0 {
-		self.latest = l.Bytes()
-	} else {
-		panic(fmt.Sprintf("latest has to be either -1 or a valid hash: %v", l))
-	}
+func (self *Filter) SetLatestBlock(latest int64) {
+	self.latest = latest
 }
 
 func (self *Filter) SetFrom(addr [][]byte) {
@@ -137,23 +116,27 @@ func (self *Filter) SetSkip(skip int) {
 
 // Run filters messages with the current parameters set
 func (self *Filter) Find() []*ethstate.Message {
-	var messages []*ethstate.Message
-
-	block := self.eth.BlockChain().GetBlock(self.latest)
-
-	// skip N blocks (useful for pagination)
-	if self.skip > 0 {
-		for i := 0; i < i; i++ {
-			block = self.eth.BlockChain().GetBlock(block.PrevHash)
-		}
+	var earliestBlockNo uint64 = uint64(self.earliest)
+	if self.earliest == -1 {
+		earliestBlockNo = self.eth.BlockChain().CurrentBlock.Number.Uint64()
+	}
+	var latestBlockNo uint64 = uint64(self.latest)
+	if self.latest == -1 {
+		latestBlockNo = self.eth.BlockChain().CurrentBlock.Number.Uint64()
 	}
 
-	// Start block filtering
-	quit := false
-	for i := 1; !quit && block != nil; i++ {
-		// Mark last check
-		if self.max == i || (len(self.earliest) > 0 && bytes.Compare(block.Hash(), self.earliest) == 0) {
+	var (
+		messages []*ethstate.Message
+		block    = self.eth.BlockChain().GetBlockByNumber(latestBlockNo)
+		quit     bool
+	)
+	for i := 0; !quit && block != nil; i++ {
+		// Quit on latest
+		switch {
+		case block.Number.Uint64() == earliestBlockNo:
 			quit = true
+		case self.max <= len(messages):
+			break
 		}
 
 		// Use bloom filtering to see if this block is interesting given the
@@ -173,7 +156,9 @@ func (self *Filter) Find() []*ethstate.Message {
 		block = self.eth.BlockChain().GetBlock(block.PrevHash)
 	}
 
-	return messages
+	skip := int(math.Min(float64(len(messages)), float64(self.skip)))
+
+	return messages[skip:]
 }
 
 func includes(addresses [][]byte, a []byte) (found bool) {
diff --git a/ethutil/value.go b/ethutil/value.go
index b1f887f29..dd777fa43 100644
--- a/ethutil/value.go
+++ b/ethutil/value.go
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ func (val *Value) Uint() uint64 {
 		return uint64(Val)
 	} else if Val, ok := val.Val.(uint64); ok {
 		return Val
+	} else if Val, ok := val.Val.(float32); ok {
+		return uint64(Val)
+	} else if Val, ok := val.Val.(float64); ok {
+		return uint64(Val)
 	} else if Val, ok := val.Val.(int); ok {
 		return uint64(Val)
 	} else if Val, ok := val.Val.(uint); ok {