diff --git a/lib/address.js b/lib/address.js
index ff1ffa9..c124cbc 100644
--- a/lib/address.js
+++ b/lib/address.js
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ var Hash = require('./hash');
 var Pubkey = require('./pubkey');
 
 function Address(hashbuf, network, type) {
+  if (!(this instanceof Address))
+    return new Address(hashbuf, network, type);
   this.hashbuf = hashbuf;
   this.network = network;
   this.type = type;
diff --git a/lib/ecdsa.js b/lib/ecdsa.js
index 53959a3..ea62070 100644
--- a/lib/ecdsa.js
+++ b/lib/ecdsa.js
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ ECDSA.prototype.calci = function() {
     try {
       var Qprime = this.sig2pubkey();
     } catch (e) {
-      console.log(e);
       continue;
     }
 
@@ -140,7 +139,10 @@ ECDSA.prototype.sign = function() {
   var k = this.k;
   var d = privkey.bn;
 
-  if (!hashbuf || !privkey || !k || !d)
+  if (!k)
+    throw new Error('You must specify k - perhaps you should run signRandomK instead');
+
+  if (!hashbuf || !privkey || !d)
     throw new Error('invalid parameters');
 
   var N = Point.getN();
diff --git a/lib/message.js b/lib/message.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb36f11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/message.js
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+var ECDSA = require('./ecdsa');
+var Key = require('./key');
+var Privkey = require('./privkey');
+var Pubkey = require('./pubkey');
+var BufferWriter = require('./bufferwriter');
+var Hash = require('./hash');
+var Address = require('./address');
+
+var Message = function Message(messagebuf, key, sig, address, verified) {
+  if (!(this instanceof Message))
+    return new Message(messagebuf, key, sig);
+  this.messagebuf = messagebuf;
+  this.key = key;
+  this.sig = sig;
+  this.address = address;
+  this.verified = verified;
+};
+
+Message.magicBytes = new Buffer('Bitcoin Signed Message:\n');
+
+Message.magicHash = function(messagebuf) {
+  if (!Buffer.isBuffer(messagebuf))
+    throw new Error('messagebuf must be a buffer');
+  var bw = new BufferWriter();
+  bw.writeVarInt(Message.magicBytes.length);
+  bw.write(Message.magicBytes);
+  bw.writeVarInt(messagebuf.length);
+  bw.write(messagebuf);
+  var buf = bw.concat();
+
+  var hashbuf = Hash.sha256sha256(buf);
+
+  return hashbuf;
+};
+
+Message.prototype.sign = function() {
+  var hashbuf = Message.magicHash(this.messagebuf);
+  var ecdsa = ECDSA(hashbuf, this.key);
+  ecdsa.signRandomK();
+  ecdsa.calci();
+  this.sig = ecdsa.sig;
+  return this;
+};
+
+/*
+Message.sign = function(messagebuf, key) {
+  var m = Message(messagebuf, key);
+  var sig = m.sign();
+  var sigbuf = sig.toCompressed();
+  var base64 = sigbuf.toString('base64');
+  return base64;
+};
+*/
+
+Message.prototype.verify = function() {
+  var hashbuf = Message.magicHash(this.messagebuf);
+
+  var ecdsa = new ECDSA();
+  ecdsa.hashbuf = hashbuf;
+  ecdsa.sig = this.sig;
+  ecdsa.key = new Key();
+  ecdsa.key.pubkey = ecdsa.sig2pubkey();
+
+  if (!ecdsa.verify()) {
+    console.log(ecdsa.sigError());
+    this.verified = false;
+    return this;
+  }
+
+  var address = Address().fromPubkey(ecdsa.key.pubkey);
+  //TODO: what if livenet/testnet mismatch?
+  if (address.hashbuf.toString('hex') === this.address.hashbuf.toString('hex'))
+    this.verified = true;
+  else
+    this.verified = false;
+
+  return this;
+};
+
+/*
+Message.verify = function(messagebuf, sigstr, address) {
+  var sigbuf = new Buffer(sigstr, 'base64');
+  var message = new Message();
+  message.messagebuf = messagebuf;
+  message.sig = Signature().fromCompressed(sigbuf);
+  message.address = address;
+};
+*/
+
+module.exports = Message;
diff --git a/test/test.message.js b/test/test.message.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34f9063
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test.message.js
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+var Address = require('../lib/address');
+var Message = require('../lib/message');
+var Key = require('../lib/key');
+var should = require('chai').should();
+
+describe('Message', function() {
+  
+  it('should make a new message', function() {
+    var message = new Message();
+    should.exist(message);
+  });
+
+  it('should make a new message when called without "new"', function() {
+    var message = Message();
+    should.exist(message);
+  });
+
+  describe('#sign', function() {
+    var messagebuf = new Buffer('this is my message');
+    var key = Key().fromRandom();
+
+    it('should sign a message', function() {
+      var message = new Message();
+      message.messagebuf = messagebuf;
+      message.key = key;
+      message.sign();
+      var sig = message.sig;
+      should.exist(sig);
+    });
+
+  });
+
+  describe('#verify', function() {
+    var messagebuf = new Buffer('this is my message');
+    var key = Key().fromRandom();
+
+    it('should verify a message that was just signed', function() {
+      var message = new Message();
+      message.messagebuf = messagebuf;
+      message.key = key;
+      message.address = Address().fromPubkey(key.pubkey);
+      message.sign();
+      message.verify();
+      message.verified.should.equal(true);
+    });
+
+  });
+
+});