diff --git a/SHAMap.cpp b/SHAMap.cpp
index 7ccd8e83cd..024b743c89 100644
--- a/SHAMap.cpp
+++ b/SHAMap.cpp
@@ -4,7 +4,12 @@
 
 #include <boost/foreach.hpp>
 
-SHAMap::SHAMap(int leafDataSize) : mLeafDataSize(leafDataSize)
+SHAMapItem::SHAMapItem(const uint256 &tag) : mTag(tag)
+{
+	mData.insert(mData.end(), tag.begin(), tag.end());
+}
+
+SHAMap::SHAMap(int leafDataSize, int leafDataOffset) : mLeafDataSize(leafDataSize), mLeafDataOffset(leafDataOffset)
 {
  ;
 }
@@ -86,14 +91,30 @@ SHAMapLeafNode::pointer SHAMap::walkToLeaf(const uint256& id, bool create,
 
 SHAMapLeafNode::pointer SHAMap::getLeaf(const SHAMapNode &id, const uint256& hash)
 { // retrieve a leaf whose node hash is known
-	SHAMapLeafNode::pointer leaf=mLeafByID[id];
+	assert(!!hash);
+	SHAMapLeafNode::pointer leaf=mLeafByID[id];			// is the leaf in memory
 	if(leaf != SHAMapLeafNode::pointer()) return leaf;
 
-	std::vector<unsigned char> rawNode;
+	std::vector<unsigned char> rawNode;					// is it in backing store
 	if(!fetchNode(hash, id, rawNode)) return leaf;
-	
+
+	Serializer s(rawNode);	
 	leaf=SHAMapLeafNode::pointer(new SHAMapLeafNode(id));
-	// construct leaf WRITEME
+
+	for(int i=0; i<s.getLength(); i+=mLeafDataSize)
+	{
+		uint256 tag;
+		if(mLeafDataOffset<0)
+		{
+			Serializer inner;
+			inner.addRaw(s.getRaw(i, mLeafDataSize));
+			tag=inner.getSHA512Half();
+		}
+		else tag=s.get256(i+mLeafDataOffset);
+		leaf->addUpdateItem(SHAMapItem(tag, s.getRaw(i, mLeafDataSize)));
+	}
+	leaf->updateHash();
+	assert(leaf->getNodeHash()==hash);
 	return leaf;
 }
 
diff --git a/SHAMap.h b/SHAMap.h
index 332a612cb3..44f24507b0 100644
--- a/SHAMap.h
+++ b/SHAMap.h
@@ -106,13 +106,13 @@ public:
 
 private:
 	uint256	mHash;
-	std::list<SHAMapItem> mItems;
+	std::list<SHAMapItem::pointer> mItems;
 
 	bool updateHash();
 
 protected:
-	bool addUpdateItem(const SHAMapItem&);
-	bool delItem(const SHAMapItem& i) { delItem(i.getTag()); }
+	bool addUpdateItem(SHAMapItem::pointer);
+	bool delItem(const SHAMapItem::pointer i) { delItem(i->getTag()); }
 	bool delItem(const uint256 &tag);
 
 public:
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ public:
 
 	virtual bool isPopulated(void) const { return true; }
 
-	const uint256& GetNodeHash() const	{ return mHash; }
+	const uint256& getNodeHash() const	{ return mHash; }
 	bool isEmpty() const			{ return mItems.empty(); }
 	int getItemCount() const		{ return mItems.size(); }
 
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ public:
 	typedef boost::shared_ptr<SHAMap> pointer;
 
 private:
-	int mLeafDataSize;
+	int mLeafDataSize, mLeafDataOffset;
 	mutable boost::recursive_mutex mLock;
 	std::map<SHAMapNode, SHAMapLeafNode::pointer> mLeafByID;
 	std::map<SHAMapNode, SHAMapInnerNode::pointer> mInnerNodeByID;
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ protected:
 	SHAMapItem::pointer lastBelow(SHAMapInnerNode::pointer);
 	
 public:
-	SHAMap(int leafDataSize);
+	SHAMap(int leafDataSize=32, int leafDataOffset=-1);
 
 	// hold the map stable across operations
 	ScopedLock Lock() const { return ScopedLock(mLock); }
diff --git a/SHAMapNodes.cpp b/SHAMapNodes.cpp
index 02d762a372..722249cab1 100644
--- a/SHAMapNodes.cpp
+++ b/SHAMapNodes.cpp
@@ -96,6 +96,11 @@ int SHAMapNode::selectBranch(const uint256 &hash)
 	return branch;
 }
 
+void SHAMapNode::dump()
+{
+	std::cerr << "MapNode(" << mNodeID.GetHex() << ", " << mDepth << ")" << std::endl;
+}
+
 SHAMapLeafNode::SHAMapLeafNode(const SHAMapNode& nodeID) : SHAMapNode(nodeID), mHash(0)
 {
  ;
@@ -103,26 +108,28 @@ SHAMapLeafNode::SHAMapLeafNode(const SHAMapNode& nodeID) : SHAMapNode(nodeID), m
 
 bool SHAMapLeafNode::hasItem(const uint256& item) const
 {
-	BOOST_FOREACH(const SHAMapItem& nodeItem, mItems)
-		if(nodeItem==item) return true;
+	BOOST_FOREACH(SHAMapItem::pointer nodeItem, mItems)
+		if(nodeItem->getTag()==item) return true;
 	return false;
 }
 
-bool SHAMapLeafNode::addUpdateItem(const SHAMapItem& item)
+bool SHAMapLeafNode::addUpdateItem(SHAMapItem::pointer item)
 { // The node will almost never have more than one item in it
-	std::list<SHAMapItem>::iterator it;
+	std::list<SHAMapItem::pointer>::iterator it;
 	for(it=mItems.begin(); it!=mItems.end(); it++)
 	{
-		if(*it==item)
+		SHAMapItem &nodeItem=**it;
+		if(nodeItem.getTag()==item->getTag())
 		{
-		    if(it->peekData()==item.peekData())
+		    if(nodeItem.peekData()==item->peekData())
 		        return false; // no change
-            it->updateData(item.peekData());
+            nodeItem.updateData(item->peekData());
             return updateHash();
 		}
-		if((*it)>item)
+		if(nodeItem.getTag()>item->getTag())
 		{
 			mItems.insert(it, item);
+			return updateHash();
 		}
 	}
 	mItems.push_back(item);
@@ -131,10 +138,10 @@ bool SHAMapLeafNode::addUpdateItem(const SHAMapItem& item)
 
 bool SHAMapLeafNode::delItem(const uint256& tag)
 {
-	std::list<SHAMapItem>::iterator it;
+	std::list<SHAMapItem::pointer>::iterator it;
 	for(it=mItems.begin(); it!=mItems.end(); it++)
 	{
-		if(*it==tag)
+		if((*it)->getTag()==tag)
 		{
 			mItems.erase(it);
 			return updateHash();
@@ -143,14 +150,27 @@ bool SHAMapLeafNode::delItem(const uint256& tag)
 	return false;
 }
 
+SHAMapItem::pointer SHAMapLeafNode::firstItem(void)
+{
+	if(mItems.size()==0) return SHAMapItem::pointer();
+	return *(mItems.begin());
+}
+
+SHAMapItem::pointer SHAMapLeafNode::lastItem(void)
+{
+	if(mItems.size()==0) return SHAMapItem::pointer();
+	return *(mItems.rbegin());
+}
+
+
 bool SHAMapLeafNode::updateHash(void)
 {
 	uint256 nh;
 	if(mItems.size()!=0) nh=0;
 	{
 		Serializer s;
-		BOOST_FOREACH(const SHAMapItem &mi, mItems)
-			s.addRaw(mi.peekData());
+		BOOST_FOREACH(const SHAMapItem::pointer &mi, mItems)
+			s.addRaw(mi->peekData());
 		nh=s.getSHA512Half();
 	}
 	if(nh==mHash) return false;
diff --git a/Serializer.cpp b/Serializer.cpp
index 39775144fb..d592ef2763 100644
--- a/Serializer.cpp
+++ b/Serializer.cpp
@@ -83,6 +83,14 @@ bool Serializer::get256(uint256& o, int offset) const
 	return true;
 }
 
+uint256 Serializer::get256(int offset) const
+{
+	uint256 ret;
+	if((offset+sizeof(ret))>mData.size()) return ret;
+	memcpy(&ret, &(mData.front())+offset, sizeof(ret));
+	return ret;
+}
+
 bool Serializer::getRaw(std::vector<unsigned char>& o, int offset, int length) const
 {
 	if((offset+length)>mData.size()) return false;
@@ -90,6 +98,14 @@ bool Serializer::getRaw(std::vector<unsigned char>& o, int offset, int length) c
 	return true;
 }
 
+std::vector<unsigned char> Serializer::getRaw(int offset, int length) const
+{
+	std::vector<unsigned char> o;
+	if((offset+length)>mData.size()) return o;
+	o.assign(mData.begin()+offset, mData.begin()+offset+length);
+	return o;
+}
+
 uint160 Serializer::getRIPEMD160(int size) const
 {
 	uint160 ret;
@@ -141,3 +157,8 @@ bool Serializer::addSignature(CKey& key)
 	addRaw(signature);
 	return true;
 }
+
+void Serializer::TestSerializer(void)
+{
+	Serializer s(64);
+}
diff --git a/Serializer.h b/Serializer.h
index b5f5c85dfc..623148d448 100644
--- a/Serializer.h
+++ b/Serializer.h
@@ -26,7 +26,9 @@ class Serializer
  bool get64(uint64&, int offset) const;
  bool get160(uint160&, int offset) const;
  bool get256(uint256&, int offset) const;
+ uint256 get256(int offset) const;
  bool getRaw(std::vector<unsigned char>&, int offset, int length) const;
+ std::vector<unsigned char> getRaw(int offset, int length) const;
  
  // hash functions
  uint160 getRIPEMD160(int size=0) const;
@@ -44,7 +46,7 @@ class Serializer
  bool makeSignature(std::vector<unsigned char> &signature, CKey& rkey) const;
  bool addSignature(CKey& rkey);
 
- static void UnitTest(void);
+ static void TestSerializer(void);
 };
 
 #endif