diff --git a/src/Serializer.cpp b/src/Serializer.cpp
index 15a9bf6106..af5c36bc35 100644
--- a/src/Serializer.cpp
+++ b/src/Serializer.cpp
@@ -229,6 +229,181 @@ bool Serializer::addSignature(CKey& key)
 	return true;
 }
 
+int Serializer::addVL(const std::vector<unsigned char>& vector)
+{
+	int ret=addRaw(encodeVL(vector.size()));
+	addRaw(vector);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int Serializer::addVL(const void *ptr, int len)
+{
+	int ret=addRaw(encodeVL(len));
+	addRaw(ptr, len);
+	return ret;
+}
+
+int Serializer::addTaggedList(const std::list<TaggedListItem>& list)
+{
+	int size=list.size();
+	if(size>255) return -1;
+	int ret=add8(size);
+	if(size!=0)
+		for(std::list<TaggedListItem>::const_iterator it=list.begin(); it!=list.end(); ++it)
+		{
+			add8(it->first);
+			addVL(it->second);
+		}
+	return ret;
+}
+
+bool Serializer::getVL(std::vector<unsigned char>& objectVL, int offset, int& length) const
+{
+	int b1;
+	if(!get8(b1, offset++)) return false;
+
+	int datLen, lenLen=decodeLengthLength(b1);
+	try
+	{
+		if(lenLen==1)
+			datLen=decodeVLLength(b1);
+		else if(lenLen==2)
+		{
+			int b2;
+			if(!get8(b2, offset++)) return false;
+			datLen=decodeVLLength(b1, b2);
+		}
+		else if(lenLen==3)
+		{
+			int b2, b3;
+			if(!get8(b2, offset++)) return false;
+			if(!get8(b3, offset++)) return false;
+			datLen=decodeVLLength(b1, b2, b3);
+		}
+		else return false;
+	}
+	catch(...)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+	length=lenLen+datLen;
+	return getRaw(objectVL, offset, datLen);
+}
+
+bool Serializer::getVLLength(int& length, int offset) const
+{
+	int b1;
+	if(!get8(b1, offset++)) return false;
+
+	int lenLen=decodeLengthLength(b1);
+	try
+	{
+		if(lenLen==1)
+			length=decodeVLLength(b1);
+		else if(lenLen==2)
+		{
+			int b2;
+			if(!get8(b2, offset++)) return false;
+			length=decodeVLLength(b1, b2);
+		}
+		else if(lenLen==3)
+		{
+			int b2, b3;
+			if(!get8(b2, offset++)) return false;
+			if(!get8(b3, offset++)) return false;
+			length=decodeVLLength(b1, b2, b3);
+		}
+		else return false;
+	}
+	catch(...)
+	{
+		return false;
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+bool Serializer::getTaggedList(std::list<TaggedListItem>& list, int offset) const
+{
+	list.clear();
+	int numElem;
+	if(!get8(numElem, offset++)) return false;
+	for(int i=0; i<numElem; i++)
+	{
+		int tag, len;
+		std::vector<unsigned char> data;
+		if(!get8(tag, offset++)) return false;
+		if(!getVL(data, offset, len)) return false;
+		offset+=len;
+		list.push_back(std::make_pair(tag, data));
+	}
+	return true;
+}
+
+std::vector<unsigned char> Serializer::encodeVL(int length) throw()
+{
+	unsigned char lenBytes[4];
+	if(length<=192)
+	{
+		lenBytes[0]=static_cast<unsigned char>(length);
+		return std::vector<unsigned char>(&lenBytes[0], &lenBytes[1]);
+	}
+	else if(length<=12480)
+	{
+		length-=193;
+		lenBytes[0]=static_cast<unsigned char>(length>>8);
+		lenBytes[1]=static_cast<unsigned char>(length&0xff);
+		return std::vector<unsigned char>(&lenBytes[0], &lenBytes[2]);
+	}
+	else if(length<=918744)
+	{
+		length-=12481;
+		lenBytes[0]=static_cast<unsigned char>(length>>16);
+		lenBytes[1]=static_cast<unsigned char>((length>>8)&0xff);
+		lenBytes[2]=static_cast<unsigned char>(length&0xff);
+		return std::vector<unsigned char>(&lenBytes[0], &lenBytes[3]);
+	}
+	else throw(std::overflow_error("lenlen"));
+}
+
+int encodeLengthLength(int length) throw()
+{
+	if(length<0) throw(std::overflow_error("len<0"));
+	if(length<=192) return 1;
+	if(length<=12480) return 2;
+	if(length>=918744) return 3;
+	throw(std::overflow_error("len>918644"));
+}
+
+int Serializer::decodeLengthLength(int b1) throw()
+{
+	if(b1<0) throw(std::overflow_error("b1<0"));
+	if(b1<=192) return 1;
+	if(b1<=240) return 2;
+	if(b1<=254) return 3;
+	throw(std::overflow_error("b1>254"));
+}
+
+int Serializer::decodeVLLength(int b1) throw()
+{
+	if(b1<0) throw(std::overflow_error("b1<0"));
+	if(b1>254) throw(std::overflow_error("b1>254"));
+	return b1;
+}
+
+int Serializer::decodeVLLength(int b1, int b2) throw()
+{
+	if(b1<193) throw(std::overflow_error("b1<193"));
+	if(b1>240) throw(std::overflow_error("b1>240"));
+	return 193+(b1-193)*256+b2;
+}
+
+int Serializer::decodeVLLength(int b1, int b2, int b3) throw()
+{
+	if(b1<241) throw(std::overflow_error("b1<241"));
+	if(b1>254) throw(std::overflow_error("b1>254"));
+	return 12481+(b1-241)*65536+b2*256+b3;
+}
+
 void Serializer::TestSerializer()
 {
 	Serializer s(64);
diff --git a/src/Serializer.h b/src/Serializer.h
index 59ff3f8612..4797add74d 100644
--- a/src/Serializer.h
+++ b/src/Serializer.h
@@ -48,11 +48,14 @@ class Serializer
 	bool get160(uint160&, int offset) const;
 	bool get256(uint256&, int offset) const;
 	uint256 get256(int offset) const;
-	bool getVLLength(int& length, int offset) const;
-	bool getTaggedList(std::list<TaggedListItem>&, int offset) const;
 	bool getRaw(std::vector<unsigned char>&, int offset, int length) const;
 	std::vector<unsigned char> getRaw(int offset, int length) const;
 
+	bool getVL(std::vector<unsigned char>& objectVL, int offset, int& length) const;
+	bool getVLLength(int& length, int offset) const;
+	bool getTaggedList(std::list<TaggedListItem>&, int offset) const;
+
+
 	// hash functions
 	uint160 getRIPEMD160(int size=-1) const;
 	uint256 getSHA256(int size=-1) const;
@@ -78,10 +81,13 @@ class Serializer
 	bool makeSignature(std::vector<unsigned char>& signature, CKey& rkey) const;
 	bool addSignature(CKey& rkey);
 
-	// VL length encode/decode functions
+	// low-level VL length encode/decode functions
 	static std::vector<unsigned char> encodeVL(int length) throw();
-	static int getVLLength(int b1) throw();
-	static int decodeVLLength(const std::vector<unsigned char>&, int offset=0);
+	static int encodeLengthLength(int length) throw();
+	static int decodeLengthLength(int b1) throw();
+	static int decodeVLLength(int b1) throw();
+	static int decodeVLLength(int b1, int b2) throw();
+	static int decodeVLLength(int b1, int b2, int b3) throw();
 
 	static void TestSerializer();
 };
@@ -108,6 +114,7 @@ public:
 	uint64 get64() throw();
 	uint160 get160() throw();
 	uint256 get256() throw();
+
 	std::vector<unsigned char> getVL() throw();
 	std::list<TaggedListItem> getTaggedList() throw();
 };