diff --git a/DeterministicKeys.cpp b/DeterministicKeys.cpp
index 9441f9eeaf..77c2c2e9b3 100644
--- a/DeterministicKeys.cpp
+++ b/DeterministicKeys.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 DetKeySet::DetKeySet(const std::string& phrase)
 {
 	Serializer s;
-	s.addRaw(phrase);
+	s.addRaw((const void *) phrase.c_str(), phrase.length());
 	mBase=s.getSHA512Half();
 	s.secureErase();
 }
diff --git a/Serializer.cpp b/Serializer.cpp
index 68f4cef54a..3fc1f014b5 100644
--- a/Serializer.cpp
+++ b/Serializer.cpp
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ int Serializer::addRaw(const std::vector<unsigned char> &vector)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+int Serializer::addRaw(const void *ptr, int len)
+{
+	mData.insert(mData.end(), (const char *) ptr, ((const char *)ptr)+len);
+}
+
 bool Serializer::get16(uint16& o, int offset) const
 {
 	if((offset+2)>mData.size()) return false;
diff --git a/Serializer.h b/Serializer.h
index 8462b8ca4b..56c7f9c394 100644
--- a/Serializer.h
+++ b/Serializer.h
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class Serializer
 	int add160(const uint160&);	// account names, hankos
 	int add256(const uint256&);	// transaction and ledger hashes
 	int addRaw(const std::vector<unsigned char> &vector);
+	int addRaw(const void *ptr, int len);
 
 	// disassemble functions
 	bool get16(uint16&, int offset) const;