diff --git a/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/index.js b/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/index.js
index f714ad45..14d45695 100644
--- a/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/index.js
+++ b/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/index.js
@@ -10,18 +10,26 @@ const {Ed25519Pair} = require('./ed25519');
 const {K256Pair, accountPublicFromPublicGenerator} = require('./secp256k1');
 const {decodeSeed, encodeNodePublic, decodeNodePublic, encodeAccountID} = codec;
 
-KeyPair.fromSeed = function(seedBytes, type, options) {
-  assert(type === 'secp256k1' || type === 'ed25519');
-  const Pair = type === 'ed25519' ? Ed25519Pair : K256Pair;
-  return Pair.fromSeed(seedBytes, options);
-};
-
-function keyPairFromSeed(seedString, options) {
-  const decoded = decodeSeed(seedString);
-  return KeyPair.fromSeed(decoded.bytes, decoded.type, options);
+function parseSeed(seed, type=KeyType.secp256k1) {
+  if (typeof seed !== 'string') {
+    return {bytes: seed, type};
+  }
+  return decodeSeed(seed);
 }
 
-function deriveWallet(type, seedBytes) {
+KeyPair.fromSeed = function(seed, type=KeyType.secp256k1, options) {
+  if (typeof seed === 'string') {
+    const decoded = decodeSeed(seed);
+    const optionsArg = type;
+    return this.fromSeed(decoded.bytes, decoded.type, optionsArg);
+  }
+
+  assert(type === KeyType.secp256k1 || type === KeyType.ed25519);
+  const Pair = type === 'ed25519' ? Ed25519Pair : K256Pair;
+  return Pair.fromSeed(seed, options);
+};
+
+function deriveWallet(seedBytes, type) {
   const pair = KeyPair.fromSeed(seedBytes, type);
 
   return {
@@ -31,21 +39,6 @@ function deriveWallet(type, seedBytes) {
   };
 }
 
-function generateWallet(opts={}) {
-  const {type='secp256k1', randGen=rand} = opts;
-  const seedBytes = randGen(16);
-  return deriveWallet(type, seedBytes);
-}
-
-function walletFromSeed(seed) {
-  const {type, bytes} = decodeSeed(seed);
-  return deriveWallet(type, bytes);
-}
-
-function walletFromPhrase(phrase, type='secp256k1') {
-  return deriveWallet(type, seedFromPhrase(phrase));
-}
-
 function deriveValidator(seedBytes) {
   const pair = K256Pair.fromSeed(seedBytes, {validator: true});
   return {
@@ -54,6 +47,21 @@ function deriveValidator(seedBytes) {
   };
 }
 
+function generateWallet(opts={}) {
+  const {type='secp256k1', randGen=rand} = opts;
+  const seedBytes = randGen(16);
+  return deriveWallet(seedBytes, type);
+}
+
+function walletFromSeed(seed, seedType) {
+  const {type, bytes} = parseSeed(seed, seedType);
+  return deriveWallet(bytes, type);
+}
+
+function walletFromPhrase(phrase, type) {
+  return walletFromSeed(seedFromPhrase(phrase), type);
+}
+
 function generateValidatorKeys(opts={}) {
   const {randGen=rand} = opts;
   return deriveValidator(randGen(16));
@@ -65,8 +73,8 @@ function nodePublicAccountID(publicKey) {
   return encodeAccountID(createAccountID(accountPublicBytes));
 }
 
-function validatorKeysFromSeed(seed) {
-  const {type, bytes} = decodeSeed(seed);
+function validatorKeysFromSeed(seed, seedType) {
+  const {type, bytes} = parseSeed(seed, seedType);
   assert(type === KeyType.secp256k1);
   return deriveValidator(bytes);
 }
@@ -75,6 +83,10 @@ function validatorKeysFromPhrase(phrase) {
   return deriveValidator(seedFromPhrase(phrase));
 }
 
+function keyPairFromSeed(seedString, options) {
+  return KeyPair.fromSeed(seedString, options);
+}
+
 module.exports = {
   KeyPair,
   K256Pair,
diff --git a/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/utils.js b/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/utils.js
index 866c732c..5de6da02 100644
--- a/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/utils.js
+++ b/packages/ripple-keypairs/src/utils.js
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 const hashjs = require('hash.js');
 const Sha512 = require('./sha512');
 
-function isVirtual(target, name, descriptor) {
+function isVirtual(_, __, descriptor) {
   descriptor.value = function() {
     throw new Error('virtual method not implemented ');
   };
 }
 
-function cached(target, name, descriptor) {
+function cached(_, name, descriptor) {
   const computer = descriptor.value;
   const key = '_' + name;
   descriptor.value = function() {
diff --git a/packages/ripple-keypairs/test/keypairs-test.js b/packages/ripple-keypairs/test/keypairs-test.js
index 710051f6..73f9a245 100644
--- a/packages/ripple-keypairs/test/keypairs-test.js
+++ b/packages/ripple-keypairs/test/keypairs-test.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
+const codec = require('ripple-address-codec');
 const assert = require('assert-diff');
 const utils = require('../src/utils');
 const keypairs = require('../src');
@@ -100,6 +101,13 @@ describe('keyPairFromSeed', function() {
     const pair = keyPairFromSeed('sn259rEFXrQrWyx3Q7XneWcwV6dfL');
     assert(pair instanceof K256Pair);
   });
+  it('can be intantiated with an array of bytes', function() {
+    const seed = 'sn259rEFXrQrWyx3Q7XneWcwV6dfL';
+    const {bytes} = codec.decodeSeed(seed);
+    const pair = keyPairFromSeed(bytes);
+    assert(pair instanceof K256Pair);
+    assert.equal(pair.seed(), seed);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('walletFromPhrase', function() {