diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Config.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/Config.cpp
index d1e166cee..c9c357154 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Config.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Config.cpp
@@ -78,7 +78,8 @@
 #define DEFAULT_FEE_OPERATION			1
 
 Config theConfig;
-const char* ALPHABET = "rpshnaf39wBUDNEGHJKLM4PQRST7VWXYZ2bcdeCg65jkm8oFqi1tuvAxyz";
+const char* ALPHABET			= "rpshnaf39wBUDNEGHJKLM4PQRST7VWXYZ2bcdeCg65jkm8oFqi1tuvAxyz";
+const char* ALPHABET_BITCOIN	= "123456789ABCDEFGHJKLMNPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijkmnopqrstuvwxyz";
 
 void Config::setup(const std::string& strConf, bool bTestNet, bool bQuiet)
 {
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/Config.h b/src/cpp/ripple/Config.h
index 2f31731e6..8cfae2bb5 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/Config.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/Config.h
@@ -200,6 +200,8 @@ public:
 
 extern Config theConfig;
 
+extern const char* ALPHABET;
+extern const char* ALPHABET_BITCOIN;
 #endif
 
 // vim:ts=4
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.cpp
index de0216f2c..01a6d5a02 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.cpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ Json::Value rpcError(int iError, Json::Value jvResult)
 		const char*	pToken;
 		const char*	pMessage;
 	} errorInfoA[] = {
+		{ rpcACT_BITCOIN,			"actBitcoin",		"Account is bitcoin address."							},
 		{ rpcACT_EXISTS,			"actExists",		"Account already exists."								},
 		{ rpcACT_MALFORMED,			"actMalformed",		"Account malformed."									},
 		{ rpcACT_NOT_FOUND,			"actNotFound",		"Account not found."									},
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.h b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.h
index 67ad2de4a..39a2747ae 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCErr.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ enum {
 	rpcUNKNOWN_COMMAND,
 
 	// Bad parameter
+	rpcACT_BITCOIN,
 	rpcACT_MALFORMED,
 	rpcQUALITY_MALFORMED,
 	rpcBAD_BLOB,
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp
index 06cb668af..71be580b8 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RPCHandler.cpp
@@ -512,7 +512,9 @@ Json::Value RPCHandler::accountFromString(Ledger::ref lrLedger, RippleAddress& n
 	}
 	else if (bStrict)
 	{
-		return rpcError(rpcACT_MALFORMED);
+		return naAccount.setAccountID(strIdent, ALPHABET_BITCOIN)
+			? rpcError(rpcACT_BITCOIN)
+			: rpcError(rpcACT_MALFORMED);
 	}
 	// Must be a seed.
 	else if (!naSeed.setSeedGeneric(strIdent))
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.cpp b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.cpp
index e6c2c442d..5914c115b 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.cpp
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.cpp
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ std::string RippleAddress::humanAccountID() const
     }
 }
 
-bool RippleAddress::setAccountID(const std::string& strAccountID)
+bool RippleAddress::setAccountID(const std::string& strAccountID, const char* pAlphabet)
 {
 	if (strAccountID.empty())
 	{
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ bool RippleAddress::setAccountID(const std::string& strAccountID)
 	}
 	else
 	{
-		mIsValid	= SetString(strAccountID.c_str(), VER_ACCOUNT_ID);
+		mIsValid	= SetString(strAccountID.c_str(), VER_ACCOUNT_ID, pAlphabet);
 	}
 
 	return mIsValid;
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.h b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.h
index 88d59a11e..eb19e60d9 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/RippleAddress.h
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ public:
 
 	std::string humanAccountID() const;
 
-	bool setAccountID(const std::string& strAccountID);
+	bool setAccountID(const std::string& strAccountID, const char* pAlphabet=0);
 	void setAccountID(const uint160& hash160In);
 
 	static RippleAddress createAccountID(const std::string& strAccountID)
diff --git a/src/cpp/ripple/base58.h b/src/cpp/ripple/base58.h
index 35a6acfef..b56f662f0 100644
--- a/src/cpp/ripple/base58.h
+++ b/src/cpp/ripple/base58.h
@@ -69,8 +69,10 @@ inline std::string EncodeBase58(const std::vector<unsigned char>& vch)
     return EncodeBase58(&vch[0], &vch[0] + vch.size());
 }
 
-inline bool DecodeBase58(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet)
+inline bool DecodeBase58(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet, const char* pAlphabet=0)
 {
+	const char*	pAlpha	= pAlphabet ? pAlphabet : ALPHABET;
+
     CAutoBN_CTX pctx;
     vchRet.clear();
     CBigNum bn58 = 58;
@@ -82,7 +84,7 @@ inline bool DecodeBase58(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet)
     // Convert big endian string to bignum
     for (const char* p = psz; *p; p++)
     {
-        const char* p1 = strchr(ALPHABET, *p);
+        const char* p1 = strchr(pAlpha, *p);
         if (p1 == NULL)
         {
             while (isspace(*p))
@@ -91,7 +93,7 @@ inline bool DecodeBase58(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet)
                 return false;
             break;
         }
-        bnChar.setuint(p1 - ALPHABET);
+        bnChar.setuint(p1 - pAlpha);
         if (!BN_mul(&bn, &bn, &bn58, pctx))
             throw bignum_error("DecodeBase58 : BN_mul failed");
         bn += bnChar;
@@ -106,7 +108,7 @@ inline bool DecodeBase58(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet)
 
     // Restore leading zeros
     int nLeadingZeros = 0;
-    for (const char* p = psz; *p == ALPHABET[0]; p++)
+    for (const char* p = psz; *p == pAlpha[0]; p++)
         nLeadingZeros++;
     vchRet.assign(nLeadingZeros + vchTmp.size(), 0);
 
@@ -133,9 +135,9 @@ inline std::string EncodeBase58Check(const std::vector<unsigned char>& vchIn)
     return EncodeBase58(vch);
 }
 
-inline bool DecodeBase58Check(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet)
+inline bool DecodeBase58Check(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet, const char* pAlphabet=0)
 {
-    if (!DecodeBase58(psz, vchRet))
+    if (!DecodeBase58(psz, vchRet, pAlphabet))
         return false;
     if (vchRet.size() < 4)
     {
@@ -152,9 +154,9 @@ inline bool DecodeBase58Check(const char* psz, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRe
     return true;
 }
 
-inline bool DecodeBase58Check(const std::string& str, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet)
+inline bool DecodeBase58Check(const std::string& str, std::vector<unsigned char>& vchRet, const char* pAlphabet)
 {
-    return DecodeBase58Check(str.c_str(), vchRet);
+    return DecodeBase58Check(str.c_str(), vchRet, pAlphabet);
 }
 
 
@@ -193,10 +195,10 @@ protected:
     }
 
 public:
-    bool SetString(const char* psz, unsigned char version)
+    bool SetString(const char* psz, unsigned char version, const char* pAlphabet = 0)
     {
         std::vector<unsigned char> vchTemp;
-        DecodeBase58Check(psz, vchTemp);
+        DecodeBase58Check(psz, vchTemp, pAlphabet);
         if (vchTemp.empty() || vchTemp[0] != version)
         {
             vchData.clear();