diff --git a/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js b/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js
index 0b78d62f1..336b0d8f7 100644
--- a/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js
+++ b/app/scripts/controllers/transactions.js
@@ -185,10 +185,10 @@ module.exports = class TransactionController extends EventEmitter {
 
   async addUnapprovedTransaction (txParams) {
     // validate
-    this._validateTxParams(txParams)
-    this._normalizeTxParams(txParams)
+    const normalizedTxParams = this._normalizeTxParams(txParams)
+    this._validateTxParams(normalizedTxParams)
     // construct txMeta
-    let txMeta = this.txStateManager.generateTxMeta({txParams})
+    let txMeta = this.txStateManager.generateTxMeta({ txParams: normalizedTxParams })
     this.addTx(txMeta)
     this.emit('newUnapprovedTx', txMeta)
     // add default tx params
@@ -315,37 +315,24 @@ module.exports = class TransactionController extends EventEmitter {
 //
 
   _normalizeTxParams (txParams) {
-    const acceptableKeys = [
-      'from',
-      'to',
-      'nonce',
-      'value',
-      'data',
-      'gas',
-      'gasPrice',
-    ]
-    Object.keys(txParams).forEach((key) => {
-      if (!acceptableKeys.includes(key)) delete txParams[key]
-    })
-    delete txParams.chainId
-
-    if ( !txParams.to ) {
-      delete txParams.to
-    } else {
-      txParams.to = ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.to)
+    // functions that handle normalizing of that key in txParams
+    const whiteList = {
+      from: from => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(from).toLowerCase(),
+      to: to => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.to).toLowerCase(),
+      nonce: nonce => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(nonce),
+      value: value => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(value),
+      data: data => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(data),
+      gas: gas => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(gas),
+      gasPrice: gasPrice => ethUtil.addHexPrefix(gasPrice),
     }
-    txParams.from = ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.from).toLowerCase()
 
-    if (!txParams.data) {
-      delete txParams.data
-    } else {
-      txParams.data = ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.data)
-    }
-
-    if (txParams.value) txParams.value = ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.value)
+    // apply only keys in the whiteList
+    const normalizedTxParams = {}
+    Object.keys(whiteList).forEach((key) => {
+      if (txParams[key]) normalizedTxParams[key] = whiteList[key](txParams[key])
+    })
 
-    if (txParams.gas) txParams.gas = ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.gas)
-    if (txParams.gasPrice) txParams.gas = ethUtil.addHexPrefix(txParams.gas)
+    return normalizedTxParams
   }
 
   _validateTxParams (txParams) {
diff --git a/test/unit/tx-controller-test.js b/test/unit/tx-controller-test.js
index e552464cf..824574ff2 100644
--- a/test/unit/tx-controller-test.js
+++ b/test/unit/tx-controller-test.js
@@ -242,17 +242,17 @@ describe('Transaction Controller', function () {
         random: 'hello world',
       }
 
-      txController._normalizeTxParams(txParams)
+      let normalizedTxParams = txController._normalizeTxParams(txParams)
 
-      assert(!txParams.chainId, 'their should be no chainId')
-      assert(!txParams.to, 'their should be no to address if null')
-      assert.equal(txParams.from.slice(0, 2), '0x', 'from should be hexPrefixd')
-      assert.equal(txParams.data.slice(0, 2), '0x', 'data should be hexPrefixd')
-      assert(!('random' in txParams), 'their should be no random key in txParams')
-      txParams.to = 'a7df1beDBF813f57096dF77FCd515f0B3900e402'
+      assert(!normalizedTxParams.chainId, 'their should be no chainId')
+      assert(!normalizedTxParams.to, 'their should be no to address if null')
+      assert.equal(normalizedTxParams.from.slice(0, 2), '0x', 'from should be hexPrefixd')
+      assert.equal(normalizedTxParams.data.slice(0, 2), '0x', 'data should be hexPrefixd')
+      assert(!('random' in normalizedTxParams), 'their should be no random key in normalizedTxParams')
 
-      txController._normalizeTxParams(txParams)
-      assert.equal(txParams.to.slice(0, 2), '0x', 'to should be hexPrefixd')
+      txParams.to = 'a7df1beDBF813f57096dF77FCd515f0B3900e402'
+      normalizedTxParams = txController._normalizeTxParams(txParams)
+      assert.equal(normalizedTxParams.to.slice(0, 2), '0x', 'to should be hexPrefixd')
 
     })
   })