diff --git a/app/scripts/keyrings/hd.js b/app/scripts/keyrings/hd.js
index 1b9796e07..2e3b74192 100644
--- a/app/scripts/keyrings/hd.js
+++ b/app/scripts/keyrings/hd.js
@@ -74,12 +74,13 @@ class HdKeyring extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   // For eth_sign, we need to sign transactions:
-  signMessage (withAccount, data) {
+  signMessage (withAccount, msgHex) {
     const wallet = this._getWalletForAccount(withAccount)
-    const message = ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(data)
-    var privKey = wallet.getPrivateKey()
-    var msgSig = ethUtil.ecsign(new Buffer(message, 'hex'), privKey)
-    var rawMsgSig = ethUtil.bufferToHex(sigUtil.concatSig(msgSig.v, msgSig.r, msgSig.s))
+    const privKey = wallet.getPrivateKey()
+    const msgBuffer = ethUtil.toBuffer(msgHex)
+    const msgHash = ethUtil.hashPersonalMessage(msgBuffer)
+    const msgSig = ethUtil.ecsign(msgHash, privKey)
+    const rawMsgSig = ethUtil.bufferToHex(sigUtil.concatSig(msgSig.v, msgSig.r, msgSig.s))
     return Promise.resolve(rawMsgSig)
   }
 
diff --git a/app/scripts/keyrings/simple.js b/app/scripts/keyrings/simple.js
index 46687fcaf..fa8e9fd78 100644
--- a/app/scripts/keyrings/simple.js
+++ b/app/scripts/keyrings/simple.js
@@ -58,12 +58,13 @@ class SimpleKeyring extends EventEmitter {
   }
 
   // For eth_sign, we need to sign transactions:
-  signMessage (withAccount, data) {
+  signMessage (withAccount, msgHex) {
     const wallet = this._getWalletForAccount(withAccount)
-    const message = ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(data)
-    var privKey = wallet.getPrivateKey()
-    var msgSig = ethUtil.ecsign(new Buffer(message, 'hex'), privKey)
-    var rawMsgSig = ethUtil.bufferToHex(sigUtil.concatSig(msgSig.v, msgSig.r, msgSig.s))
+    const privKey = wallet.getPrivateKey()
+    const msgBuffer = ethUtil.toBuffer(msgHex)
+    const msgHash = ethUtil.hashPersonalMessage(msgBuffer)
+    const msgSig = ethUtil.ecsign(msgHash, privKey)
+    const rawMsgSig = ethUtil.bufferToHex(sigUtil.concatSig(msgSig.v, msgSig.r, msgSig.s))
     return Promise.resolve(rawMsgSig)
   }
 
diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/message-manager.js b/app/scripts/lib/message-manager.js
index 38fa42017..ceaf8ee2f 100644
--- a/app/scripts/lib/message-manager.js
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/message-manager.js
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 const EventEmitter = require('events')
 const ObservableStore = require('obs-store')
+const ethUtil = require('ethereumjs-util')
 const createId = require('./random-id')
 
 
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@ module.exports = class MessageManager extends EventEmitter{
   }
 
   addUnapprovedMessage (msgParams) {
+    msgParams.data = normalizeMsgData(msgParams.data)
     // create txData obj with parameters and meta data
     var time = (new Date()).getTime()
     var msgId = createId()
@@ -57,32 +59,39 @@ module.exports = class MessageManager extends EventEmitter{
     this._setMsgStatus(msgId, 'approved')
   }
 
+  setMsgStatusSigned (msgId, rawSig) {
+    const msg = this.getMsg(msgId)
+    msg.rawSig = rawSig
+    this._updateMsg(msg)
+    this._setMsgStatus(msgId, 'signed')
+  }
+
   prepMsgForSigning (msgParams) {
     delete msgParams.metamaskId
     return Promise.resolve(msgParams)
   }
 
   rejectMsg (msgId) {
-    this.brodcastMessage(null, msgId, 'rejected')
     this._setMsgStatus(msgId, 'rejected')
   }
 
-  brodcastMessage (rawSig, msgId, status) {
-    this.emit(`${msgId}:finished`, {status, rawSig})
-  }
-
   //
   // PRIVATE METHODS
   //
 
   _setMsgStatus (msgId, status) {
-    let msg = this.getMsg(msgId)
-    if (msg) msg.status = status
+    const msg = this.getMsg(msgId)
+    if (!msg) throw new Error('MessageManager - Message not found for id: "${msgId}".')
+    msg.status = status
     this._updateMsg(msg)
+    this.emit(`${msgId}:${status}`, msg)
+    if (status === 'rejected' || status === 'signed') {
+      this.emit(`${msgId}:finished`, msg)
+    }
   }
 
   _updateMsg (msg) {
-    let index = this.messages.findIndex((message) => message.id === msg.id)
+    const index = this.messages.findIndex((message) => message.id === msg.id)
     if (index !== -1) {
       this.messages[index] = msg
     }
@@ -97,3 +106,13 @@ module.exports = class MessageManager extends EventEmitter{
   }
 
 }
+
+function normalizeMsgData(data) {
+  if (data.slice(0, 2) === '0x') {
+    // data is already hex
+    return data
+  } else {
+    // data is unicode, convert to hex
+    return ethUtil.bufferToHex(new Buffer(data, 'utf8'))
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
index c0910014f..066e389e2 100644
--- a/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
+++ b/app/scripts/metamask-controller.js
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ module.exports = class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
     this.currencyController.scheduleConversionInterval()
 
     // rpc provider
-    this.provider = this.initializeProvider(opts)
+    this.provider = this.initializeProvider()
     this.provider.on('block', this.logBlock.bind(this))
     this.provider.on('error', this.verifyNetwork.bind(this))
 
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ module.exports = class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
     this.opts.showUnconfirmedMessage()
     this.messageManager.once(`${msgId}:finished`, (data) => {
       switch (data.status) {
-        case 'approved':
+        case 'signed':
           return cb(null, data.rawSig)
         case 'rejected':
           return cb(new Error('MetaMask Message Signature: User denied transaction signature.'))
@@ -430,20 +430,20 @@ module.exports = class MetamaskController extends EventEmitter {
 
   signMessage (msgParams, cb) {
     const msgId = msgParams.metamaskId
-    // sets the status op the message to 'approved'
-    // and removes the metamaskId for signing
-    return this.messageManager.approveMessage(msgParams)
-    .then((cleanMsgParams) => {
-      // signs the message
-      return this.keyringController.signMessage(cleanMsgParams)
-    })
-    .then((rawSig) => {
-      // tells the listener that the message has been signed
-      // and can be returned to the dapp
-      this.messageManager.brodcastMessage(rawSig, msgId, 'approved')
-    }).then(() => {
-      cb()
-    }).catch((err) => cb(err))
+    promiseToCallback(
+      // sets the status op the message to 'approved'
+      // and removes the metamaskId for signing
+      this.messageManager.approveMessage(msgParams)
+      .then((cleanMsgParams) => {
+        // signs the message
+        return this.keyringController.signMessage(cleanMsgParams)
+      })
+      .then((rawSig) => {
+        // tells the listener that the message has been signed
+        // and can be returned to the dapp
+        this.messageManager.setMsgStatusSigned(msgId, rawSig)
+      })
+    )(cb)
   }
 
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3337f4ac5..16246f77c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@
     "eth-lightwallet": "^2.3.3",
     "eth-query": "^1.0.3",
     "ethereumjs-tx": "^1.0.0",
-    "ethereumjs-util": "^4.4.0",
+    "ethereumjs-util": "ethereumjs/ethereumjs-util#ac5d0908536b447083ea422b435da27f26615de9",
     "ethereumjs-wallet": "^0.6.0",
     "express": "^4.14.0",
     "extension-link-enabler": "^1.0.0",
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
     "redux": "^3.0.5",
     "redux-logger": "^2.3.1",
     "redux-thunk": "^1.0.2",
+    "request-promise": "^4.1.1",
     "sandwich-expando": "^1.0.5",
     "semaphore": "^1.0.5",
     "textarea-caret": "^3.0.1",
@@ -103,7 +104,7 @@
     "through2": "^2.0.1",
     "valid-url": "^1.0.9",
     "vreme": "^3.0.2",
-    "web3": "0.17.0-beta",
+    "web3": "0.18.2",
     "web3-provider-engine": "^8.5.0",
     "web3-stream-provider": "^2.0.6",
     "xtend": "^4.0.1"