diff --git a/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.cpp b/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.cpp
index 6ae33a743..1b14905f6 100644
--- a/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.cpp
+++ b/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.cpp
@@ -236,11 +236,13 @@ namespace crypto
     /*!
      * \brief Converts seed words to bytes (secret key).
      * \param  words           String containing the words separated by spaces.
-     * \param  dst             To put the secret key restored from the words.
+     * \param  dst             To put the secret data restored from the words.
+     * \param  len             The number of bytes to expect, 0 if unknown
+     * \param  duplicate       If true and len is not zero, we accept half the data, and duplicate it
      * \param  language_name   Language of the seed as found gets written here.
      * \return                 false if not a multiple of 3 words, or if word is not in the words list
      */
-    bool words_to_bytes(std::string words, crypto::secret_key& dst,
+    bool words_to_bytes(std::string words, std::string& dst, size_t len, bool duplicate,
       std::string &language_name)
     {
       std::vector<std::string> seed;
@@ -248,15 +250,23 @@ namespace crypto
       boost::algorithm::trim(words);
       boost::split(seed, words, boost::is_any_of(" "), boost::token_compress_on);
 
-      // error on non-compliant word list
-      if (seed.size() != seed_length/2 && seed.size() != seed_length &&
-        seed.size() != seed_length + 1)
-      {
+      if (len % 4)
         return false;
-      }
 
-      // If it is seed with a checksum.
-      bool has_checksum = seed.size() == (seed_length + 1);
+      bool has_checksum = true;
+      if (len)
+      {
+        // error on non-compliant word list
+        const size_t expected = len * 8 * 3 / 32;
+        if (seed.size() != expected/2 && seed.size() != expected &&
+          seed.size() != expected + 1)
+        {
+          return false;
+        }
+
+        // If it is seed with a checksum.
+        has_checksum = seed.size() == (expected + 1);
+      }
 
       std::vector<uint32_t> matched_indices;
       Language::Base *language;
@@ -290,20 +300,43 @@ namespace crypto
 
         if (!(val % word_list_length == w1)) return false;
 
-        memcpy(dst.data + i * 4, &val, 4);  // copy 4 bytes to position
+        dst.append((const char*)&val, 4);  // copy 4 bytes to position
       }
 
-      std::string wlist_copy = words;
-      if (seed.size() == seed_length/2)
+      if (len > 0 && duplicate)
       {
-        memcpy(dst.data+16, dst.data, 16);  // if electrum 12-word seed, duplicate
-        wlist_copy += ' ';
-        wlist_copy += words;
+        const size_t expected = len * 3 / 32;
+        std::string wlist_copy = words;
+        if (seed.size() == expected/2)
+        {
+          dst.append(dst);                    // if electrum 12-word seed, duplicate
+          wlist_copy += ' ';
+          wlist_copy += words;
+        }
       }
 
       return true;
     }
 
+    /*!
+     * \brief Converts seed words to bytes (secret key).
+     * \param  words           String containing the words separated by spaces.
+     * \param  dst             To put the secret key restored from the words.
+     * \param  language_name   Language of the seed as found gets written here.
+     * \return                 false if not a multiple of 3 words, or if word is not in the words list
+     */
+    bool words_to_bytes(std::string words, crypto::secret_key& dst,
+      std::string &language_name)
+    {
+      std::string s;
+      if (!words_to_bytes(words, s, sizeof(dst), true, language_name))
+        return false;
+      if (s.size() != sizeof(dst))
+        return false;
+      dst = *(const crypto::secret_key*)s.data();
+      return true;
+    }
+
     /*!
      * \brief Converts bytes (secret key) to seed words.
      * \param  src           Secret key
@@ -311,11 +344,11 @@ namespace crypto
      * \param  language_name Seed language name
      * \return               true if successful false if not. Unsuccessful if wrong key size.
      */
-    bool bytes_to_words(const crypto::secret_key& src, std::string& words,
+    bool bytes_to_words(const char *src, size_t len, std::string& words,
       const std::string &language_name)
     {
 
-      if (sizeof(src.data) % 4 != 0 || sizeof(src.data) == 0) return false;
+      if (len % 4 != 0 || len == 0) return false;
 
       Language::Base *language;
       if (language_name == "English")
@@ -376,13 +409,13 @@ namespace crypto
 
       uint32_t word_list_length = word_list.size();
       // 8 bytes -> 3 words.  8 digits base 16 -> 3 digits base 1626
-      for (unsigned int i=0; i < sizeof(src.data)/4; i++, words += ' ')
+      for (unsigned int i=0; i < len/4; i++, words += ' ')
       {
         uint32_t w1, w2, w3;
         
         uint32_t val;
 
-        memcpy(&val, (src.data) + (i * 4), 4);
+        memcpy(&val, src + (i * 4), 4);
 
         w1 = val % word_list_length;
         w2 = ((val / word_list_length) + w1) % word_list_length;
@@ -404,6 +437,12 @@ namespace crypto
       return true;
     }
 
+    bool bytes_to_words(const crypto::secret_key& src, std::string& words,
+      const std::string &language_name)
+    {
+      return bytes_to_words(src.data, sizeof(src), words, language_name);
+    }
+
     /*!
      * \brief Gets a list of seed languages that are supported.
      * \param languages The vector is set to the list of languages.
diff --git a/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.h b/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.h
index 94ce9c200..941768352 100644
--- a/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.h
+++ b/src/mnemonics/electrum-words.h
@@ -61,6 +61,17 @@ namespace crypto
 
     const int seed_length = 24;
     const std::string old_language_name = "EnglishOld";
+    /*!
+     * \brief Converts seed words to bytes (secret key).
+     * \param  words           String containing the words separated by spaces.
+     * \param  dst             To put the secret data restored from the words.
+     * \param  len             The number of bytes to expect, 0 if unknown
+     * \param  duplicate       If true and len is not zero, we accept half the data, and duplicate it
+     * \param  language_name   Language of the seed as found gets written here.
+     * \return                 false if not a multiple of 3 words, or if word is not in the words list
+     */
+    bool words_to_bytes(std::string words, std::string& dst, size_t len, bool duplicate,
+      std::string &language_name);
     /*!
      * \brief Converts seed words to bytes (secret key).
      * \param  words           String containing the words separated by spaces.
@@ -71,6 +82,17 @@ namespace crypto
     bool words_to_bytes(std::string words, crypto::secret_key& dst,
       std::string &language_name);
 
+    /*!
+     * \brief Converts bytes to seed words.
+     * \param  src           Secret data
+     * \param  len           Secret data length in bytes (positive multiples of 4 only)
+     * \param  words         Space delimited concatenated words get written here.
+     * \param  language_name Seed language name
+     * \return               true if successful false if not. Unsuccessful if wrong key size.
+     */
+    bool bytes_to_words(const char *src, size_t len, std::string& words,
+      const std::string &language_name);
+
     /*!
      * \brief Converts bytes (secret key) to seed words.
      * \param  src           Secret key