diff --git a/core/src/pow/cuckoo.rs b/core/src/pow/cuckoo.rs
index f1ce6cfb..80c196a1 100644
--- a/core/src/pow/cuckoo.rs
+++ b/core/src/pow/cuckoo.rs
@@ -20,8 +20,7 @@
 use std::cmp;
 use std::collections::HashSet;
 
-use blake2;
-
+use core::BlockHeader;
 use core::Proof;
 use pow::siphash::siphash24;
 
@@ -54,16 +53,14 @@ impl Cuckoo {
 	/// Initializes a new Cuckoo Cycle setup, using the provided byte array to
 	/// generate a seed. In practice for PoW applications the byte array is a
 	/// serialized block header.
-	pub fn new(header: &[u8], sizeshift: u8) -> Cuckoo {
+	pub fn from_hash(header_hash: &[u8], sizeshift: u8) -> Cuckoo {
 		let size = 1 << sizeshift;
-		let hashed = blake2::blake2b::blake2b(32, &[], header);
-		let hashed = hashed.as_bytes();
 		Cuckoo {
 			v: [
-				u8_to_u64(hashed, 0),
-				u8_to_u64(hashed, 8),
-				u8_to_u64(hashed, 16),
-				u8_to_u64(hashed, 24),
+				u8_to_u64(header_hash, 0),
+				u8_to_u64(header_hash, 8),
+				u8_to_u64(header_hash, 16),
+				u8_to_u64(header_hash, 24),
 			],
 			size: size,
 			mask: (1 << sizeshift) / 2 - 1,
@@ -162,9 +159,14 @@ enum CycleSol {
 }
 
 impl Miner {
-	/// Creates a new miner
-	pub fn new(header: &[u8], ease: u32, proof_size: usize, sizeshift: u8) -> Miner {
-		let cuckoo = Cuckoo::new(header, sizeshift);
+	/// Creates a new miner for the provided block header
+	pub fn new(header: &BlockHeader, ease: u32, proof_size: usize, sizeshift: u8) -> Miner {
+		Miner::from_hash(header.pre_pow_hash().as_ref(), ease, proof_size, sizeshift)
+	}
+
+	/// Creates a new miner directly from a hash
+	pub fn from_hash(header_hash: &[u8], ease: u32, proof_size: usize, sizeshift: u8) -> Miner {
+		let cuckoo = Cuckoo::from_hash(header_hash, sizeshift);
 		let size = 1 << sizeshift;
 		let graph = vec![0; size + 1];
 		let easiness = (ease as u64) * (size as u64) / 100;
@@ -306,6 +308,7 @@ fn u8_to_u64(p: &[u8], i: usize) -> u64 {
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
 	use super::*;
+	use blake2;
 	use core::Proof;
 
 	static V1: [u32; 42] = [
@@ -339,26 +342,45 @@ mod test {
 		0x701f37b,
 	];
 
+	fn blake2(data: &[u8]) -> blake2::blake2b::Blake2bResult {
+		blake2::blake2b::blake2b(32, &[], data)
+	}
+
 	/// Find a 42-cycle on Cuckoo20 at 75% easiness and verify against a few
 	/// known cycle proofs
 	/// generated by other implementations.
 	#[test]
 	fn mine20_vectors() {
-		let nonces1 = Miner::new(&[49], 75, 42, 20).mine().unwrap();
+		let nonces1 = Miner::from_hash(blake2(&[49]).as_bytes(), 75, 42, 20)
+			.mine()
+			.unwrap();
 		assert_eq!(Proof::new(V1.to_vec()), nonces1);
 
-		let nonces2 = Miner::new(&[50], 70, 42, 20).mine().unwrap();
+		let nonces2 = Miner::from_hash(blake2(&[50]).as_bytes(), 70, 42, 20)
+			.mine()
+			.unwrap();
 		assert_eq!(Proof::new(V2.to_vec()), nonces2);
 
-		let nonces3 = Miner::new(&[51], 70, 42, 20).mine().unwrap();
+		let nonces3 = Miner::from_hash(blake2(&[51]).as_bytes(), 70, 42, 20)
+			.mine()
+			.unwrap();
 		assert_eq!(Proof::new(V3.to_vec()), nonces3);
 	}
 
 	#[test]
 	fn validate20_vectors() {
-		assert!(Cuckoo::new(&[49], 20).verify(Proof::new(V1.to_vec().clone()), 75));
-		assert!(Cuckoo::new(&[50], 20).verify(Proof::new(V2.to_vec().clone()), 70));
-		assert!(Cuckoo::new(&[51], 20).verify(Proof::new(V3.to_vec().clone()), 70));
+		assert!(
+			Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&[49]).as_bytes(), 20)
+				.verify(Proof::new(V1.to_vec().clone()), 75)
+		);
+		assert!(
+			Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&[50]).as_bytes(), 20)
+				.verify(Proof::new(V2.to_vec().clone()), 70)
+		);
+		assert!(
+			Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&[51]).as_bytes(), 20)
+				.verify(Proof::new(V3.to_vec().clone()), 70)
+		);
 	}
 
 	/// Just going to disable this for now, as it's painful to try and get a
@@ -368,19 +390,22 @@ mod test {
 	fn validate28_vectors() {
 		let mut test_header = [0; 32];
 		test_header[0] = 24;
-		assert!(Cuckoo::new(&test_header, 28).verify(Proof::new(V4.to_vec().clone()), 50));
+		assert!(Cuckoo::from_hash(&test_header, 28).verify(Proof::new(V4.to_vec().clone()), 50));
 	}
 
 	#[test]
 	fn validate_fail() {
 		// edge checks
-		assert!(!Cuckoo::new(&[49], 20).verify(Proof::new(vec![0; 42]), 75));
-		assert!(!Cuckoo::new(&[49], 20).verify(Proof::new(vec![0xffff; 42]), 75));
+		assert!(!Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&[49]).as_bytes(), 20).verify(Proof::new(vec![0; 42]), 75));
+		assert!(!Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&[49]).as_bytes(), 20)
+			.verify(Proof::new(vec![0xffff; 42]), 75));
 		// wrong data for proof
-		assert!(!Cuckoo::new(&[50], 20).verify(Proof::new(V1.to_vec().clone()), 75));
+		assert!(!Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&[50]).as_bytes(), 20)
+			.verify(Proof::new(V1.to_vec().clone()), 75));
 		let mut test_header = [0; 32];
 		test_header[0] = 24;
-		assert!(!Cuckoo::new(&test_header, 20).verify(Proof::new(V4.to_vec().clone()), 50));
+		assert!(!Cuckoo::from_hash(blake2(&test_header).as_bytes(), 20)
+			.verify(Proof::new(V4.to_vec().clone()), 50));
 	}
 
 	#[test]
@@ -388,14 +413,14 @@ mod test {
 		// cuckoo20
 		for n in 1..5 {
 			let h = [n; 32];
-			let nonces = Miner::new(&h, 75, 42, 20).mine().unwrap();
-			assert!(Cuckoo::new(&h, 20).verify(nonces, 75));
+			let nonces = Miner::from_hash(&h, 75, 42, 20).mine().unwrap();
+			assert!(Cuckoo::from_hash(&h, 20).verify(nonces, 75));
 		}
 		// cuckoo18
 		for n in 1..5 {
 			let h = [n; 32];
-			let nonces = Miner::new(&h, 75, 42, 18).mine().unwrap();
-			assert!(Cuckoo::new(&h, 18).verify(nonces, 75));
+			let nonces = Miner::from_hash(&h, 75, 42, 18).mine().unwrap();
+			assert!(Cuckoo::from_hash(&h, 18).verify(nonces, 75));
 		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/core/src/pow/mod.rs b/core/src/pow/mod.rs
index 9dd35a46..49010675 100644
--- a/core/src/pow/mod.rs
+++ b/core/src/pow/mod.rs
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ use pow::cuckoo::{Cuckoo, Error};
 /// Validates the proof of work of a given header, and that the proof of work
 /// satisfies the requirements of the header.
 pub fn verify_size(bh: &BlockHeader, cuckoo_sz: u8) -> bool {
-	Cuckoo::new(&bh.pre_pow_hash()[..], cuckoo_sz)
+	Cuckoo::from_hash(bh.pre_pow_hash().as_ref(), cuckoo_sz)
 		.verify(bh.pow.clone(), consensus::EASINESS as u64)
 }
 
@@ -88,15 +88,9 @@ pub fn pow_size(
 
 	// try to find a cuckoo cycle on that header hash
 	loop {
-		// can be trivially optimized by avoiding re-serialization every time but this
-		// is not meant as a fast miner implementation
-		let pow_hash = bh.pre_pow_hash();
-
 		// if we found a cycle (not guaranteed) and the proof hash is higher that the
 		// diff, we're all good
-		if let Ok(proof) =
-			cuckoo::Miner::new(&pow_hash[..], consensus::EASINESS, proof_size, sz).mine()
-		{
+		if let Ok(proof) = cuckoo::Miner::new(bh, consensus::EASINESS, proof_size, sz).mine() {
 			if proof.to_difficulty() >= diff {
 				bh.pow = proof.clone();
 				return Ok(());
diff --git a/servers/src/mining/test_miner.rs b/servers/src/mining/test_miner.rs
index ff5ca28e..901d794a 100644
--- a/servers/src/mining/test_miner.rs
+++ b/servers/src/mining/test_miner.rs
@@ -97,9 +97,8 @@ impl Miner {
 
 		let mut sol = None;
 		while head.hash() == *latest_hash && time::get_time().sec < deadline {
-			let pow_hash = b.header.pre_pow_hash();
 			if let Ok(proof) = cuckoo::Miner::new(
-				&pow_hash[..],
+				&b.header,
 				consensus::EASINESS,
 				global::proofsize(),
 				global::sizeshift(),