diff --git a/accounts/abi/selector_parser.go b/accounts/abi/selector_parser.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..75609b28a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/accounts/abi/selector_parser.go
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+package abi
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+)
+
+type SelectorMarshaling struct {
+	Name   string               `json:"name"`
+	Type   string               `json:"type"`
+	Inputs []ArgumentMarshaling `json:"inputs"`
+}
+
+func isDigit(c byte) bool {
+	return c >= '0' && c <= '9'
+}
+
+func isAlpha(c byte) bool {
+	return (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z')
+}
+
+func isIdentifierSymbol(c byte) bool {
+	return c == '$' || c == '_'
+}
+
+func parseToken(unescapedSelector string, isIdent bool) (string, string, error) {
+	if len(unescapedSelector) == 0 {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("empty token")
+	}
+	firstChar := unescapedSelector[0]
+	position := 1
+	if !(isAlpha(firstChar) || (isIdent && isIdentifierSymbol(firstChar))) {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid token start: %c", firstChar)
+	}
+	for position < len(unescapedSelector) {
+		char := unescapedSelector[position]
+		if !(isAlpha(char) || isDigit(char) || (isIdent && isIdentifierSymbol(char))) {
+			break
+		}
+		position++
+	}
+	return unescapedSelector[:position], unescapedSelector[position:], nil
+}
+
+func parseIdentifier(unescapedSelector string) (string, string, error) {
+	return parseToken(unescapedSelector, true)
+}
+
+func parseElementaryType(unescapedSelector string) (string, string, error) {
+	parsedType, rest, err := parseToken(unescapedSelector, false)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse elementary type: %v", err)
+	}
+	// handle arrays
+	for len(rest) > 0 && rest[0] == '[' {
+		parsedType = parsedType + string(rest[0])
+		rest = rest[1:]
+		for len(rest) > 0 && isDigit(rest[0]) {
+			parsedType = parsedType + string(rest[0])
+			rest = rest[1:]
+		}
+		if len(rest) == 0 || rest[0] != ']' {
+			return "", "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse array: expected ']', got %c", unescapedSelector[0])
+		}
+		parsedType = parsedType + string(rest[0])
+		rest = rest[1:]
+	}
+	return parsedType, rest, nil
+}
+
+func parseCompositeType(unescapedSelector string) ([]interface{}, string, error) {
+	if len(unescapedSelector) == 0 || unescapedSelector[0] != '(' {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("expected '(', got %c", unescapedSelector[0])
+	}
+	parsedType, rest, err := parseType(unescapedSelector[1:])
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse type: %v", err)
+	}
+	result := []interface{}{parsedType}
+	for len(rest) > 0 && rest[0] != ')' {
+		parsedType, rest, err = parseType(rest[1:])
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse type: %v", err)
+		}
+		result = append(result, parsedType)
+	}
+	if len(rest) == 0 || rest[0] != ')' {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("expected ')', got '%s'", rest)
+	}
+	return result, rest[1:], nil
+}
+
+func parseType(unescapedSelector string) (interface{}, string, error) {
+	if len(unescapedSelector) == 0 {
+		return nil, "", fmt.Errorf("empty type")
+	}
+	if unescapedSelector[0] == '(' {
+		return parseCompositeType(unescapedSelector)
+	} else {
+		return parseElementaryType(unescapedSelector)
+	}
+}
+
+func assembleArgs(args []interface{}) ([]ArgumentMarshaling, error) {
+	arguments := make([]ArgumentMarshaling, 0)
+	for i, arg := range args {
+		// generate dummy name to avoid unmarshal issues
+		name := fmt.Sprintf("name%d", i)
+		if s, ok := arg.(string); ok {
+			arguments = append(arguments, ArgumentMarshaling{name, s, s, nil, false})
+		} else if components, ok := arg.([]interface{}); ok {
+			subArgs, err := assembleArgs(components)
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to assemble components: %v", err)
+			}
+			arguments = append(arguments, ArgumentMarshaling{name, "tuple", "tuple", subArgs, false})
+		} else {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to assemble args: unexpected type %T", arg)
+		}
+	}
+	return arguments, nil
+}
+
+// ParseSelector converts a method selector into a struct that can be JSON encoded
+// and consumed by other functions in this package.
+// Note, although uppercase letters are not part of the ABI spec, this function
+// still accepts it as the general format is valid.
+func ParseSelector(unescapedSelector string) (SelectorMarshaling, error) {
+	name, rest, err := parseIdentifier(unescapedSelector)
+	if err != nil {
+		return SelectorMarshaling{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse selector '%s': %v", unescapedSelector, err)
+	}
+	args := []interface{}{}
+	if len(rest) >= 2 && rest[0] == '(' && rest[1] == ')' {
+		rest = rest[2:]
+	} else {
+		args, rest, err = parseCompositeType(rest)
+		if err != nil {
+			return SelectorMarshaling{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse selector '%s': %v", unescapedSelector, err)
+		}
+	}
+	if len(rest) > 0 {
+		return SelectorMarshaling{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse selector '%s': unexpected string '%s'", unescapedSelector, rest)
+	}
+
+	// Reassemble the fake ABI and constuct the JSON
+	fakeArgs, err := assembleArgs(args)
+	if err != nil {
+		return SelectorMarshaling{}, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse selector: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return SelectorMarshaling{name, "function", fakeArgs}, nil
+}
diff --git a/accounts/abi/selector_parser_test.go b/accounts/abi/selector_parser_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9720c9d53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/accounts/abi/selector_parser_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package abi
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"log"
+	"reflect"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestParseSelector(t *testing.T) {
+	mkType := func(types ...interface{}) []ArgumentMarshaling {
+		var result []ArgumentMarshaling
+		for i, typeOrComponents := range types {
+			name := fmt.Sprintf("name%d", i)
+			if typeName, ok := typeOrComponents.(string); ok {
+				result = append(result, ArgumentMarshaling{name, typeName, typeName, nil, false})
+			} else if components, ok := typeOrComponents.([]ArgumentMarshaling); ok {
+				result = append(result, ArgumentMarshaling{name, "tuple", "tuple", components, false})
+			} else {
+				log.Fatalf("unexpected type %T", typeOrComponents)
+			}
+		}
+		return result
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		input string
+		name  string
+		args  []ArgumentMarshaling
+	}{
+		{"noargs()", "noargs", []ArgumentMarshaling{}},
+		{"simple(uint256,uint256,uint256)", "simple", mkType("uint256", "uint256", "uint256")},
+		{"other(uint256,address)", "other", mkType("uint256", "address")},
+		{"withArray(uint256[],address[2],uint8[4][][5])", "withArray", mkType("uint256[]", "address[2]", "uint8[4][][5]")},
+		{"singleNest(bytes32,uint8,(uint256,uint256),address)", "singleNest", mkType("bytes32", "uint8", mkType("uint256", "uint256"), "address")},
+		{"multiNest(address,(uint256[],uint256),((address,bytes32),uint256))", "multiNest",
+			mkType("address", mkType("uint256[]", "uint256"), mkType(mkType("address", "bytes32"), "uint256"))},
+	}
+	for i, tt := range tests {
+		selector, err := ParseSelector(tt.input)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Errorf("test %d: failed to parse selector '%v': %v", i, tt.input, err)
+		}
+		if selector.Name != tt.name {
+			t.Errorf("test %d: unexpected function name: '%s' != '%s'", i, selector.Name, tt.name)
+		}
+
+		if selector.Type != "function" {
+			t.Errorf("test %d: unexpected type: '%s' != '%s'", i, selector.Type, "function")
+		}
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(selector.Inputs, tt.args) {
+			t.Errorf("test %d: unexpected args: '%v' != '%v'", i, selector.Inputs, tt.args)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/signer/fourbyte/abi.go b/signer/fourbyte/abi.go
index d8fbabd3b..352abc59e 100644
--- a/signer/fourbyte/abi.go
+++ b/signer/fourbyte/abi.go
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
-	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/ethereum/go-ethereum/accounts/abi"
@@ -75,42 +74,15 @@ func verifySelector(selector string, calldata []byte) (*decodedCallData, error)
 	return parseCallData(calldata, string(abidata))
 }
 
-// selectorRegexp is used to validate that a 4byte database selector corresponds
-// to a valid ABI function declaration.
-//
-// Note, although uppercase letters are not part of the ABI spec, this regexp
-// still accepts it as the general format is valid. It will be rejected later
-// by the type checker.
-var selectorRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`^([^\)]+)\(([A-Za-z0-9,\[\]]*)\)`)
-
 // parseSelector converts a method selector into an ABI JSON spec. The returned
 // data is a valid JSON string which can be consumed by the standard abi package.
 func parseSelector(unescapedSelector string) ([]byte, error) {
-	// Define a tiny fake ABI struct for JSON marshalling
-	type fakeArg struct {
-		Type string `json:"type"`
+	selector, err := abi.ParseSelector(unescapedSelector)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to parse selector: %v", err)
 	}
-	type fakeABI struct {
-		Name   string    `json:"name"`
-		Type   string    `json:"type"`
-		Inputs []fakeArg `json:"inputs"`
-	}
-	// Validate the unescapedSelector and extract it's components
-	groups := selectorRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(unescapedSelector)
-	if len(groups) != 3 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid selector %q (%v matches)", unescapedSelector, len(groups))
-	}
-	name := groups[1]
-	args := groups[2]
 
-	// Reassemble the fake ABI and constuct the JSON
-	arguments := make([]fakeArg, 0)
-	if len(args) > 0 {
-		for _, arg := range strings.Split(args, ",") {
-			arguments = append(arguments, fakeArg{arg})
-		}
-	}
-	return json.Marshal([]fakeABI{{name, "function", arguments}})
+	return json.Marshal([]abi.SelectorMarshaling{selector})
 }
 
 // parseCallData matches the provided call data against the ABI definition and