diff --git a/ethereum.go b/ethereum.go
index 707938639..2f4db7336 100644
--- a/ethereum.go
+++ b/ethereum.go
@@ -339,7 +339,9 @@ func (s *Ethereum) Stop() {
 
 	close(s.quit)
 
-	s.RpcServer.Stop()
+	if s.RpcServer != nil {
+		s.RpcServer.Stop()
+	}
 	s.txPool.Stop()
 	s.stateManager.Stop()
 
diff --git a/ethrpc/packages.go b/ethrpc/packages.go
index b989a65cb..4ec2b4602 100644
--- a/ethrpc/packages.go
+++ b/ethrpc/packages.go
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"github.com/ethereum/eth-go/ethpub"
-	_ "log"
+	"github.com/ethereum/eth-go/ethutil"
+	"math/big"
 )
 
 type EthereumApi struct {
@@ -173,7 +174,10 @@ func (p *EthereumApi) GetStorageAt(args *GetStorageArgs, reply *string) error {
 		return err
 	}
 	state := p.ethp.GetStateObject(args.Address)
-	value := state.GetStorage(args.Key)
+	// Convert the incoming string (which is a bigint) into hex
+	i, _ := new(big.Int).SetString(args.Key, 10)
+	hx := ethutil.Hex(i.Bytes())
+	value := state.GetStorage(hx)
 	*reply = NewSuccessRes(GetStorageAtRes{Address: args.Address, Key: args.Key, Value: value})
 	return nil
 }