diff --git a/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go b/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go
index 8f203b0ed..e0e67cd7e 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/internal/t8ntool/transition.go
@@ -268,27 +268,34 @@ func Transition(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 // txWithKey is a helper-struct, to allow us to use the types.Transaction along with
 // a `secretKey`-field, for input
 type txWithKey struct {
-	key *ecdsa.PrivateKey
-	tx  *types.Transaction
+	key       *ecdsa.PrivateKey
+	tx        *types.Transaction
+	protected bool
 }
 
 func (t *txWithKey) UnmarshalJSON(input []byte) error {
-	// Read the secretKey, if present
-	type sKey struct {
-		Key *common.Hash `json:"secretKey"`
+	// Read the metadata, if present
+	type txMetadata struct {
+		Key       *common.Hash `json:"secretKey"`
+		Protected *bool        `json:"protected"`
 	}
-	var key sKey
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(input, &key); err != nil {
+	var data txMetadata
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(input, &data); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if key.Key != nil {
-		k := key.Key.Hex()[2:]
+	if data.Key != nil {
+		k := data.Key.Hex()[2:]
 		if ecdsaKey, err := crypto.HexToECDSA(k); err != nil {
 			return err
 		} else {
 			t.key = ecdsaKey
 		}
 	}
+	if data.Protected != nil {
+		t.protected = *data.Protected
+	} else {
+		t.protected = true
+	}
 	// Now, read the transaction itself
 	var tx types.Transaction
 	if err := json.Unmarshal(input, &tx); err != nil {
@@ -317,7 +324,15 @@ func signUnsignedTransactions(txs []*txWithKey, signer types.Signer) (types.Tran
 		v, r, s := tx.RawSignatureValues()
 		if key != nil && v.BitLen()+r.BitLen()+s.BitLen() == 0 {
 			// This transaction needs to be signed
-			signed, err := types.SignTx(tx, signer, key)
+			var (
+				signed *types.Transaction
+				err    error
+			)
+			if txWithKey.protected {
+				signed, err = types.SignTx(tx, signer, key)
+			} else {
+				signed, err = types.SignTx(tx, types.FrontierSigner{}, key)
+			}
 			if err != nil {
 				return nil, NewError(ErrorJson, fmt.Errorf("tx %d: failed to sign tx: %v", i, err))
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/evm/t8n_test.go b/cmd/evm/t8n_test.go
index 3c759570f..3f0bd3185 100644
--- a/cmd/evm/t8n_test.go
+++ b/cmd/evm/t8n_test.go
@@ -195,6 +195,14 @@ func TestT8n(t *testing.T) {
 			output: t8nOutput{result: true},
 			expOut: "exp_arrowglacier.json",
 		},
+		{ // Sign unprotected (pre-EIP155) transaction
+			base: "./testdata/23",
+			input: t8nInput{
+				"alloc.json", "txs.json", "env.json", "Berlin", "",
+			},
+			output: t8nOutput{result: true},
+			expOut: "exp.json",
+		},
 	} {
 
 		args := []string{"t8n"}
diff --git a/cmd/evm/testdata/23/alloc.json b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/alloc.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..239b3553f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/alloc.json
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+{
+  "0x095e7baea6a6c7c4c2dfeb977efac326af552d87" : {
+    "balance" : "0x0de0b6b3a7640000",
+    "code" : "0x6001",
+    "nonce" : "0x00",
+    "storage" : {
+    }
+  },
+  "0xa94f5374fce5edbc8e2a8697c15331677e6ebf0b" : {
+    "balance" : "0x0de0b6b3a7640000",
+    "code" : "0x",
+    "nonce" : "0x00",
+    "storage" : {
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/cmd/evm/testdata/23/env.json b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/env.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1b4632151
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/env.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "currentCoinbase" : "0x2adc25665018aa1fe0e6bc666dac8fc2697ff9ba",
+  "currentDifficulty" : "0x020000",
+  "currentGasLimit" : "0x3b9aca00",
+  "currentNumber" : "0x05",
+  "currentTimestamp" : "0x03e8"
+}
diff --git a/cmd/evm/testdata/23/exp.json b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/exp.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e51f37d9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/exp.json
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+{
+  "result": {
+    "stateRoot": "0x65334305e4accfa18352deb24f007b837b5036425b0712cf0e65a43bfa95154d",
+    "txRoot": "0x75e61774a2ff58cbe32653420256c7f44bc715715a423b0b746d5c622979af6b",
+    "receiptsRoot": "0xf951f9396af203499cc7d379715a9110323de73967c5700e2f424725446a3c76",
+    "logsHash": "0x1dcc4de8dec75d7aab85b567b6ccd41ad312451b948a7413f0a142fd40d49347",
+    "logsBloom": "0x00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+    "receipts": [
+      {
+        "root": "0x",
+        "status": "0x1",
+        "cumulativeGasUsed": "0x520b",
+        "logsBloom": "0x00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+        "logs": null,
+        "transactionHash": "0x72fadbef39cd251a437eea619cfeda752271a5faaaa2147df012e112159ffb81",
+        "contractAddress": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+        "gasUsed": "0x520b",
+        "blockHash": "0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
+        "transactionIndex": "0x0"
+      }
+    ],
+    "currentDifficulty": "0x20000",
+    "gasUsed": "0x520b"
+  }
+}
diff --git a/cmd/evm/testdata/23/readme.md b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/readme.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..85fe8db66
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+These files examplify how to sign a transaction using the pre-EIP155 scheme. 
diff --git a/cmd/evm/testdata/23/txs.json b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/txs.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22f3840f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cmd/evm/testdata/23/txs.json
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+[
+  {
+    "input" : "0x",
+    "gas" : "0x5f5e100",
+    "gasPrice" : "0x1",
+    "nonce" : "0x0",
+    "to" : "0x095e7baea6a6c7c4c2dfeb977efac326af552d87",
+    "value" : "0x186a0",
+    "v" : "0x0",
+    "r" : "0x0",
+    "s" : "0x0",
+    "secretKey" : "0x45a915e4d060149eb4365960e6a7a45f334393093061116b197e3240065ff2d8",
+    "protected": false
+  }
+]