diff --git a/app/scripts/lib/tx-utils.js b/app/scripts/lib/tx-utils.js
index 32a8a012a..f1171851c 100644
--- a/app/scripts/lib/tx-utils.js
+++ b/app/scripts/lib/tx-utils.js
@@ -53,25 +53,23 @@ module.exports = class txProviderUtils {
     }
     // if gasLimit not originally specified,
     // try adding an additional gas buffer to our estimation for safety
-    const estimatedGasBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(txData.estimatedGas), 16)
-    const blockGasLimitBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(blockGasLimitHex), 16)
-    const finalRecommendedGasBn = new BN(this.addGasBuffer(estimatedGasBn, blockGasLimitHex), 16)
-    txParams.gas = ethUtil.intToHex(finalRecommendedGasBn)
+    const recommendedGasHex = this.addGasBuffer(txData.estimatedGas, blockGasLimitHex)
+    txParams.gas = recommendedGasHex
     cb()
     return
   }
 
   addGasBuffer (initialGasLimitHex, blockGasLimitHex) {
-    const blockGasLimitBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(blockGasLimitHex), 16)
-    const initialGasLimitBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(initialGasLimitHex), 16)
+    const initialGasLimitBn = hexToBn(initialGasLimitHex)
+    const blockGasLimitBn = hexToBn(blockGasLimitHex)
     const bufferedGasLimitBn = initialGasLimitBn.muln(1.5)
     
     // if initialGasLimit is above blockGasLimit, dont modify it
-    if (initialGasLimitBn.gt(blockGasLimitBn)) return initialGasLimitHex
+    if (initialGasLimitBn.gt(blockGasLimitBn)) return bnToHex(initialGasLimitBn)
     // if bufferedGasLimit is below blockGasLimit, use bufferedGasLimit
-    if (bufferedGasLimitBn.lt(blockGasLimitBn)) return ethUtil.addHexPrefix(bufferedGasLimitBn.toString(16))
+    if (bufferedGasLimitBn.lt(blockGasLimitBn)) return bnToHex(bufferedGasLimitBn)
     // otherwise use blockGasLimit
-    return ethUtil.addHexPrefix(blockGasLimitBn.toString(16))
+    return bnToHex(blockGasLimitBn)
   }
 
   fillInTxParams (txParams, cb) {
@@ -129,3 +127,11 @@ module.exports = class txProviderUtils {
 function isUndef(value) {
   return value === undefined
 }
+
+function bnToHex(inputBn) {
+  return ethUtil.addHexPrefix(inputBn.toString(16))
+}
+
+function hexToBn(inputHex) {
+  return new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(inputHex), 16)
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/unit/tx-utils-test.js b/test/unit/tx-utils-test.js
index c0ed9addd..641b4942f 100644
--- a/test/unit/tx-utils-test.js
+++ b/test/unit/tx-utils-test.js
@@ -15,11 +15,11 @@ describe('txUtils', function() {
   describe('addGasBuffer', function() {
     it('multiplies by 1.5, when within block gas limit', function() {
       // naive estimatedGas: 0x123fad (~1.2 mil)
-      const input = '0x123fad'
+      const inputHex = '0x123fad'
       // dummy gas limit: 0x3d4c52 (4 mil)
-      const blockGasLimit = '0x3d4c52'
-      const output = txUtils.addGasBuffer(input, blockGasLimit)
-      const inputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(input), 'hex')
+      const blockGasLimitHex = '0x3d4c52'
+      const output = txUtils.addGasBuffer(inputHex, blockGasLimitHex)
+      const inputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(inputHex), 'hex')
       const outputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(output), 'hex')
       const expectedBn = inputBn.muln(1.5)
       assert(outputBn.eq(expectedBn), 'returns 1.5 the input value')
@@ -27,25 +27,25 @@ describe('txUtils', function() {
     
     it('uses original estimatedGas, when above block gas limit', function() {
       // naive estimatedGas: 0x123fad (~1.2 mil)
-      const input = '0x123fad'
+      const inputHex = '0x123fad'
       // dummy gas limit: 0x0f4240 (1 mil)
-      const blockGasLimit = '0x0f4240'
-      const output = txUtils.addGasBuffer(input, blockGasLimit)
-      const inputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(input), 'hex')
+      const blockGasLimitHex = '0x0f4240'
+      const output = txUtils.addGasBuffer(inputHex, blockGasLimitHex)
+      const inputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(inputHex), 'hex')
       const outputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(output), 'hex')
-      const expectedBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(input), 'hex')
+      const expectedBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(inputHex), 'hex')
       assert(outputBn.eq(expectedBn), 'returns the original estimatedGas value')
     })
 
     it('buffers up to block gas limit', function() {
       // naive estimatedGas: 0x123fad (~1.2 mil)
-      const input = '0x1e8480'
+      const inputHex = '0x1e8480'
       // dummy gas limit: 0x1e8480 (2 mil)
-      const blockGasLimit = '0x1e8480'
-      const output = txUtils.addGasBuffer(input, blockGasLimit)
-      const inputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(input), 'hex')
+      const blockGasLimitHex = '0x1e8480'
+      const output = txUtils.addGasBuffer(inputHex, blockGasLimitHex)
+      const inputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(inputHex), 'hex')
       const outputBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(output), 'hex')
-      const expectedBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(blockGasLimit), 'hex')
+      const expectedBn = new BN(ethUtil.stripHexPrefix(blockGasLimitHex), 'hex')
       assert(outputBn.eq(expectedBn), 'returns the block gas limit value')
     })
   })