diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 31fdcb9f..6b16b994 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
     "aegir": "^5.0.1",
     "async": "^1.5.2",
     "block-stream2": "^1.1.0",
-    "bs58": "^3.0.0",
     "buffer-loader": "0.0.1",
     "chai": "^3.5.0",
     "concat-stream": "^1.5.1",
@@ -61,6 +60,7 @@
     "ipfs-unixfs": "^0.1.0",
     "is-ipfs": "^0.2.0",
     "isstream": "^0.1.2",
+    "multihashes": "^0.2.2",
     "readable-stream": "^1.1.13",
     "run-series": "^1.1.4",
     "streamifier": "^0.1.1",
diff --git a/src/clean-multihash.js b/src/clean-multihash.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d30a3ecf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/clean-multihash.js
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const mh = require('multihashes')
+const isIPFS = require('is-ipfs')
+
+module.exports = function (multihash) {
+  if (!isIPFS.multihash(multihash)) {
+    throw new Error('not valid multihash')
+  }
+  if (Buffer.isBuffer(multihash)) {
+    return mh.toB58String(multihash)
+  }
+  return multihash
+}
diff --git a/src/exporter.js b/src/exporter.js
index afafef6c..cabeb039 100644
--- a/src/exporter.js
+++ b/src/exporter.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const Readable = require('readable-stream').Readable
 const pathj = require('path')
 const util = require('util')
 const fieldtrip = require('field-trip')
+const cleanMultihash = require('./clean-multihash')
 
 exports = module.exports = Exporter
 
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ function Exporter (hash, dagService, options) {
   if (!isIPFS.multihash(hash)) {
     throw new Error('not valid multihash')
   }
+  hash = cleanMultihash(hash)
 
   Readable.call(this, { objectMode: true })
 
diff --git a/test/test-exporter.js b/test/test-exporter.js
index b7920828..e6b76c15 100644
--- a/test/test-exporter.js
+++ b/test/test-exporter.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const UnixFS = require('ipfs-unixfs')
 const concat = require('concat-stream')
 const fs = require('fs')
 const path = require('path')
+const bs58 = require('bs58')
 
 let ds
 
@@ -24,6 +25,29 @@ module.exports = function (repo) {
       done()
     })
 
+    it('ensure hash inputs are sanitized', (done) => {
+      const hash = 'QmQmZQxSKQppbsWfVzBvg59Cn3DKtsNVQ94bjAxg2h3Lb8'
+      const bs = new BlockService(repo)
+      const ds = new DAGService(bs)
+      const mhBuf = new Buffer(bs58.decode(hash))
+      ds.get(hash, (err, fetchedNode) => {
+        const unmarsh = UnixFS.unmarshal(fetchedNode.data)
+        expect(err).to.not.exist
+        const testExport = exporter(mhBuf, ds)
+        testExport.on('error', (err) => {
+          expect(err).to.not.exist
+        })
+        testExport.pipe(concat((files) => {
+          expect(files).to.be.length(1)
+          expect(files[0].path).to.equal(hash)
+          files[0].content.pipe(concat((bldata) => {
+            expect(bldata).to.deep.equal(unmarsh.data)
+            done()
+          }))
+        }))
+      })
+    })
+
     it('export a file with no links', (done) => {
       const hash = 'QmQmZQxSKQppbsWfVzBvg59Cn3DKtsNVQ94bjAxg2h3Lb8'
       const bs = new BlockService(repo)