diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 26f05da..7422a8b 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ language: node_js
 before_install:
   - "npm install npm -g"
 node_js:
-  - "0.11"
-  - "0.10"
+  - "0.12"
 env:
   - TEST_SUITE=coveralls
   - TEST_SUITE=integration
diff --git a/src/bufferutils.js b/src/bufferutils.js
index 773e502..9f1c85e 100644
--- a/src/bufferutils.js
+++ b/src/bufferutils.js
@@ -168,16 +168,6 @@ function varIntBuffer (i) {
   return buffer
 }
 
-function equal (a, b) {
-  if (a.length !== b.length) return false
-
-  for (var i = 0; i < a.length; ++i) {
-    if (a[i] !== b[i]) return false
-  }
-
-  return true
-}
-
 function reverse (buffer) {
   var buffer2 = new Buffer(buffer)
   Array.prototype.reverse.call(buffer2)
@@ -185,7 +175,6 @@ function reverse (buffer) {
 }
 
 module.exports = {
-  equal: equal,
   pushDataSize: pushDataSize,
   readPushDataInt: readPushDataInt,
   readUInt64LE: readUInt64LE,
diff --git a/src/transaction_builder.js b/src/transaction_builder.js
index a08af72..cafcfc8 100644
--- a/src/transaction_builder.js
+++ b/src/transaction_builder.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 var assert = require('assert')
-var bufferutils = require('./bufferutils')
 var ops = require('./opcodes')
 var scripts = require('./scripts')
 
@@ -400,7 +399,7 @@ TransactionBuilder.prototype.sign = function (index, keyPair, redeemScript, hash
 
   // enforce in order signing of public keys
   assert(input.pubKeys.some(function (pubKey, i) {
-    if (!bufferutils.equal(kpPubKey, pubKey)) return false
+    if (kpPubKey.compare(pubKey) !== 0) return false
 
     assert(!input.signatures[i], 'Signature already exists')
 
@@ -408,7 +407,7 @@ TransactionBuilder.prototype.sign = function (index, keyPair, redeemScript, hash
     input.signatures[i] = signature
 
     return true
-  }, this), 'key pair cannot sign for this input')
+  }), 'key pair cannot sign for this input')
 }
 
 module.exports = TransactionBuilder
diff --git a/test/bufferutils.js b/test/bufferutils.js
index c97e0bc..eaef22a 100644
--- a/test/bufferutils.js
+++ b/test/bufferutils.js
@@ -88,22 +88,6 @@ describe('bufferutils', function () {
     })
   })
 
-  describe('equal', function () {
-    fixtures.valid.forEach(function (f) {
-      describe('for ' + f.hexVI, function () {
-        fixtures.valid.forEach(function (f2) {
-          it('equates the string comparison: ' + f.hexVI + ' === ' + f2.hexVI, function () {
-            var a = new Buffer(f.hexVI, 'hex')
-            var b = new Buffer(f2.hexVI, 'hex')
-            var expected = f.hexVI === f2.hexVI
-
-            assert.equal(bufferutils.equal(a, b), expected)
-          })
-        })
-      })
-    })
-  })
-
   describe('reverse', function () {
     fixtures.valid.forEach(function (f) {
       it('reverses ' + f.hex64 + ' correctly', function () {