diff --git a/src/script.js b/src/script.js
index 6c75f11..564e5a7 100644
--- a/src/script.js
+++ b/src/script.js
@@ -3,20 +3,10 @@ var opcodes = require('./opcodes')
 var typeforce = require('typeforce')
 var types = require('./types')
 
-function coerceChunks (chunks) {
-  if (types.Array(chunks)) return chunks
-
-  return decompile(chunks)
-}
-
-function coerceBuffer (buffer) {
-  if (types.Buffer(buffer)) return buffer
-
-  return compile(buffer)
-}
-
 function toASM (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+  if (types.Buffer(chunks)) {
+    chunks = decompile(chunks)
+  }
 
   return chunks.map(function (chunk) {
     // data chunk
@@ -45,11 +35,12 @@ function fromASM (asm) {
     }
   })
 
-  return chunks
+  return compile(chunks)
 }
 
 function compile (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+  // TODO: remove me
+  if (types.Buffer(chunks)) return chunks
 
   typeforce(types.Array, chunks)
 
@@ -86,7 +77,8 @@ function compile (chunks) {
 }
 
 function decompile (buffer) {
-  buffer = coerceBuffer(buffer)
+  // TODO: remove me
+  if (types.Array(buffer)) return buffer
 
   typeforce(types.Buffer, buffer)
 
@@ -132,6 +124,6 @@ for (var op in opcodes) {
 module.exports = {
   compile: compile,
   decompile: decompile,
-  toASM: toASM,
-  fromASM: fromASM
+  fromASM: fromASM,
+  toASM: toASM
 }
diff --git a/src/scripts.js b/src/scripts.js
index ec836fb..52c2b6c 100644
--- a/src/scripts.js
+++ b/src/scripts.js
@@ -40,24 +40,16 @@ function isCanonicalSignature (buffer) {
   return true
 }
 
-function coerceBuffer (buffer) {
-  return types.Buffer(buffer) ? buffer : Script.compile(buffer)
-}
-
-function coerceChunks (chunks) {
-  return types.Array(chunks) ? chunks : Script.decompile(chunks)
-}
-
-function isPubKeyHashInput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isPubKeyHashInput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
 
   return chunks.length === 2 &&
     isCanonicalSignature(chunks[0]) &&
     isCanonicalPubKey(chunks[1])
 }
 
-function isPubKeyHashOutput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isPubKeyHashOutput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
 
   return chunks.length === 5 &&
     chunks[0] === ops.OP_DUP &&
@@ -68,23 +60,23 @@ function isPubKeyHashOutput (chunks) {
     chunks[4] === ops.OP_CHECKSIG
 }
 
-function isPubKeyInput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isPubKeyInput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
 
   return chunks.length === 1 &&
     isCanonicalSignature(chunks[0])
 }
 
-function isPubKeyOutput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isPubKeyOutput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
 
   return chunks.length === 2 &&
     isCanonicalPubKey(chunks[0]) &&
     chunks[1] === ops.OP_CHECKSIG
 }
 
-function isScriptHashInput (chunks, allowIncomplete) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isScriptHashInput (script, allowIncomplete) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
   if (chunks.length < 2) return false
 
   var lastChunk = chunks[chunks.length - 1]
@@ -99,8 +91,8 @@ function isScriptHashInput (chunks, allowIncomplete) {
   return classifyInput(scriptSigChunks, allowIncomplete) === classifyOutput(redeemScriptChunks)
 }
 
-function isScriptHashOutput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isScriptHashOutput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
 
   return chunks.length === 3 &&
     chunks[0] === ops.OP_HASH160 &&
@@ -111,8 +103,8 @@ function isScriptHashOutput (chunks) {
 
 // allowIncomplete is to account for combining signatures
 // See https://github.com/bitcoin/bitcoin/blob/f425050546644a36b0b8e0eb2f6934a3e0f6f80f/src/script/sign.cpp#L195-L197
-function isMultisigInput (chunks, allowIncomplete) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isMultisigInput (script, allowIncomplete) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
   if (chunks.length < 2) return false
   if (chunks[0] !== ops.OP_0) return false
 
@@ -125,8 +117,8 @@ function isMultisigInput (chunks, allowIncomplete) {
   return chunks.slice(1).every(isCanonicalSignature)
 }
 
-function isMultisigOutput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isMultisigOutput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
   if (chunks.length < 4) return false
   if (chunks[chunks.length - 1] !== ops.OP_CHECKMULTISIG) return false
 
@@ -150,13 +142,14 @@ function isMultisigOutput (chunks) {
   return pubKeys.every(isCanonicalPubKey)
 }
 
-function isNullDataOutput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function isNullDataOutput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
   return chunks[0] === ops.OP_RETURN
 }
 
-function classifyOutput (chunks) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function classifyOutput (script) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
+
   if (isPubKeyHashOutput(chunks)) {
     return 'pubkeyhash'
   } else if (isScriptHashOutput(chunks)) {
@@ -172,8 +165,9 @@ function classifyOutput (chunks) {
   return 'nonstandard'
 }
 
-function classifyInput (chunks, allowIncomplete) {
-  chunks = coerceChunks(chunks)
+function classifyInput (script, allowIncomplete) {
+  var chunks = Script.decompile(script)
+
   if (isPubKeyHashInput(chunks)) {
     return 'pubkeyhash'
   } else if (isMultisigInput(chunks, allowIncomplete)) {
@@ -237,24 +231,24 @@ function pubKeyHashInput (signature, pubKey) {
 }
 
 // <scriptSig> {serialized scriptPubKey script}
-function scriptHashInput (scriptSig, scriptPubKeyBuffer) {
-  scriptSig = coerceChunks(scriptSig)
-  scriptPubKeyBuffer = coerceBuffer(scriptPubKeyBuffer)
+function scriptHashInput (scriptSig, scriptPubKey) {
+  var scriptSigChunks = Script.decompile(scriptSig)
+  var serializedScriptPubKey = Script.compile(scriptPubKey)
 
   return Script.compile([].concat(
-    scriptSig,
-    scriptPubKeyBuffer
+    scriptSigChunks,
+    serializedScriptPubKey
   ))
 }
 
 // OP_0 [signatures ...]
 function multisigInput (signatures, scriptPubKey) {
   if (scriptPubKey) {
-    if (!isMultisigOutput(scriptPubKey)) throw new Error('Expected multisig scriptPubKey')
-    scriptPubKey = coerceChunks(scriptPubKey)
+    var chunks = Script.decompile(scriptPubKey)
+    if (!isMultisigOutput(chunks)) throw new Error('Expected multisig scriptPubKey')
 
-    var mOp = scriptPubKey[0]
-    var nOp = scriptPubKey[scriptPubKey.length - 2]
+    var mOp = chunks[0]
+    var nOp = chunks[chunks.length - 2]
     var m = mOp - (ops.OP_1 - 1)
     var n = nOp - (ops.OP_1 - 1)
 
diff --git a/src/transaction_builder.js b/src/transaction_builder.js
index 8683699..cca8b35 100644
--- a/src/transaction_builder.js
+++ b/src/transaction_builder.js
@@ -32,6 +32,12 @@ function extractInput (txIn) {
     scriptType = prevOutType
   }
 
+  // pre-empt redeemScript decompilation
+  var redeemScriptChunks
+  if (redeemScript) {
+    redeemScriptChunks = Script.decompile(redeemScript)
+  }
+
   // Extract hashType, pubKeys and signatures
   var hashType, parsed, pubKeys, signatures
 
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ function extractInput (txIn) {
       signatures = [parsed.signature]
 
       if (redeemScript) {
-        pubKeys = Script.decompile(redeemScript).slice(0, 1)
+        pubKeys = redeemScriptChunks.slice(0, 1)
       }
 
       break
@@ -67,7 +73,7 @@ function extractInput (txIn) {
       })
 
       if (redeemScript) {
-        pubKeys = Script.decompile(redeemScript).slice(1, -2)
+        pubKeys = redeemScriptChunks.slice(1, -2)
       }
 
       break
diff --git a/test/scripts.js b/test/scripts.js
index bdb9264..f3a8b57 100644
--- a/test/scripts.js
+++ b/test/scripts.js
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ describe('Scripts', function () {
       if (!f.scriptPubKey) return
 
       it('returns ' + f.scriptPubKey, function () {
-        var redeemScript = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(f.redeemScript))
+        var redeemScript = Script.fromASM(f.redeemScript)
         var scriptPubKey = scripts.scriptHashOutput(bcrypto.hash160(redeemScript))
 
         assert.strictEqual(Script.toASM(scriptPubKey), f.scriptPubKey)
diff --git a/test/transaction.js b/test/transaction.js
index af8639d..cd7f9be 100644
--- a/test/transaction.js
+++ b/test/transaction.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ describe('Transaction', function () {
         script = data
 
       } else if (txIn.script) {
-        script = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(txIn.script))
+        script = Script.fromASM(txIn.script)
       }
 
       tx.addInput(txHash, txIn.index, txIn.sequence, script)
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ describe('Transaction', function () {
         script = data
 
       } else if (txOut.script) {
-        script = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(txOut.script))
+        script = Script.fromASM(txOut.script)
       }
 
       tx.addOutput(script, txOut.value)
diff --git a/test/transaction_builder.js b/test/transaction_builder.js
index 8737fdf..57094f4 100644
--- a/test/transaction_builder.js
+++ b/test/transaction_builder.js
@@ -22,14 +22,14 @@ function construct (f, sign) {
     var prevTxScript
 
     if (input.prevTxScript) {
-      prevTxScript = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(input.prevTxScript))
+      prevTxScript = Script.fromASM(input.prevTxScript)
     }
 
     txb.addInput(input.txId, input.vout, input.sequence, prevTxScript)
   })
 
   f.outputs.forEach(function (output) {
-    var script = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(output.script))
+    var script = Script.fromASM(output.script)
 
     txb.addOutput(script, output.value)
   })
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function construct (f, sign) {
         var redeemScript
 
         if (sign.redeemScript) {
-          redeemScript = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(sign.redeemScript))
+          redeemScript = Script.fromASM(sign.redeemScript)
         }
 
         txb.sign(index, keyPair, redeemScript, sign.hashType)
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ describe('TransactionBuilder', function () {
             var redeemScript
 
             if (sign.redeemScript) {
-              redeemScript = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(sign.redeemScript))
+              redeemScript = Script.fromASM(sign.redeemScript)
             }
 
             if (!sign.throws) {
@@ -262,7 +262,7 @@ describe('TransactionBuilder', function () {
         var network = NETWORKS[f.network]
 
         f.inputs.forEach(function (input, i) {
-          var redeemScript = Script.compile(Script.fromASM(input.redeemScript))
+          var redeemScript = Script.fromASM(input.redeemScript)
 
           input.signs.forEach(function (sign) {
             // rebuild the transaction each-time after the first
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ describe('TransactionBuilder', function () {
 
       txb = TransactionBuilder.fromTransaction(lameTx, network)
 
-      var redeemScript = Script.compile(Script.fromASM('OP_2 0479be667ef9dcbbac55a06295ce870b07029bfcdb2dce28d959f2815b16f81798483ada7726a3c4655da4fbfc0e1108a8fd17b448a68554199c47d08ffb10d4b8 04c6047f9441ed7d6d3045406e95c07cd85c778e4b8cef3ca7abac09b95c709ee51ae168fea63dc339a3c58419466ceaeef7f632653266d0e1236431a950cfe52a 04f9308a019258c31049344f85f89d5229b531c845836f99b08601f113bce036f9388f7b0f632de8140fe337e62a37f3566500a99934c2231b6cb9fd7584b8e672 OP_3 OP_CHECKMULTISIG'))
+      var redeemScript = Script.fromASM('OP_2 0479be667ef9dcbbac55a06295ce870b07029bfcdb2dce28d959f2815b16f81798483ada7726a3c4655da4fbfc0e1108a8fd17b448a68554199c47d08ffb10d4b8 04c6047f9441ed7d6d3045406e95c07cd85c778e4b8cef3ca7abac09b95c709ee51ae168fea63dc339a3c58419466ceaeef7f632653266d0e1236431a950cfe52a 04f9308a019258c31049344f85f89d5229b531c845836f99b08601f113bce036f9388f7b0f632de8140fe337e62a37f3566500a99934c2231b6cb9fd7584b8e672 OP_3 OP_CHECKMULTISIG')
 
       var keyPair = ECPair.fromWIF('91avARGdfge8E4tZfYLoxeJ5sGBdNJQH4kvjJoQFacbgx3cTMqe', network)
       txb.sign(0, keyPair, redeemScript)