diff --git a/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h b/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h
index 14c168e8..4752d81b 100644
--- a/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h
+++ b/src/crypto/crypto-sugar.h
@@ -88,6 +88,49 @@ namespace crypto
     return ss.str();
   }
 
+  template<typename t_pod_type>
+  bool parse_tpod_from_hex_string(const std::string& hex_str, t_pod_type& t_pod)
+  {
+    static const int16_t char_map[256] = { // 0-9, a-f, A-F is only allowed
+      -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0x00 - 0x1F
+      -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,  0,  1,  2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0x20 - 0x3F
+      -1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0x40 - 0x5F
+      -1, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0x60 - 0x7F
+      -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0x80 - 0x9F
+      -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0xA0 - 0xBF
+      -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1,   // 0xC0 - 0xDF
+      -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1, -1 }; // 0xE0 - 0xFF
+
+    size_t pod_size = sizeof t_pod;
+    uint8_t *p = reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(&t_pod);
+
+    if (hex_str.size() != 2 * pod_size)
+      return false;
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < pod_size; ++i)
+    {
+      int16_t hi = char_map[static_cast<uint8_t>(hex_str[2 * i])];
+      int16_t lo = char_map[static_cast<uint8_t>(hex_str[2 * i + 1])];
+      if (hi < 0 || lo < 0)
+      {
+        // invalid characters in hex_str
+        memset(p, 0, pod_size);
+        return false;
+      }
+      p[i] = static_cast<uint8_t>(hi * 16 + lo); // write byte to pod
+    }
+    return true;
+  }
+
+  template<typename t_pod_type>
+  t_pod_type parse_tpod_from_hex_string(const std::string& hex_str)
+  {
+    t_pod_type t_pod = AUTO_VAL_INIT(t_pod);
+    parse_tpod_from_hex_string(hex_str, t_pod);
+    return t_pod;
+  }
+
+
 
   //
   // scalar_t - holds a 256-bit scalar, normally in [0..L-1]
diff --git a/tests/functional_tests/crypto_tests.cpp b/tests/functional_tests/crypto_tests.cpp
index 25ceb2ee..775e9b93 100644
--- a/tests/functional_tests/crypto_tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/functional_tests/crypto_tests.cpp
@@ -1385,6 +1385,20 @@ TEST(ml2s, sig_verif_performance_2)
 }
 
 
+TEST(crypto, hex_tools)
+{
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<uint8_t>("00"), 0x00);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<uint8_t>("01"), 0x01);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<uint8_t>("f1"), 0xf1);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<uint8_t>("fe"), 0xfe);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<uint64_t>("efcdab8967452301"), 0x0123456789abcdef);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<uint64_t>("0123456789abcdef"), 0xefcdab8967452301);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<scalar_t>("ecffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff7f"), c_scalar_Pm1);
+  ASSERT_EQ(parse_tpod_from_hex_string<scalar_t>("792fdce229e50661d0da1c7db39dd30700000000000000000000000000000006"), c_scalar_1div8);
+
+  return true;
+}
+
 //
 // test's runner
 //