diff --git a/src/network/constants.rs b/src/network/constants.rs
index 7d98ec2c..321e8004 100644
--- a/src/network/constants.rs
+++ b/src/network/constants.rs
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@
 //! protocol, such as protocol versioning and magic header bytes.
 //!
 
+use std::fmt;
+use serialize::{Decoder, Encoder, Encodable, Decodable};
+
 use network::encodable::{ConsensusDecodable, ConsensusEncodable};
 use network::serialize::{SimpleEncoder, SimpleDecoder};
 
 /// The cryptocurrency to operate on
-#[deriving(Encodable, Decodable, PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Show, Hash)]
+#[deriving(PartialEq, Eq, Clone, Hash)]
 pub enum Network {
   /// Classic Bitcoin
   Bitcoin,
@@ -30,6 +33,32 @@ pub enum Network {
   BitcoinTestnet,
 }
 
+impl fmt::Show for Network {
+  fn fmt(&self, f: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+    f.pad(match *self {
+        Bitcoin => "bitcoin",
+        BitcoinTestnet => "testnet",
+      })
+  }
+}
+
+impl<S:Encoder<E>, E> Encodable<S, E> for Network {
+  fn encode(&self, s: &mut S) -> Result<(), E> {
+    s.emit_str(self.to_string().as_slice())
+  }
+}
+
+impl <D:Decoder<E>, E> Decodable<D, E> for Network {
+  fn decode(d: &mut D) -> Result<Network, E> {
+    let s = try!(d.read_str());
+    match s.as_slice() {
+      "bitcoin" => Ok(Bitcoin),
+      "testnet" => Ok(BitcoinTestnet),
+      _ => Err(d.error(format!("Unknown network {}", s).as_slice()))
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 pub static PROTOCOL_VERSION: u32    = 70001;
 pub static SERVICES: u64            = 0;
 pub static USER_AGENT: &'static str = "bitcoin-rust v0.1";
@@ -63,3 +92,21 @@ impl<D:SimpleDecoder<E>, E> ConsensusDecodable<D, E> for Network {
   }
 }
 
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+  use super::{Network, Bitcoin, BitcoinTestnet};
+
+  use network::serialize::{deserialize, serialize};
+
+  fn serialize_test() {
+    assert_eq!(serialize(&Bitcoin).unwrap().as_slice(), "bitcoin".as_bytes());
+    assert_eq!(serialize(&BitcoinTestnet).unwrap().as_slice(), "testnet".as_bytes());
+
+    assert_eq!(deserialize(Vec::from_slice("bitcoin".as_bytes())), Ok(Bitcoin));
+    assert_eq!(deserialize(Vec::from_slice("testnet".as_bytes())), Ok(BitcoinTestnet));
+
+    let bad: Result<Network, _> = deserialize(Vec::from_slice("fakenet".as_bytes()));
+    assert!(bad.is_err());
+  }
+}
+