diff --git a/modules/bitgo/test/unit/bip32util.ts b/modules/bitgo/test/unit/bip32util.ts
deleted file mode 100644
index f5e501cc03..0000000000
--- a/modules/bitgo/test/unit/bip32util.ts
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * @prettier
- */
-import { signMessage, verifyMessage } from '@bitgo/sdk-core';
-import * as crypto from 'crypto';
-import { bip32 } from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
-import 'should';
-
-import * as utxolib from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
-
-describe('bip32util', function () {
-  function getSeedBuffers(length: number) {
-    return Array.from({ length }).map((_, i) => crypto.createHash('sha256').update(`${i}`).digest());
-  }
-  it('signMessage/verifyMessage', function () {
-    const keys = getSeedBuffers(4).map((seed) => bip32.fromSeed(seed));
-    const messages = ['hello', 'goodbye'];
-    keys.forEach((key) => {
-      messages.forEach((message) => {
-        const signature = signMessage(message, key, utxolib.networks.bitcoin);
-
-        keys.forEach((otherKey) => {
-          messages.forEach((otherMessage) => {
-            verifyMessage(otherMessage, otherKey, signature, utxolib.networks.bitcoin).should.eql(
-              message === otherMessage && key === otherKey
-            );
-          });
-        });
-      });
-    });
-  });
-});
diff --git a/modules/utxo-core/package.json b/modules/utxo-core/package.json
index bb714e8c16..7b77fb9bb6 100644
--- a/modules/utxo-core/package.json
+++ b/modules/utxo-core/package.json
@@ -55,11 +55,7 @@
     "@bitgo/utxo-lib": "^11.6.1",
     "@bitgo/wasm-miniscript": "2.0.0-beta.7",
     "bip174": "npm:@bitgo-forks/bip174@3.1.0-master.4",
-    "bitcoinjs-message": "npm:@bitgo-forks/bitcoinjs-message@1.0.0-master.3",
-    "lodash": "^4.17.15"
-  },
-  "devDependencies": {
-    "@types/lodash": "^4.14.151"
+    "bitcoinjs-message": "npm:@bitgo-forks/bitcoinjs-message@1.0.0-master.3"
   },
   "gitHead": "18e460ddf02de2dbf13c2aa243478188fb539f0c"
 }
diff --git a/modules/utxo-core/src/bip32utils.ts b/modules/utxo-core/src/bip32utils.ts
index 6e2af495a4..1d15cb9281 100644
--- a/modules/utxo-core/src/bip32utils.ts
+++ b/modules/utxo-core/src/bip32utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import * as utxolib from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
-import * as _ from 'lodash';
 import * as bitcoinMessage from 'bitcoinjs-message';
 import { BIP32Interface } from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
 /**
@@ -7,7 +6,7 @@ import { BIP32Interface } from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
  * @see {bitcoinMessage.sign}
  */
 export function signMessage(
-  message: string,
+  message: string | Buffer,
   privateKey: BIP32Interface | Buffer,
   network: { messagePrefix: string }
 ): Buffer {
@@ -17,7 +16,7 @@ export function signMessage(
       throw new Error(`must provide privateKey`);
     }
   }
-  if (!_.isObject(network) || !_.isString(network.messagePrefix)) {
+  if (network === null || typeof network !== 'object' || typeof network.messagePrefix !== 'string') {
     throw new Error(`invalid argument 'network'`);
   }
   const compressed = true;
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ export function signMessage(
  * @see {bitcoinMessage.verify}
  */
 export function verifyMessage(
-  message: string,
+  message: string | Buffer,
   publicKey: BIP32Interface | Buffer,
   signature: Buffer,
   network: { messagePrefix: string }
@@ -37,7 +36,7 @@ export function verifyMessage(
   if (!Buffer.isBuffer(publicKey)) {
     publicKey = publicKey.publicKey;
   }
-  if (!_.isObject(network) || !_.isString(network.messagePrefix)) {
+  if (network === null || typeof network !== 'object' || typeof network.messagePrefix !== 'string') {
     throw new Error(`invalid argument 'network'`);
   }
 
diff --git a/modules/utxo-core/test/bip32utils.ts b/modules/utxo-core/test/bip32utils.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0f5b94b088
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/utxo-core/test/bip32utils.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import * as crypto from 'crypto';
+import * as assert from 'assert';
+
+import * as utxolib from '@bitgo/utxo-lib';
+
+import { signMessage, verifyMessage } from '../src/bip32utils';
+
+describe('bip32utils', function () {
+  function getSeedBuffers(length: number) {
+    return Array.from({ length }).map((_, i) => crypto.createHash('sha256').update(`${i}`).digest());
+  }
+  it('signMessage/verifyMessage', function () {
+    const keys = getSeedBuffers(4).map((seed) => utxolib.bip32.fromSeed(seed));
+    const messages = ['hello', 'goodbye', Buffer.from('\x01\x02\x03'), Buffer.from('')];
+    keys.forEach((key) => {
+      messages.forEach((message) => {
+        const signature = signMessage(message, key, utxolib.networks.bitcoin);
+
+        keys.forEach((otherKey) => {
+          messages.forEach((otherMessage) => {
+            const expectValid = message === otherMessage && key === otherKey;
+            assert.strictEqual(verifyMessage(otherMessage, otherKey, signature, utxolib.networks.bitcoin), expectValid);
+            assert.strictEqual(
+              verifyMessage(Buffer.from(otherMessage), otherKey, signature, utxolib.networks.bitcoin),
+              expectValid
+            );
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});