diff --git a/lib/ethereum/fast_rlp.rb b/lib/ethereum/fast_rlp.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/ethereum/fast_rlp.rb
+++ b/lib/ethereum/fast_rlp.rb
@@ -19,6 +19,13 @@ module Ethereum
       "#{prefix}#{item}"
     end
 
+    ##
+    # Alias to encode_nested_bytes, override default encode.
+    #
+    def encode(item)
+      encode_nested_bytes item
+    end
+
     extend self
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/fast_rlp_test.rb b/test/fast_rlp_test.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/test/fast_rlp_test.rb
+++ b/test/fast_rlp_test.rb
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ class FastRLPTest < Minitest::Test
   end
 
   def test_encode_nested_bytes
-    assert_equal encode("".b), encode_nested_bytes("".b)
+    assert_equal RLP.encode("".b), encode_nested_bytes("".b)
 
     nested_bytes = ["a".b, "hello!".b, ["foo".b], ["bar".b, ["ear".b]]]
-    assert_equal encode(nested_bytes), encode_nested_bytes(nested_bytes)
+    assert_equal RLP.encode(nested_bytes), encode_nested_bytes(nested_bytes)
   end
 
 end
make FastRLP default to encode nested bytes