diff --git a/src/BlocktrailSDK.php b/src/BlocktrailSDK.php
index e42eb85..7960534 100644
--- a/src/BlocktrailSDK.php
+++ b/src/BlocktrailSDK.php
@@ -557,7 +557,7 @@ public function initWallet($identifier, $password) {
         $primaryPrivateKey = BIP32::master_key($primarySeed, $this->network, $this->testnet);
 
         // create checksum (address) of the primary privatekey to compare to the stored checksum
-        $checksum2 = $this->createChecksum($primaryPrivateKey);
+        $checksum2 = self::createChecksum($primaryPrivateKey);
         if ($checksum2 != $checksum) {
             throw new WalletChecksumException("Checksum [{$checksum2}] does not match [{$checksum}], most likely due to incorrect password");
         }
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ public function initWallet($identifier, $password) {
      * @param string    $primaryPrivateKey      the private key for which we want a checksum
      * @return bool|string
      */
-    protected function createChecksum($primaryPrivateKey) {
+    public static function createChecksum($primaryPrivateKey) {
         return BIP32::key_to_address($primaryPrivateKey[0]);
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/WalletTest.php b/tests/WalletTest.php
index 81ef4d6..a716ab8 100644
--- a/tests/WalletTest.php
+++ b/tests/WalletTest.php
@@ -132,7 +132,10 @@ protected function _createTestWallet(BlocktrailSDKInterface $client, $identifier
 
         $testnet = true;
 
-        $result = $client->_createNewWallet($identifier, $primaryPublicKey, $backupPublicKey, $primaryMnemonic, "mkiPAxhzUMo8mAwW3q95q7aNuXt6HzbbUA", 9999);
+        // create a checksum of our private key which we'll later use to verify we used the right password
+        $checksum = BlocktrailSDK::createChecksum($primaryPrivateKey);
+
+        $result = $client->_createNewWallet($identifier, $primaryPublicKey, $backupPublicKey, $primaryMnemonic, $checksum, 9999);
 
         $blocktrailPublicKeys = $result['blocktrail_public_keys'];
         $keyIndex = $result['key_index'];