diff --git a/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/api/JsonSerializers.scala b/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/api/JsonSerializers.scala
index 2200d95416..a1a586941f 100644
--- a/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/api/JsonSerializers.scala
+++ b/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/api/JsonSerializers.scala
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ class PrivateKeySerializer extends CustomSerializer[PrivateKey](format => ({ nul
 }))
 
 class ChannelVersionSerializer extends CustomSerializer[ChannelVersion](format => ({ null }, {
-  case x: ChannelVersion => JString(x.toString)
+  case x: ChannelVersion => JString(x.bits.toBin)
 }))
 
 class TransactionSerializer extends CustomSerializer[TransactionWithInputInfo](ser = format => ({ null }, {
diff --git a/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/channel/ChannelTypes.scala b/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/channel/ChannelTypes.scala
index 4cfbf66c53..4ce00a554e 100644
--- a/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/channel/ChannelTypes.scala
+++ b/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/channel/ChannelTypes.scala
@@ -19,14 +19,14 @@ package fr.acinq.eclair.channel
 import java.util.UUID
 
 import akka.actor.ActorRef
-import fr.acinq.bitcoin.Crypto.{PublicKey}
+import fr.acinq.bitcoin.Crypto.PublicKey
 import fr.acinq.bitcoin.{ByteVector32, DeterministicWallet, OutPoint, Satoshi, Transaction}
 import fr.acinq.eclair.crypto.Sphinx
 import fr.acinq.eclair.transactions.CommitmentSpec
 import fr.acinq.eclair.transactions.Transactions.CommitTx
 import fr.acinq.eclair.wire.{AcceptChannel, ChannelAnnouncement, ChannelReestablish, ChannelUpdate, ClosingSigned, FailureMessage, FundingCreated, FundingLocked, FundingSigned, Init, OpenChannel, Shutdown, UpdateAddHtlc}
 import fr.acinq.eclair.{ShortChannelId, UInt64}
-import scodec.bits.ByteVector
+import scodec.bits.{BitVector, ByteVector}
 
 
 /**
@@ -223,8 +223,11 @@ object ChannelFlags {
   val Empty = 0x00.toByte
 }
 
-sealed trait ChannelVersion
+case class ChannelVersion(bits: BitVector) {
+  require(bits.size == ChannelVersion.LENGTH_BITS, "channel version takes 4 bytes")
+}
 object ChannelVersion {
-  case object STANDARD extends ChannelVersion
+  val LENGTH_BITS = 4 * 8
+  val STANDARD = ChannelVersion(BitVector.fill(LENGTH_BITS)(false))
 }
 // @formatter:on
diff --git a/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecs.scala b/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecs.scala
index f54e147fed..97937c05de 100644
--- a/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecs.scala
+++ b/eclair-core/src/main/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecs.scala
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ object ChannelCodecs extends Logging {
 
   val channelVersionCodec: Codec[ChannelVersion] = discriminatorWithDefault[ChannelVersion](
     discriminator = discriminated[ChannelVersion].by(byte)
-      .typecase(0x01, provide(ChannelVersion.STANDARD))
+      .typecase(0x01, bits(ChannelVersion.LENGTH_BITS).as[ChannelVersion])
       // NB: 0x02 and 0x03 are *reserved* for backward compatibility reasons
       ,
     fallback = provide(ChannelVersion.STANDARD)
diff --git a/eclair-core/src/test/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecsSpec.scala b/eclair-core/src/test/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecsSpec.scala
index c147cf1a1e..c5ba94558b 100644
--- a/eclair-core/src/test/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecsSpec.scala
+++ b/eclair-core/src/test/scala/fr/acinq/eclair/wire/ChannelCodecsSpec.scala
@@ -68,15 +68,15 @@ class ChannelCodecsSpec extends FunSuite {
     // before we had commitment version, public keys were stored first (they started with 0x02 and 0x03)
     val legacy02 = hex"02a06ea3081f0f7a8ce31eb4f0822d10d2da120d5a1b1451f0727f51c7372f0f9b"
     val legacy03 = hex"03d5c030835d6a6248b2d1d4cac60813838011b995a66b6f78dcc9fb8b5c40c3f3"
-    val current02 = hex"0102a06ea3081f0f7a8ce31eb4f0822d10d2da120d5a1b1451f0727f51c7372f0f9b"
-    val current03 = hex"0103d5c030835d6a6248b2d1d4cac60813838011b995a66b6f78dcc9fb8b5c40c3f3"
+    val current02 = hex"010000000002a06ea3081f0f7a8ce31eb4f0822d10d2da120d5a1b1451f0727f51c7372f0f9b"
+    val current03 = hex"010000000003d5c030835d6a6248b2d1d4cac60813838011b995a66b6f78dcc9fb8b5c40c3f3"
 
     assert(channelVersionCodec.decode(legacy02.bits) === Attempt.successful(DecodeResult(ChannelVersion.STANDARD, legacy02.bits)))
     assert(channelVersionCodec.decode(legacy03.bits) === Attempt.successful(DecodeResult(ChannelVersion.STANDARD, legacy03.bits)))
-    assert(channelVersionCodec.decode(current02.bits) === Attempt.successful(DecodeResult(ChannelVersion.STANDARD, current02.drop(1).bits)))
-    assert(channelVersionCodec.decode(current03.bits) === Attempt.successful(DecodeResult(ChannelVersion.STANDARD, current03.drop(1).bits)))
+    assert(channelVersionCodec.decode(current02.bits) === Attempt.successful(DecodeResult(ChannelVersion.STANDARD, current02.drop(5).bits)))
+    assert(channelVersionCodec.decode(current03.bits) === Attempt.successful(DecodeResult(ChannelVersion.STANDARD, current03.drop(5).bits)))
 
-    assert(channelVersionCodec.encode(ChannelVersion.STANDARD) === Attempt.successful(hex"01".bits))
+    assert(channelVersionCodec.encode(ChannelVersion.STANDARD) === Attempt.successful(hex"0100000000".bits))
   }
 
   test("encode/decode localparams") {
@@ -312,8 +312,8 @@ class ChannelCodecsSpec extends FunSuite {
       // and we decode with the new codec
       val newnormal = stateDataCodec.decode(newbin.bits).require.value
       // finally we check that the actual data is the same as before (we just remove the new json field)
-      val oldjson = Serialization.write(oldnormal)(JsonSupport.formats).replace(""","unknownFields":""""", "").replace(""""channelVersion":"STANDARD",""", "")
-      val newjson = Serialization.write(newnormal)(JsonSupport.formats).replace(""","unknownFields":""""", "").replace(""""channelVersion":"STANDARD",""", "")
+      val oldjson = Serialization.write(oldnormal)(JsonSupport.formats).replace(""","unknownFields":""""", "").replace(""""channelVersion":"00000000000000000000000000000000",""", "")
+      val newjson = Serialization.write(newnormal)(JsonSupport.formats).replace(""","unknownFields":""""", "").replace(""""channelVersion":"00000000000000000000000000000000",""", "")
       assert(oldjson === refjson)
       assert(newjson === refjson)
     }