diff --git a/consensus/ethash/consensus.go b/consensus/ethash/consensus.go
index fa2d740e45..01d97a470e 100644
--- a/consensus/ethash/consensus.go
+++ b/consensus/ethash/consensus.go
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@ func (ethash *Ethash) verifyHeader(chain consensus.ChainReader, header, parent *
 // given the parent block's time and difficulty.
 // TODO (karalabe): Move the chain maker into this package and make this private!
 func CalcDifficulty(config *params.ChainConfig, time uint64, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
-	next := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, common.Big1)
+	next := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, big1)
 	switch {
 	case config.IsMetropolis(next):
 		return calcDifficultyMetropolis(time, parent)
@@ -301,33 +301,44 @@ func CalcDifficulty(config *params.ChainConfig, time uint64, parent *types.Heade
 // Some weird constants to avoid constant memory allocs for them.
 var (
 	expDiffPeriod = big.NewInt(100000)
+	big1          = big.NewInt(1)
+	big2          = big.NewInt(2)
 	big9          = big.NewInt(9)
 	big10         = big.NewInt(10)
 	bigMinus99    = big.NewInt(-99)
 )
 
+// calcDifficultyMetropolis is the difficulty adjustment algorithm. It returns
+// the difficulty that a new block should have when created at time given the
+// parent block's time and difficulty. The calculation uses the Metropolis rules.
 func calcDifficultyMetropolis(time uint64, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
+	// https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/issues/100.
+	// algorithm:
+	// diff = (parent_diff +
+	//         (parent_diff / 2048 * max((2 if len(parent.uncles) else 1) - ((timestamp - parent.timestamp) // 9), -99))
+	//        ) + 2^(periodCount - 2)
+
 	bigTime := new(big.Int).SetUint64(time)
 	bigParentTime := new(big.Int).Set(parent.Time)
 
-	// adj_factor = max((2 if len(parent.uncles) else 1) - ((timestamp - parent.timestamp) // 9), -99)
-	var x *big.Int
-	if parent.UncleHash == types.EmptyUncleHash {
-		x = big.NewInt(1)
-	} else {
-		x = big.NewInt(2)
-	}
-	z := new(big.Int).Sub(bigTime, bigParentTime)
-	z.Div(z, big9)
-	x.Sub(x, z)
+	// holds intermediate values to make the algo easier to read & audit
+	x := new(big.Int)
+	y := new(big.Int)
 
-	// max(1 - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 10, -99)))
+	// (2 if len(parent_uncles) else 1) - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 9
+	x.Sub(bigTime, bigParentTime)
+	x.Div(x, big9)
+	if parent.UncleHash == types.EmptyUncleHash {
+		x.Sub(big1, x)
+	} else {
+		x.Sub(big2, x)
+	}
+	// max((2 if len(parent_uncles) else 1) - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 9, -99)
 	if x.Cmp(bigMinus99) < 0 {
 		x.Set(bigMinus99)
 	}
-
 	// (parent_diff + parent_diff // 2048 * max(1 - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 10, -99))
-	y := new(big.Int).Div(parent.Difficulty, params.DifficultyBoundDivisor)
+	y.Div(parent.Difficulty, params.DifficultyBoundDivisor)
 	x.Mul(y, x)
 	x.Add(parent.Difficulty, x)
 
@@ -335,19 +346,17 @@ func calcDifficultyMetropolis(time uint64, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
 	if x.Cmp(params.MinimumDifficulty) < 0 {
 		x.Set(params.MinimumDifficulty)
 	}
-
 	// for the exponential factor
-	periodCount := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, common.Big1)
+	periodCount := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, big1)
 	periodCount.Div(periodCount, expDiffPeriod)
 
 	// the exponential factor, commonly referred to as "the bomb"
 	// diff = diff + 2^(periodCount - 2)
-	if periodCount.Cmp(common.Big1) > 0 {
-		y.Sub(periodCount, common.Big2)
-		y.Exp(common.Big2, y, nil)
+	if periodCount.Cmp(big1) > 0 {
+		y.Sub(periodCount, big2)
+		y.Exp(big2, y, nil)
 		x.Add(x, y)
 	}
-
 	return x
 }
 
@@ -368,12 +377,12 @@ func calcDifficultyHomestead(time uint64, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
 	x := new(big.Int)
 	y := new(big.Int)
 
-	// 1 - (block_timestamp -parent_timestamp) // 10
+	// 1 - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 10
 	x.Sub(bigTime, bigParentTime)
 	x.Div(x, big10)
-	x.Sub(common.Big1, x)
+	x.Sub(big1, x)
 
-	// max(1 - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 10, -99)))
+	// max(1 - (block_timestamp - parent_timestamp) // 10, -99)
 	if x.Cmp(bigMinus99) < 0 {
 		x.Set(bigMinus99)
 	}
@@ -387,14 +396,14 @@ func calcDifficultyHomestead(time uint64, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
 		x.Set(params.MinimumDifficulty)
 	}
 	// for the exponential factor
-	periodCount := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, common.Big1)
+	periodCount := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, big1)
 	periodCount.Div(periodCount, expDiffPeriod)
 
 	// the exponential factor, commonly referred to as "the bomb"
 	// diff = diff + 2^(periodCount - 2)
-	if periodCount.Cmp(common.Big1) > 0 {
-		y.Sub(periodCount, common.Big2)
-		y.Exp(common.Big2, y, nil)
+	if periodCount.Cmp(big1) > 0 {
+		y.Sub(periodCount, big2)
+		y.Exp(big2, y, nil)
 		x.Add(x, y)
 	}
 	return x
@@ -421,12 +430,12 @@ func calcDifficultyFrontier(time uint64, parent *types.Header) *big.Int {
 		diff.Set(params.MinimumDifficulty)
 	}
 
-	periodCount := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, common.Big1)
+	periodCount := new(big.Int).Add(parent.Number, big1)
 	periodCount.Div(periodCount, expDiffPeriod)
-	if periodCount.Cmp(common.Big1) > 0 {
+	if periodCount.Cmp(big1) > 0 {
 		// diff = diff + 2^(periodCount - 2)
-		expDiff := periodCount.Sub(periodCount, common.Big2)
-		expDiff.Exp(common.Big2, expDiff, nil)
+		expDiff := periodCount.Sub(periodCount, big2)
+		expDiff.Exp(big2, expDiff, nil)
 		diff.Add(diff, expDiff)
 		diff = math.BigMax(diff, params.MinimumDifficulty)
 	}
diff --git a/core/chain_makers.go b/core/chain_makers.go
index 38a69d42a9..976a8114d3 100644
--- a/core/chain_makers.go
+++ b/core/chain_makers.go
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ func makeHeader(config *params.ChainConfig, parent *types.Block, state *state.St
 			Number:     parent.Number(),
 			Time:       new(big.Int).Sub(time, big.NewInt(10)),
 			Difficulty: parent.Difficulty(),
+			UncleHash:  parent.UncleHash(),
 		}),
 		GasLimit: CalcGasLimit(parent),
 		GasUsed:  new(big.Int),