diff --git a/paramiko/client.py b/paramiko/client.py
index b97445b..a0a316f 100644
--- a/paramiko/client.py
+++ b/paramiko/client.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 L{SSHClient}.
 """
 
+from binascii import hexlify
 import getpass
 import os
 
@@ -30,7 +31,6 @@ from paramiko.hostkeys import HostKeys
 from paramiko.rsakey import RSAKey
 from paramiko.ssh_exception import SSHException, BadHostKeyException
 from paramiko.transport import Transport
-from paramiko.util import hexify
 
 
 class MissingHostKeyPolicy (object):
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ class AutoAddPolicy (MissingHostKeyPolicy):
         if client._host_keys_filename is not None:
             client.save_host_keys(client._host_keys_filename)
         client._log(DEBUG, 'Adding %s host key for %s: %s' %
-                    (key.get_name(), hostname, hexify(key.get_fingerprint())))
+                    (key.get_name(), hostname, hexlify(key.get_fingerprint())))
 
 
 class RejectPolicy (MissingHostKeyPolicy):
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class RejectPolicy (MissingHostKeyPolicy):
     
     def missing_host_key(self, client, hostname, key):
         client._log(DEBUG, 'Rejecting %s host key for %s: %s' %
-                    (key.get_name(), hostname, hexify(key.get_fingerprint())))
+                    (key.get_name(), hostname, hexlify(key.get_fingerprint())))
         raise SSHException('Unknown server %s' % hostname)
 
         
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ class SSHClient (object):
         
         if pkey is not None:
             try:
-                self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying SSH key %s' % hexify(pkey.get_fingerprint()))
+                self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying SSH key %s' % hexlify(pkey.get_fingerprint()))
                 self._transport.auth_publickey(username, pkey)
                 return
             except SSHException, e:
@@ -360,7 +360,7 @@ class SSHClient (object):
             for pkey_class in (RSAKey, DSSKey):
                 try:
                     key = pkey_class.from_private_key_file(key_filename, password)
-                    self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying key %s from %s' % (hexify(key.get_fingerprint()), key_filename))
+                    self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying key %s from %s' % (hexlify(key.get_fingerprint()), key_filename))
                     self._transport.auth_publickey(username, key)
                     return
                 except SSHException, e:
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ class SSHClient (object):
 
         for key in Agent().get_keys():
             try:
-                self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying SSH agent key %s' % hexify(key.get_fingerprint()))
+                self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying SSH agent key %s' % hexlify(key.get_fingerprint()))
                 self._transport.auth_publickey(username, key)
                 return
             except SSHException, e:
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ class SSHClient (object):
             filename = os.path.expanduser('~/.ssh/' + filename)
             try:
                 key = pkey_class.from_private_key_file(filename, password)
-                self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying discovered key %s in %s' % (hexify(key.get_fingerprint()), filename))
+                self._log(DEBUG, 'Trying discovered key %s in %s' % (hexlify(key.get_fingerprint()), filename))
                 self._transport.auth_publickey(username, key)
                 return
             except SSHException, e:
diff --git a/paramiko/pkey.py b/paramiko/pkey.py
index e1aef88..47f2378 100644
--- a/paramiko/pkey.py
+++ b/paramiko/pkey.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Common API for all public keys.
 """
 
 import base64
+from binascii import hexlify, unhexlify
 import os
 
 from Crypto.Hash import MD5
@@ -322,7 +323,7 @@ class PKey (object):
         cipher = self._CIPHER_TABLE[encryption_type]['cipher']
         keysize = self._CIPHER_TABLE[encryption_type]['keysize']
         mode = self._CIPHER_TABLE[encryption_type]['mode']
-        salt = util.unhexify(saltstr)
+        salt = unhexlify(saltstr)
         key = util.generate_key_bytes(MD5, salt, password, keysize)
         return cipher.new(key, mode, salt).decrypt(data)
 
@@ -368,7 +369,7 @@ class PKey (object):
                 data += '\0' * n
             data = cipher.new(key, mode, salt).encrypt(data)
             f.write('Proc-Type: 4,ENCRYPTED\n')
-            f.write('DEK-Info: %s,%s\n' % (cipher_name, util.hexify(salt)))
+            f.write('DEK-Info: %s,%s\n' % (cipher_name, hexlify(salt).upper()))
             f.write('\n')
         s = base64.encodestring(data)
         # re-wrap to 64-char lines
diff --git a/paramiko/sftp_client.py b/paramiko/sftp_client.py
index f8f29c5..e4f0d7c 100644
--- a/paramiko/sftp_client.py
+++ b/paramiko/sftp_client.py
@@ -20,11 +20,13 @@
 Client-mode SFTP support.
 """
 
+from binascii import hexlify
 import errno
 import os
 import threading
 import time
 import weakref
+
 from paramiko.sftp import *
 from paramiko.sftp_attr import SFTPAttributes
 from paramiko.ssh_exception import SSHException
@@ -220,7 +222,7 @@ class SFTPClient (BaseSFTP):
         if t != CMD_HANDLE:
             raise SFTPError('Expected handle')
         handle = msg.get_string()
-        self._log(DEBUG, 'open(%r, %r) -> %s' % (filename, mode, util.hexify(handle)))
+        self._log(DEBUG, 'open(%r, %r) -> %s' % (filename, mode, hexlify(handle)))
         return SFTPFile(self, handle, mode, bufsize)
 
     # python has migrated toward file() instead of open().
diff --git a/paramiko/sftp_file.py b/paramiko/sftp_file.py
index 9dafbaf..5050a21 100644
--- a/paramiko/sftp_file.py
+++ b/paramiko/sftp_file.py
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@
 L{SFTPFile}
 """
 
+from binascii import hexlify
 import socket
 import threading
 import time
+
 from paramiko.common import *
 from paramiko.sftp import *
 from paramiko.file import BufferedFile
@@ -66,7 +68,7 @@ class SFTPFile (BufferedFile):
         # __del__.)
         if self._closed:
             return
-        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'close(%s)' % util.hexify(self.handle))
+        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'close(%s)' % hexlify(self.handle))
         if self.pipelined:
             self.sftp._finish_responses(self)
         BufferedFile.close(self)
@@ -232,7 +234,7 @@ class SFTPFile (BufferedFile):
         @param mode: new permissions
         @type mode: int
         """
-        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'chmod(%s, %r)' % (util.hexify(self.handle), mode))
+        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'chmod(%s, %r)' % (hexlify(self.handle), mode))
         attr = SFTPAttributes()
         attr.st_mode = mode
         self.sftp._request(CMD_FSETSTAT, self.handle, attr)
@@ -249,7 +251,7 @@ class SFTPFile (BufferedFile):
         @param gid: new group id
         @type gid: int
         """
-        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'chown(%s, %r, %r)' % (util.hexify(self.handle), uid, gid))
+        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'chown(%s, %r, %r)' % (hexlify(self.handle), uid, gid))
         attr = SFTPAttributes()
         attr.st_uid, attr.st_gid = uid, gid
         self.sftp._request(CMD_FSETSTAT, self.handle, attr)
@@ -269,7 +271,7 @@ class SFTPFile (BufferedFile):
         """
         if times is None:
             times = (time.time(), time.time())
-        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'utime(%s, %r)' % (util.hexify(self.handle), times))
+        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'utime(%s, %r)' % (hexlify(self.handle), times))
         attr = SFTPAttributes()
         attr.st_atime, attr.st_mtime = times
         self.sftp._request(CMD_FSETSTAT, self.handle, attr)
@@ -283,7 +285,7 @@ class SFTPFile (BufferedFile):
         @param size: the new size of the file
         @type size: int or long
         """
-        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'truncate(%s, %r)' % (util.hexify(self.handle), size))
+        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'truncate(%s, %r)' % (hexlify(self.handle), size))
         attr = SFTPAttributes()
         attr.st_size = size
         self.sftp._request(CMD_FSETSTAT, self.handle, attr)
@@ -402,7 +404,7 @@ class SFTPFile (BufferedFile):
         
         @since: 1.5.4
         """
-        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'readv(%s, %r)' % (util.hexify(self.handle), chunks))
+        self.sftp._log(DEBUG, 'readv(%s, %r)' % (hexlify(self.handle), chunks))
 
         read_chunks = []
         for offset, size in chunks:
diff --git a/paramiko/util.py b/paramiko/util.py
index a8fcf6e..c8c752d 100644
--- a/paramiko/util.py
+++ b/paramiko/util.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Useful functions used by the rest of paramiko.
 
 from __future__ import generators
 
+from binascii import hexlify, unhexlify
 import sys
 import struct
 import traceback
@@ -115,12 +116,10 @@ def format_binary_line(data):
     return '%-50s %s' % (left, right)
 
 def hexify(s):
-    "turn a string into a hex sequence"
-    return ''.join(['%02X' % ord(c) for c in s])
+    return hexlify(s).upper()
 
 def unhexify(s):
-    "turn a hex sequence back into a string"
-    return ''.join([chr(int(s[i:i+2], 16)) for i in range(0, len(s), 2)])
+    return unhexlify(s)
 
 def safe_string(s):
     out = ''