diff --git a/src/eosjs-api.ts b/src/eosjs-api.ts
index 8fbbaaf93..541f8db83 100644
--- a/src/eosjs-api.ts
+++ b/src/eosjs-api.ts
@@ -99,6 +99,19 @@ export class Api {
         return this.abiTypes.get('abi_def').deserialize(buffer);
     }
 
+    /** Encodes a json abi as Uint8Array. */
+    public jsonToRawAbi(jsonAbi: Abi): Uint8Array {
+        const buffer = new ser.SerialBuffer({
+            textEncoder: this.textEncoder,
+            textDecoder: this.textDecoder,
+        });
+        this.abiTypes.get('abi_def').serialize(buffer, jsonAbi);
+        if (!ser.supportedAbiVersion(buffer.getString())) {
+            throw new Error('Unsupported abi version');
+        }
+        return buffer.asUint8Array();
+    }
+
     /** Get abi in both binary and structured forms. Fetch when needed. */
     public async getCachedAbi(accountName: string, reload = false): Promise<CachedAbi> {
         if (!reload && this.cachedAbis.get(accountName)) {
diff --git a/src/tests/eosjs-api.test.ts b/src/tests/eosjs-api.test.ts
index a03173179..121750d4b 100644
--- a/src/tests/eosjs-api.test.ts
+++ b/src/tests/eosjs-api.test.ts
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@ const deserializedActions = [
 
 describe('eosjs-api', () => {
     let api: any;
+    let rpc: any;
     const fetch = async (input: any, init: any): Promise<any> => ({
         ok: true,
         json: async () => {
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ describe('eosjs-api', () => {
     });
 
     beforeEach(() => {
-        const rpc = new JsonRpc('', { fetch });
+        rpc = new JsonRpc('', { fetch });
         const signatureProvider = new JsSignatureProvider(['5JtUScZK2XEp3g9gh7F8bwtPTRAkASmNrrftmx4AxDKD5K4zDnr']);
         const chainId = '038f4b0fc8ff18a4f0842a8f0564611f6e96e8535901dd45e43ac8691a1c4dca';
         api = new Api({
@@ -191,4 +192,32 @@ describe('eosjs-api', () => {
 
         expect(response).toEqual(true);
     });
+
+    it('rawAbiToJson returns correct Json from raw Abi', async () => {
+        const expected = await api.getAbi('testeostoken');
+        const response = await rpc.getRawAbi('testeostoken');
+        const actual = api.rawAbiToJson(response.abi);
+
+        expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+    });
+
+    it('jsonToRawAbi returns correct raw Abi from Json', async () => {
+        const response = await rpc.getRawAbi('testeostoken');
+        const expected = response.abi;
+        const jsonAbi = await api.getAbi('testeostoken');
+        const actual = api.jsonToRawAbi(jsonAbi);
+
+        expect(actual).toEqual(expected);
+    });
+
+    it('confirms jsonToRawAbi and rawAbiToJson are reciprocal', async () => {
+        const expectedJsonAbi = await api.getAbi('testeostoken');
+        const response = await rpc.getRawAbi('testeostoken');
+        const expectedRawAbi = response.abi;
+        const jsonAbi = api.rawAbiToJson(api.jsonToRawAbi(expectedJsonAbi));
+        const rawAbi = api.jsonToRawAbi(api.rawAbiToJson(expectedRawAbi));
+
+        expect(rawAbi).toEqual(expectedRawAbi);
+        expect(jsonAbi).toEqual(expectedJsonAbi);
+    });
 });