diff --git a/s3/s3.go b/s3/s3.go
index dbeec6ef..0615cff3 100644
--- a/s3/s3.go
+++ b/s3/s3.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ type S3 struct {
 	aws.Region
 	HTTPClient func() *http.Client
 
+	signer  *V4Signer
 	private byte // Reserve the right of using private data.
 }
 
@@ -60,13 +61,16 @@ var attempts = aws.AttemptStrategy{
 
 // New creates a new S3.
 func New(auth aws.Auth, region aws.Region) *S3 {
-	return &S3{
+	s3 := &S3{
 		Auth:   auth,
 		Region: region,
 		HTTPClient: func() *http.Client {
 			return http.DefaultClient
 		},
+		signer:  NewV4Signer(auth, "s3", region),
 		private: 0}
+	s3.signer.IncludeXAmzContentSha256 = true
+	return s3
 }
 
 // Bucket returns a Bucket with the given name.
@@ -769,7 +773,8 @@ func (s3 *S3) prepare(req *request) error {
 	}
 	req.headers["Host"] = []string{u.Host}
 	req.headers["Date"] = []string{time.Now().In(time.UTC).Format(time.RFC1123)}
-	sign(s3.Auth, req.method, amazonEscape(req.signpath), req.params, req.headers)
+	// old signer; sign in run()
+	//sign(s3.Auth, req.method, amazonEscape(req.signpath), req.params, req.headers)
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -803,6 +808,8 @@ func (s3 *S3) run(req *request, resp interface{}) (*http.Response, error) {
 		hreq.Body = ioutil.NopCloser(req.payload)
 	}
 
+	hreq.Host = s3.Region.S3Endpoint[len("https://"):]
+	s3.signer.Sign(&hreq)
 	hresp, err := s3.HTTPClient().Do(&hreq)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/s3/signv4.go b/s3/signv4.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..083cd3cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/s3/signv4.go
@@ -0,0 +1,283 @@
+package s3
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"crypto/hmac"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"fmt"
+	"github.com/mitchellh/goamz/aws"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
+	"path"
+	"sort"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+const (
+	ISO8601BasicFormat      = "20060102T150405Z"
+	ISO8601BasicFormatShort = "20060102"
+)
+
+/*
+The V4Signer encapsulates all of the functionality to sign a request with the AWS
+Signature Version 4 Signing Process. (http://goo.gl/u1OWZz)
+*/
+type V4Signer struct {
+	auth        aws.Auth
+	serviceName string
+	region      aws.Region
+	// Add the x-amz-content-sha256 header
+	IncludeXAmzContentSha256 bool
+}
+
+/*
+Return a new instance of a V4Signer capable of signing AWS requests.
+*/
+func NewV4Signer(auth aws.Auth, serviceName string, region aws.Region) *V4Signer {
+	return &V4Signer{
+		auth:        auth,
+		serviceName: serviceName,
+		region:      region,
+		IncludeXAmzContentSha256: false,
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+Sign a request according to the AWS Signature Version 4 Signing Process. (http://goo.gl/u1OWZz)
+
+The signed request will include an "x-amz-date" header with a current timestamp if a valid "x-amz-date"
+or "date" header was not available in the original request. In addition, AWS Signature Version 4 requires
+the "host" header to be a signed header, therefor the Sign method will manually set a "host" header from
+the request.Host.
+
+The signed request will include a new "Authorization" header indicating that the request has been signed.
+
+Any changes to the request after signing the request will invalidate the signature.
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) Sign(req *http.Request) {
+	req.Header.Set("host", req.Host) // host header must be included as a signed header
+	payloadHash := s.payloadHash(req)
+	if s.IncludeXAmzContentSha256 {
+		req.Header.Set("x-amz-content-sha256", payloadHash) // x-amz-content-sha256 contains the payload hash
+	}
+	t := s.requestTime(req)                           // Get request time
+	creq := s.canonicalRequest(req, payloadHash)      // Build canonical request
+	sts := s.stringToSign(t, creq)                    // Build string to sign
+	signature := s.signature(t, sts)                  // Calculate the AWS Signature Version 4
+	auth := s.authorization(req.Header, t, signature) // Create Authorization header value
+	req.Header.Set("Authorization", auth)             // Add Authorization header to request
+	return
+}
+
+/*
+requestTime method will parse the time from the request "x-amz-date" or "date" headers.
+If the "x-amz-date" header is present, that will take priority over the "date" header.
+If neither header is defined or we are unable to parse either header as a valid date
+then we will create a new "x-amz-date" header with the current time.
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) requestTime(req *http.Request) time.Time {
+
+	// Get "x-amz-date" header
+	date := req.Header.Get("x-amz-date")
+
+	// Attempt to parse as ISO8601BasicFormat
+	t, err := time.Parse(ISO8601BasicFormat, date)
+	if err == nil {
+		return t
+	}
+
+	// Attempt to parse as http.TimeFormat
+	t, err = time.Parse(http.TimeFormat, date)
+	if err == nil {
+		req.Header.Set("x-amz-date", t.Format(ISO8601BasicFormat))
+		return t
+	}
+
+	// Get "date" header
+	date = req.Header.Get("date")
+
+	// Attempt to parse as http.TimeFormat
+	t, err = time.Parse(http.TimeFormat, date)
+	if err == nil {
+		return t
+	}
+
+	// Create a current time header to be used
+	t = time.Now().UTC()
+	req.Header.Set("x-amz-date", t.Format(ISO8601BasicFormat))
+	return t
+}
+
+/*
+canonicalRequest method creates the canonical request according to Task 1 of the AWS Signature Version 4 Signing Process. (http://goo.gl/eUUZ3S)
+
+    CanonicalRequest =
+      HTTPRequestMethod + '\n' +
+      CanonicalURI + '\n' +
+      CanonicalQueryString + '\n' +
+      CanonicalHeaders + '\n' +
+      SignedHeaders + '\n' +
+      HexEncode(Hash(Payload))
+
+payloadHash is optional; use the empty string and it will be calculated from the request
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) canonicalRequest(req *http.Request, payloadHash string) string {
+	if payloadHash == "" {
+		payloadHash = s.payloadHash(req)
+	}
+	c := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	fmt.Fprintf(c, "%s\n", req.Method)
+	fmt.Fprintf(c, "%s\n", s.canonicalURI(req.URL))
+	fmt.Fprintf(c, "%s\n", s.canonicalQueryString(req.URL))
+	fmt.Fprintf(c, "%s\n\n", s.canonicalHeaders(req.Header))
+	fmt.Fprintf(c, "%s\n", s.signedHeaders(req.Header))
+	fmt.Fprintf(c, "%s", payloadHash)
+	return c.String()
+}
+
+func (s *V4Signer) canonicalURI(u *url.URL) string {
+	canonicalPath := u.RequestURI()
+	if u.RawQuery != "" {
+		canonicalPath = canonicalPath[:len(canonicalPath)-len(u.RawQuery)-1]
+	}
+	slash := strings.HasSuffix(canonicalPath, "/")
+	canonicalPath = path.Clean(canonicalPath)
+	if canonicalPath != "/" && slash {
+		canonicalPath += "/"
+	}
+	return canonicalPath
+}
+
+func (s *V4Signer) canonicalQueryString(u *url.URL) string {
+	var a []string
+	for k, vs := range u.Query() {
+		k = url.QueryEscape(k)
+		for _, v := range vs {
+			if v == "" {
+				a = append(a, k+"=")
+			} else {
+				v = url.QueryEscape(v)
+				a = append(a, k+"="+v)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	sort.Strings(a)
+	return strings.Join(a, "&")
+}
+
+func (s *V4Signer) canonicalHeaders(h http.Header) string {
+	i, a := 0, make([]string, len(h))
+	for k, v := range h {
+		for j, w := range v {
+			v[j] = strings.Trim(w, " ")
+		}
+		sort.Strings(v)
+		a[i] = strings.ToLower(k) + ":" + strings.Join(v, ",")
+		i++
+	}
+	sort.Strings(a)
+	return strings.Join(a, "\n")
+}
+
+func (s *V4Signer) signedHeaders(h http.Header) string {
+	i, a := 0, make([]string, len(h))
+	for k, _ := range h {
+		a[i] = strings.ToLower(k)
+		i++
+	}
+	sort.Strings(a)
+	return strings.Join(a, ";")
+}
+
+func (s *V4Signer) payloadHash(req *http.Request) string {
+	var b []byte
+	if req.Body == nil {
+		b = []byte("")
+	} else {
+		var err error
+		b, err = ioutil.ReadAll(req.Body)
+		if err != nil {
+			// TODO: I REALLY DON'T LIKE THIS PANIC!!!!
+			panic(err)
+		}
+	}
+	req.Body = ioutil.NopCloser(bytes.NewBuffer(b))
+	return s.hash(string(b))
+}
+
+/*
+stringToSign method creates the string to sign accorting to Task 2 of the AWS Signature Version 4 Signing Process. (http://goo.gl/es1PAu)
+
+    StringToSign  =
+      Algorithm + '\n' +
+      RequestDate + '\n' +
+      CredentialScope + '\n' +
+      HexEncode(Hash(CanonicalRequest))
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) stringToSign(t time.Time, creq string) string {
+	w := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	fmt.Fprint(w, "AWS4-HMAC-SHA256\n")
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s\n", t.Format(ISO8601BasicFormat))
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s\n", s.credentialScope(t))
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "%s", s.hash(creq))
+	return w.String()
+}
+
+func (s *V4Signer) credentialScope(t time.Time) string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s/%s/aws4_request", t.Format(ISO8601BasicFormatShort), s.region.Name, s.serviceName)
+}
+
+/*
+signature method calculates the AWS Signature Version 4 according to Task 3 of the AWS Signature Version 4 Signing Process. (http://goo.gl/j0Yqe1)
+
+    signature = HexEncode(HMAC(derived-signing-key, string-to-sign))
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) signature(t time.Time, sts string) string {
+	h := s.hmac(s.derivedKey(t), []byte(sts))
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%x", h)
+}
+
+/*
+derivedKey method derives a signing key to be used for signing a request.
+
+    kSecret = Your AWS Secret Access Key
+    kDate = HMAC("AWS4" + kSecret, Date)
+    kRegion = HMAC(kDate, Region)
+    kService = HMAC(kRegion, Service)
+    kSigning = HMAC(kService, "aws4_request")
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) derivedKey(t time.Time) []byte {
+	h := s.hmac([]byte("AWS4"+s.auth.SecretKey), []byte(t.Format(ISO8601BasicFormatShort)))
+	h = s.hmac(h, []byte(s.region.Name))
+	h = s.hmac(h, []byte(s.serviceName))
+	h = s.hmac(h, []byte("aws4_request"))
+	return h
+}
+
+/*
+authorization method generates the authorization header value.
+*/
+func (s *V4Signer) authorization(header http.Header, t time.Time, signature string) string {
+	w := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	fmt.Fprint(w, "AWS4-HMAC-SHA256 ")
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "Credential=%s/%s, ", s.auth.AccessKey, s.credentialScope(t))
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "SignedHeaders=%s, ", s.signedHeaders(header))
+	fmt.Fprintf(w, "Signature=%s", signature)
+	return w.String()
+}
+
+// hash method calculates the sha256 hash for a given string
+func (s *V4Signer) hash(in string) string {
+	h := sha256.New()
+	fmt.Fprintf(h, "%s", in)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%x", h.Sum(nil))
+}
+
+// hmac method calculates the sha256 hmac for a given slice of bytes
+func (s *V4Signer) hmac(key, data []byte) []byte {
+	h := hmac.New(sha256.New, key)
+	h.Write(data)
+	return h.Sum(nil)
+}