diff --git a/tests/core/utilities/test_validation.py b/tests/core/utilities/test_validation.py
index b44a73a262..c50c5db297 100644
--- a/tests/core/utilities/test_validation.py
+++ b/tests/core/utilities/test_validation.py
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@
         (INVALID_CHECKSUM_ADDRESS, validate_address, InvalidAddress),
         (NON_CHECKSUM_ADDRESS, validate_address, InvalidAddress),
         ("NotAddress", validate_address, InvalidAddress),
-        (b'not string', validate_address, TypeError),
+        (b'not string', validate_address, InvalidAddress),
         ('bool', validate_abi_type, None),
         ('bool[', validate_abi_type, ValueError),
         ('sbool', validate_abi_type, ValueError),
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ def test_validation(param, validation, expected):
         ('uint8', -5, TypeError),
         ('int8', -5, None),
         ('address', "just a string", InvalidAddress),
-        ('address', b'not even a string', TypeError),
+        ('address', b'not even a string', InvalidAddress),
         ('address[][]', [[4, 5], [True]], TypeError),
         ('address[][]', [[ADDRESS]], None),
         ('address[2][]', [[ADDRESS], [ADDRESS, ADDRESS]], TypeError),
diff --git a/web3/utils/normalizers.py b/web3/utils/normalizers.py
index 0d50d2c0fd..7e7d266076 100644
--- a/web3/utils/normalizers.py
+++ b/web3/utils/normalizers.py
@@ -9,6 +9,9 @@
 from eth_utils import (
     to_checksum_address,
 )
+from eth_utils.address import (
+    is_binary_address,
+)
 from hexbytes import (
     HexBytes,
 )
@@ -119,6 +122,8 @@ def abi_bytes_to_bytes(abi_type, data):
 def abi_address_to_hex(abi_type, data):
     if abi_type == 'address':
         validate_address(data)
+        if is_binary_address(data):
+            return abi_type, to_checksum_address(data)
 
 
 @curry
diff --git a/web3/utils/rpc_abi.py b/web3/utils/rpc_abi.py
index 0881b47185..5145627e3e 100644
--- a/web3/utils/rpc_abi.py
+++ b/web3/utils/rpc_abi.py
@@ -47,6 +47,8 @@
     'eth_sign': ['address', 'bytes'],
     # personal
     'personal_sendTransaction': TRANSACTION_PARAMS_ABIS,
+    'personal_lockAccount': ['address'],
+    'personal_unlockAccount': ['address', None, None]
 }
 
 
diff --git a/web3/utils/validation.py b/web3/utils/validation.py
index bcf09f18d0..b9a2fda5ef 100644
--- a/web3/utils/validation.py
+++ b/web3/utils/validation.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 from eth_utils import (
     function_abi_to_4byte_selector,
     is_0x_prefixed,
+    is_binary_address,
     is_boolean,
     is_bytes,
     is_checksum_address,
@@ -142,6 +143,11 @@ def validate_address(value):
     """
     Helper function for validating an address
     """
+    if is_bytes(value):
+        if not is_binary_address(value):
+            raise InvalidAddress("Address must be 20 bytes when input type is bytes", value)
+        return
+
     if not isinstance(value, str):
         raise TypeError('Address {} must be provided as a string'.format(value))
     if not is_hex_address(value):