diff --git a/mcrypto/mcrypto.go b/mcrypto/mcrypto.go
index 633a359..a02b0de 100644
--- a/mcrypto/mcrypto.go
+++ b/mcrypto/mcrypto.go
@@ -7,12 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 )
 
-// TODO rather than have the NewSignerVerifier methods, it might be better to
-// have a Secret type, which implements Signer/Verifier. That way when there's
-// Encrypter/Decrypter interfaces then Secret can implement those too, and
-// PublicKey/PrivateKey can implement their respective ones. There'll be a nice
-// symmetry there, rather than having NewEncrypterDecrypter functions.
-
 // Instead of outputing opaque hex garbage, this package opts to add a prefix to
 // the garbage. Each "type" of string returned has its own character which is
 // not found in the hex range (0-9, a-f), and in addition each also has a
diff --git a/mcrypto/secret.go b/mcrypto/secret.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1511a90
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcrypto/secret.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package mcrypto
+
+import (
+	"crypto/hmac"
+	"crypto/rand"
+	"crypto/sha256"
+	"io"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/mlog"
+)
+
+// Secret contains a set of bytes which are inteded to remain secret within some
+// context (e.g. a backend application keeping a secret from the frontend).
+//
+// Secret inherently implements the Signer and Verifier interfaces.
+//
+// Secret can be initialized with NewSecret or NewWeakSecret. The Signatures
+// produced by these will be of differing lengths, but either can Verify a
+// Signature made by the other as long as the secret bytes they are initialized
+// with are the same.
+type Secret struct {
+	sigSize uint8 // in bytes, shouldn't be more than 32, cause sha256
+	secret  []byte
+
+	// only used during tests
+	testNow time.Time
+}
+
+// NewSecret initializes and returns an instance of Secret which uses the given
+// bytes as the underlying secret.
+func NewSecret(secret []byte) Secret {
+	return Secret{sigSize: 20, secret: secret}
+}
+
+// NewWeakSecret is like NewSecret but the Signatures it produces will be
+// shorter and weaker (though still secure enough for most applications).
+// Signatures produced by either normal or weak Secrets can be Verified by the
+// other.
+func NewWeakSecret(secret []byte) Secret {
+	return Secret{sigSize: 8, secret: secret}
+}
+
+func (s Secret) now() time.Time {
+	if !s.testNow.IsZero() {
+		return s.testNow
+	}
+	return time.Now()
+}
+
+func (s Secret) signRaw(
+	r io.Reader,
+	sigLen uint8, salt []byte, t time.Time,
+) (
+	[]byte, error,
+) {
+	h := hmac.New(sha256.New, s.secret)
+	r = sigPrefixReader(r, sigLen, salt, t)
+	if _, err := io.Copy(h, r); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return h.Sum(nil)[:sigLen], nil
+}
+
+func (s Secret) sign(r io.Reader) (Signature, error) {
+	salt := make([]byte, 8)
+	if _, err := rand.Read(salt); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	t := s.now()
+	sig, err := s.signRaw(r, s.sigSize, salt, t)
+	return Signature{sig: sig, salt: salt, t: t}, err
+}
+
+func (s Secret) verify(sig Signature, r io.Reader) error {
+	sigB, err := s.signRaw(r, uint8(len(sig.sig)), sig.salt, sig.t)
+	if err != nil {
+		return mlog.ErrWithKV(err, sig)
+	} else if !hmac.Equal(sigB, sig.sig) {
+		return mlog.ErrWithKV(ErrInvalidSig, sig)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/mcrypto/secret_test.go b/mcrypto/secret_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5311ef6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcrypto/secret_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+package mcrypto
+
+import (
+	. "testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/ansel1/merry"
+	"github.com/mediocregopher/mediocre-go-lib/mtest"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestSecretSignVerify(t *T) {
+	secretRaw := mtest.RandBytes(16)
+	secret := NewSecret(secretRaw)
+	weakSecret := NewWeakSecret(secretRaw)
+	var prevStr string
+	var prevSig, prevWeakSig Signature
+	for i := 0; i < 10000; i++ {
+		now := time.Now().Round(0)
+		secret.testNow = now
+		weakSecret.testNow = now
+
+		thisStr := mtest.RandHex(512)
+		thisSig := SignString(secret, thisStr)
+		thisWeakSig := SignString(weakSecret, thisStr)
+		thisSigStr, thisWeakSigStr := thisSig.String(), thisWeakSig.String()
+
+		// sanity checks
+		assert.Equal(t, now, thisSig.Time())
+		assert.Equal(t, now, thisWeakSig.Time())
+		assert.NotEmpty(t, thisSigStr)
+		assert.NotEmpty(t, thisWeakSigStr)
+		assert.NotEqual(t, thisSigStr, thisWeakSigStr)
+		assert.True(t, len(thisSigStr) > len(thisWeakSigStr))
+
+		// Either secret should be able to verify either signature
+		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(secret, thisSig, thisStr))
+		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(weakSecret, thisWeakSig, thisStr))
+		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(secret, thisWeakSig, thisStr))
+		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(weakSecret, thisSig, thisStr))
+
+		if prevStr != "" {
+			assert.NotEqual(t, prevSig.String(), thisSigStr)
+			assert.NotEqual(t, prevWeakSig.String(), thisWeakSigStr)
+			err := VerifyString(secret, prevSig, thisStr)
+			assert.True(t, merry.Is(err, ErrInvalidSig))
+			err = VerifyString(secret, prevWeakSig, thisStr)
+			assert.True(t, merry.Is(err, ErrInvalidSig))
+		}
+		prevStr = thisStr
+		prevSig = thisSig
+		prevWeakSig = thisWeakSig
+	}
+}
diff --git a/mcrypto/sig.go b/mcrypto/sig.go
index b1dec22..8da6f48 100644
--- a/mcrypto/sig.go
+++ b/mcrypto/sig.go
@@ -2,9 +2,6 @@ package mcrypto
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"crypto/hmac"
-	"crypto/rand"
-	"crypto/sha256"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
@@ -187,73 +184,3 @@ func VerifyBytes(v Verifier, s Signature, b []byte) error {
 func VerifyString(v Verifier, s Signature, in string) error {
 	return VerifyBytes(v, s, []byte(in))
 }
-
-////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
-
-type signVerifier struct {
-	outSize uint8 // in bytes, shouldn't be more than 32, cause sha256
-	secret  []byte
-
-	// only used during tests
-	testNow time.Time
-}
-
-// NewSignerVerifier returns Signer and Verifier instances which will use the
-// given secret to sign and verify all Signatures
-func NewSignerVerifier(secret []byte) (Signer, Verifier) {
-	sv := signVerifier{outSize: 20, secret: secret}
-	return sv, sv
-}
-
-// NewWeakSignerVerifier returns Signer and Verifier instances, similar to how
-// NewSignVerifier does. The Signatures generated by this Signer will be smaller
-// in text size, and therefore weaker, but are still fine for most applications.
-//
-// The Verifiers returned by both NewSignVerifier and NewWeakSignVerifier can
-// verify each-other's signatures, as long as the secret is the same.
-func NewWeakSignerVerifier(secret []byte) (Signer, Verifier) {
-	sv := signVerifier{outSize: 8, secret: secret}
-	return sv, sv
-}
-
-func (sv signVerifier) now() time.Time {
-	if !sv.testNow.IsZero() {
-		return sv.testNow
-	}
-	return time.Now()
-}
-
-func (sv signVerifier) signRaw(
-	r io.Reader,
-	sigLen uint8, salt []byte, t time.Time,
-) (
-	[]byte, error,
-) {
-	h := hmac.New(sha256.New, sv.secret)
-	r = sigPrefixReader(r, sigLen, salt, t)
-	if _, err := io.Copy(h, r); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-	return h.Sum(nil)[:sigLen], nil
-}
-
-func (sv signVerifier) sign(r io.Reader) (Signature, error) {
-	salt := make([]byte, 8)
-	if _, err := rand.Read(salt); err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-
-	t := sv.now()
-	sig, err := sv.signRaw(r, sv.outSize, salt, t)
-	return Signature{sig: sig, salt: salt, t: t}, err
-}
-
-func (sv signVerifier) verify(s Signature, r io.Reader) error {
-	sig, err := sv.signRaw(r, uint8(len(s.sig)), s.salt, s.t)
-	if err != nil {
-		return mlog.ErrWithKV(err, s)
-	} else if !hmac.Equal(sig, s.sig) {
-		return mlog.ErrWithKV(ErrInvalidSig, s)
-	}
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/mcrypto/sig_test.go b/mcrypto/sig_test.go
index 400c211..18d5715 100644
--- a/mcrypto/sig_test.go
+++ b/mcrypto/sig_test.go
@@ -10,58 +10,35 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestSignerVerifier(t *T) {
-	secret := mtest.RandBytes(16)
-	sigI, ver := NewSignerVerifier(secret)
-	sig := sigI.(signVerifier)
-	weakSigI, weakVer := NewWeakSignerVerifier(secret)
-	weakSig := weakSigI.(signVerifier)
+	secret := NewSecret(mtest.RandBytes(16))
 	var prevStr string
-	var prevSig, prevWeakSig Signature
+	var prevSig Signature
 	for i := 0; i < 10000; i++ {
 		now := time.Now().Round(0)
-		sig.testNow = now
-		weakSig.testNow = now
+		secret.testNow = now
 
 		thisStr := mtest.RandHex(512)
-		thisSig := SignString(sig, thisStr)
-		thisWeakSig := SignString(weakSig, thisStr)
-		thisSigStr, thisWeakSigStr := thisSig.String(), thisWeakSig.String()
-
-		// checking the times made it
-		assert.Equal(t, now, thisSig.Time())
-		assert.Equal(t, now, thisWeakSig.Time())
+		thisSig := SignString(secret, thisStr)
+		thisSigStr := thisSig.String()
 
 		// sanity checks
 		assert.NotEmpty(t, thisSigStr)
-		assert.NotEmpty(t, thisWeakSigStr)
-		assert.NotEqual(t, thisSigStr, thisWeakSigStr)
-		assert.True(t, len(thisSigStr) > len(thisWeakSigStr))
+		assert.Equal(t, now, thisSig.Time())
+		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(secret, thisSig, thisStr))
 
 		// marshaling/unmarshaling
-		var thisSig2, thisWeakSig2 Signature
+		var thisSig2 Signature
 		assert.NoError(t, thisSig2.UnmarshalText([]byte(thisSigStr)))
 		assert.Equal(t, thisSigStr, thisSig2.String())
-		assert.NoError(t, thisWeakSig2.UnmarshalText([]byte(thisWeakSigStr)))
-		assert.Equal(t, thisWeakSigStr, thisWeakSig2.String())
 		assert.Equal(t, now, thisSig2.Time())
-		assert.Equal(t, now, thisWeakSig2.Time())
-
-		// Either sigVer should be able to verify either signature
-		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(ver, thisSig, thisStr))
-		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(weakVer, thisWeakSig, thisStr))
-		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(ver, thisWeakSig, thisStr))
-		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(weakVer, thisSig, thisStr))
+		assert.NoError(t, VerifyString(secret, thisSig2, thisStr))
 
 		if prevStr != "" {
 			assert.NotEqual(t, prevSig.String(), thisSigStr)
-			assert.NotEqual(t, prevWeakSig.String(), thisWeakSigStr)
-			err := VerifyString(ver, prevSig, thisStr)
-			assert.True(t, merry.Is(err, ErrInvalidSig))
-			err = VerifyString(ver, prevWeakSig, thisStr)
+			err := VerifyString(secret, prevSig, thisStr)
 			assert.True(t, merry.Is(err, ErrInvalidSig))
 		}
 		prevStr = thisStr
 		prevSig = thisSig
-		prevWeakSig = thisWeakSig
 	}
 }