diff --git a/lib/user-agent.js b/lib/user-agent.js
index 0844703..5a242e9 100644
--- a/lib/user-agent.js
+++ b/lib/user-agent.js
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ var var_str = require("./structs").var_str;
 var BM_NAME = require("../package.json").name;
 var BM_VERSION = require("../package.json").version;
 
+/** User agent of the bitmessage library itself. */
+var SELF = exports.SELF = [{name: BM_NAME, version: BM_VERSION}];
+
 /**
  * Decode user agent stack.
  * NOTE: Decoding is rather loose and non-strict, it won't fail on bad
@@ -49,11 +52,18 @@ exports.decode = function(buf) {
 
 /**
  * Encode user agent. Most underlying software comes first.
- * @param {Object[]} software - List of software to encode
+ * @param {(Object[]|string[]|Object|string)} software - List of
+ * software to encode
  * @return {Buffer} Encoded user agent.
  */
 var encode = exports.encode = function(software) {
+  if (!Array.isArray(software)) {
+    software = [software];
+  }
   var ua = software.map(function(soft) {
+    if (typeof soft === "string") {
+      return soft;
+    }
     var version = soft.version || "0.0.0";
     var str = soft.name + ":" + version;
     if (soft.comments) {
@@ -69,16 +79,17 @@ var encode = exports.encode = function(software) {
  * @return {Buffer} Encoded user agent.
  */
 exports.encodeSelf = function() {
-  return encode([{name: BM_NAME, version: BM_VERSION}]);
+  return encode(SELF);
 };
 
 /**
  * Encode user agent with bitmessage's user agent underneath. Most
  * underlying software comes first.
- * @param {Object[]} software - List of software to encode
+ * @param {(Object[]|string[]|Object|string)} software - List of
+ * software to encode
  * @return {Buffer} Encoded user agent.
  */
 exports.encodeSelfWith = function(software) {
-  software = [{name: BM_NAME, version: BM_VERSION}].concat(software);
+  software = SELF.concat(software);
   return encode(software);
 };
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index ffe4884..de1e643 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -433,5 +433,17 @@ describe("High-level classes", function() {
       expect(software[2].name).to.equal(bweb.name);
       expect(software[2].version).to.equal("0.0.0");
     });
+
+    it("should accept just object or string(s) on encode", function() {
+      var enc1 = UserAgent.encode({name: "test", version: "0.0.1"});
+      var enc2 = UserAgent.encode("test:0.0.1");
+      var res = [{name: "test", version: "0.0.1"}];
+      expect(UserAgent.decode(enc1).software).to.deep.equal(res);
+      expect(UserAgent.decode(enc2).software).to.deep.equal(res);
+      var enc3 = UserAgent.encodeSelfWith("test:0.0.1");
+      var software = UserAgent.decode(enc3).software;
+      expect(software[0].name).to.equal("bitmessage");
+      expect(software[1]).to.deep.equal(res[0]);
+    });
   });
 });