diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index df38f6c..487dbc6 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "spartan"
-version = "0.5.0"
+version = "0.6.0"
 authors = ["Srinath Setty <srinath@microsoft.com>"]
 edition = "2018"
 description = "High-speed zkSNARKs without trusted setup"
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ebc1008..e86921e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ Some of our public APIs' style is inspired by the underlying crates we use.
 
     // produce a proof of satisfiability
     let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"snark_example");
-    let proof = SNARK::prove(&inst, &decomm, vars, &inputs, &gens, &mut prover_transcript);
+    let proof = SNARK::prove(&inst, &comm, &decomm, vars, &inputs, &gens, &mut prover_transcript);
 
     // verify the proof of satisfiability
     let mut verifier_transcript = Transcript::new(b"snark_example");
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ Finally, we provide an example that specifies a custom R1CS instance instead of
   let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"snark_example");
   let proof = SNARK::prove(
     &inst,
+    &comm,
     &decomm,
     assignment_vars,
     &assignment_inputs,
diff --git a/benches/snark.rs b/benches/snark.rs
index 110d642..7747f9c 100644
--- a/benches/snark.rs
+++ b/benches/snark.rs
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ fn snark_prove_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
     let gens = SNARKGens::new(num_cons, num_vars, num_inputs, num_cons);
 
     // produce a commitment to R1CS instance
-    let (_comm, decomm) = SNARK::encode(&inst, &gens);
+    let (comm, decomm) = SNARK::encode(&inst, &gens);
 
     // produce a proof
     let name = format!("SNARK_prove_{}", num_cons);
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ fn snark_prove_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
         let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"example");
         SNARK::prove(
           black_box(&inst),
+          black_box(&comm),
           black_box(&decomm),
           black_box(vars.clone()),
           black_box(&inputs),
@@ -87,7 +88,15 @@ fn snark_verify_benchmark(c: &mut Criterion) {
 
     // produce a proof of satisfiability
     let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"example");
-    let proof = SNARK::prove(&inst, &decomm, vars, &inputs, &gens, &mut prover_transcript);
+    let proof = SNARK::prove(
+      &inst,
+      &comm,
+      &decomm,
+      vars,
+      &inputs,
+      &gens,
+      &mut prover_transcript,
+    );
 
     // verify the proof
     let name = format!("SNARK_verify_{}", num_cons);
diff --git a/examples/cubic.rs b/examples/cubic.rs
index 9f5eade..dcfa7b4 100644
--- a/examples/cubic.rs
+++ b/examples/cubic.rs
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ fn main() {
   let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"snark_example");
   let proof = SNARK::prove(
     &inst,
+    &comm,
     &decomm,
     assignment_vars,
     &assignment_inputs,
diff --git a/profiler/snark.rs b/profiler/snark.rs
index cc4862a..5308a79 100644
--- a/profiler/snark.rs
+++ b/profiler/snark.rs
@@ -33,7 +33,15 @@ pub fn main() {
 
     // produce a proof of satisfiability
     let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"snark_example");
-    let proof = SNARK::prove(&inst, &decomm, vars, &inputs, &gens, &mut prover_transcript);
+    let proof = SNARK::prove(
+      &inst,
+      &comm,
+      &decomm,
+      vars,
+      &inputs,
+      &gens,
+      &mut prover_transcript,
+    );
 
     let mut encoder = ZlibEncoder::new(Vec::new(), Compression::default());
     bincode::serialize_into(&mut encoder, &proof).unwrap();
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index fc90919..e48eecf 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ impl SNARK {
   /// A method to produce a SNARK proof of the satisfiability of an R1CS instance
   pub fn prove(
     inst: &Instance,
+    comm: &ComputationCommitment,
     decomm: &ComputationDecommitment,
     vars: VarsAssignment,
     inputs: &InputsAssignment,
@@ -347,7 +348,10 @@ impl SNARK {
     // we create a Transcript object seeded with a random Scalar
     // to aid the prover produce its randomness
     let mut random_tape = RandomTape::new(b"proof");
+
     transcript.append_protocol_name(SNARK::protocol_name());
+    comm.comm.append_to_transcript(b"comm", transcript);
+
     let (r1cs_sat_proof, rx, ry) = {
       let (proof, rx, ry) = {
         // we might need to pad variables
@@ -424,6 +428,9 @@ impl SNARK {
     let timer_verify = Timer::new("SNARK::verify");
     transcript.append_protocol_name(SNARK::protocol_name());
 
+    // append a commitment to the computation to the transcript
+    comm.comm.append_to_transcript(b"comm", transcript);
+
     let timer_sat_proof = Timer::new("verify_sat_proof");
     assert_eq!(input.assignment.len(), comm.comm.get_num_inputs());
     let (rx, ry) = self.r1cs_sat_proof.verify(
@@ -500,7 +507,10 @@ impl NIZK {
     // we create a Transcript object seeded with a random Scalar
     // to aid the prover produce its randomness
     let mut random_tape = RandomTape::new(b"proof");
+
     transcript.append_protocol_name(NIZK::protocol_name());
+    inst.inst.append_to_transcript(b"inst", transcript);
+
     let (r1cs_sat_proof, rx, ry) = {
       // we might need to pad variables
       let padded_vars = {
@@ -544,6 +554,7 @@ impl NIZK {
     let timer_verify = Timer::new("NIZK::verify");
 
     transcript.append_protocol_name(NIZK::protocol_name());
+    inst.inst.append_to_transcript(b"inst", transcript);
 
     // We send evaluations of A, B, C at r = (rx, ry) as claims
     // to enable the verifier complete the first sum-check
@@ -594,7 +605,15 @@ mod tests {
 
     // produce a proof
     let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"example");
-    let proof = SNARK::prove(&inst, &decomm, vars, &inputs, &gens, &mut prover_transcript);
+    let proof = SNARK::prove(
+      &inst,
+      &comm,
+      &decomm,
+      vars,
+      &inputs,
+      &gens,
+      &mut prover_transcript,
+    );
 
     // verify the proof
     let mut verifier_transcript = Transcript::new(b"example");
@@ -696,6 +715,7 @@ mod tests {
     let mut prover_transcript = Transcript::new(b"snark_example");
     let proof = SNARK::prove(
       &inst,
+      &comm,
       &decomm,
       assignment_vars.clone(),
       &assignment_inputs,
diff --git a/src/nizk/mod.rs b/src/nizk/mod.rs
index 35e75eb..e80f2b1 100644
--- a/src/nizk/mod.rs
+++ b/src/nizk/mod.rs
@@ -336,6 +336,8 @@ impl DotProductProof {
     let Cy = y.commit(blind_y, gens_1).compress();
     Cy.append_to_transcript(b"Cy", transcript);
 
+    a_vec.append_to_transcript(b"a", transcript);
+
     let delta = d_vec.commit(&r_delta, gens_n).compress();
     delta.append_to_transcript(b"delta", transcript);
 
@@ -381,6 +383,7 @@ impl DotProductProof {
     transcript.append_protocol_name(DotProductProof::protocol_name());
     Cx.append_to_transcript(b"Cx", transcript);
     Cy.append_to_transcript(b"Cy", transcript);
+    a.append_to_transcript(b"a", transcript);
     self.delta.append_to_transcript(b"delta", transcript);
     self.beta.append_to_transcript(b"beta", transcript);
 
@@ -466,6 +469,8 @@ impl DotProductProofLog {
     let Cy = y.commit(blind_y, &gens.gens_1).compress();
     Cy.append_to_transcript(b"Cy", transcript);
 
+    a_vec.append_to_transcript(b"a", transcript);
+
     let blind_Gamma = blind_x + blind_y;
     let (bullet_reduction_proof, _Gamma_hat, x_hat, a_hat, g_hat, rhat_Gamma) =
       BulletReductionProof::prove(
@@ -526,6 +531,7 @@ impl DotProductProofLog {
     transcript.append_protocol_name(DotProductProofLog::protocol_name());
     Cx.append_to_transcript(b"Cx", transcript);
     Cy.append_to_transcript(b"Cy", transcript);
+    a.append_to_transcript(b"a", transcript);
 
     let Gamma = Cx.unpack()? + Cy.unpack()?;
 
diff --git a/src/r1csinstance.rs b/src/r1csinstance.rs
index 8e3abea..6a3885a 100644
--- a/src/r1csinstance.rs
+++ b/src/r1csinstance.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use crate::transcript::AppendToTranscript;
+
 use super::dense_mlpoly::DensePolynomial;
 use super::errors::ProofVerifyError;
 use super::math::Math;
@@ -8,11 +10,12 @@ use super::sparse_mlpoly::{
   SparseMatPolyCommitmentGens, SparseMatPolyEvalProof, SparseMatPolynomial,
 };
 use super::timer::Timer;
+use flate2::{write::ZlibEncoder, Compression};
 use merlin::Transcript;
 use rand::rngs::OsRng;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct R1CSInstance {
   num_cons: usize,
   num_vars: usize,
@@ -22,6 +25,15 @@ pub struct R1CSInstance {
   C: SparseMatPolynomial,
 }
 
+impl AppendToTranscript for R1CSInstance {
+  fn append_to_transcript(&self, _label: &'static [u8], transcript: &mut Transcript) {
+    let mut encoder = ZlibEncoder::new(Vec::new(), Compression::default());
+    bincode::serialize_into(&mut encoder, &self).unwrap();
+    let bytes = encoder.finish().unwrap();
+    transcript.append_message(b"R1CSInstance", &bytes);
+  }
+}
+
 pub struct R1CSCommitmentGens {
   gens: SparseMatPolyCommitmentGens,
 }
@@ -43,6 +55,7 @@ impl R1CSCommitmentGens {
   }
 }
 
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct R1CSCommitment {
   num_cons: usize,
   num_vars: usize,
@@ -50,6 +63,15 @@ pub struct R1CSCommitment {
   comm: SparseMatPolyCommitment,
 }
 
+impl AppendToTranscript for R1CSCommitment {
+  fn append_to_transcript(&self, _label: &'static [u8], transcript: &mut Transcript) {
+    transcript.append_u64(b"num_cons", self.num_cons as u64);
+    transcript.append_u64(b"num_vars", self.num_vars as u64);
+    transcript.append_u64(b"num_inputs", self.num_inputs as u64);
+    self.comm.append_to_transcript(b"comm", transcript);
+  }
+}
+
 pub struct R1CSDecommitment {
   dense: MultiSparseMatPolynomialAsDense,
 }
diff --git a/src/r1csproof.rs b/src/r1csproof.rs
index d57735f..60c6366 100644
--- a/src/r1csproof.rs
+++ b/src/r1csproof.rs
@@ -152,6 +152,8 @@ impl R1CSProof {
     // we currently require the number of |inputs| + 1 to be at most number of vars
     assert!(input.len() < vars.len());
 
+    input.append_to_transcript(b"input", transcript);
+
     let timer_commit = Timer::new("polycommit");
     let (poly_vars, comm_vars, blinds_vars) = {
       // create a multilinear polynomial using the supplied assignment for variables
@@ -355,6 +357,8 @@ impl R1CSProof {
   ) -> Result<(Vec<Scalar>, Vec<Scalar>), ProofVerifyError> {
     transcript.append_protocol_name(R1CSProof::protocol_name());
 
+    input.append_to_transcript(b"input", transcript);
+
     let n = num_vars;
     // add the commitment to the verifier's transcript
     self
diff --git a/src/sparse_mlpoly.rs b/src/sparse_mlpoly.rs
index df9e240..00a86ae 100644
--- a/src/sparse_mlpoly.rs
+++ b/src/sparse_mlpoly.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use core::cmp::Ordering;
 use merlin::Transcript;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct SparseMatEntry {
   row: usize,
   col: usize,
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ impl SparseMatEntry {
   }
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct SparseMatPolynomial {
   num_vars_x: usize,
   num_vars_y: usize,
@@ -330,6 +330,20 @@ pub struct SparseMatPolyCommitment {
   comm_comb_mem: PolyCommitment,
 }
 
+impl AppendToTranscript for SparseMatPolyCommitment {
+  fn append_to_transcript(&self, _label: &'static [u8], transcript: &mut Transcript) {
+    transcript.append_u64(b"batch_size", self.batch_size as u64);
+    transcript.append_u64(b"num_ops", self.num_ops as u64);
+    transcript.append_u64(b"num_mem_cells", self.num_mem_cells as u64);
+    self
+      .comm_comb_ops
+      .append_to_transcript(b"comm_comb_ops", transcript);
+    self
+      .comm_comb_mem
+      .append_to_transcript(b"comm_comb_mem", transcript);
+  }
+}
+
 impl SparseMatPolynomial {
   pub fn new(num_vars_x: usize, num_vars_y: usize, M: Vec<SparseMatEntry>) -> Self {
     SparseMatPolynomial {
diff --git a/src/transcript.rs b/src/transcript.rs
index 00572b1..a57f150 100644
--- a/src/transcript.rs
+++ b/src/transcript.rs
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ impl AppendToTranscript for Scalar {
   }
 }
 
-impl AppendToTranscript for Vec<Scalar> {
+impl AppendToTranscript for [Scalar] {
   fn append_to_transcript(&self, label: &'static [u8], transcript: &mut Transcript) {
     transcript.append_message(label, b"begin_append_vector");
     for item in self {