diff --git a/group.go b/group.go
index 538300ffe..130cb57fe 100644
--- a/group.go
+++ b/group.go
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ type Scalar interface {
 	// SetInt64 sets the receiver to a small integer value.
 	SetInt64(v int64) Scalar
 
+	// SetIntString sets the receiver to a string encoded integer value.
+	SetIntString(v string) (Scalar, error)
+
 	// Set to the additive identity (0).
 	Zero() Scalar
 
diff --git a/group/edwards25519/scalar.go b/group/edwards25519/scalar.go
index c295a5d5f..2a44b9ac7 100644
--- a/group/edwards25519/scalar.go
+++ b/group/edwards25519/scalar.go
@@ -59,6 +59,14 @@ func (s *scalar) SetInt64(v int64) kyber.Scalar {
 	return s.setInt(mod.NewInt64(v, primeOrder))
 }
 
+func (s *scalar) SetIntString(v string) (kyber.Scalar, error) {
+	i, ok := new(big.Int).SetString(v, 0)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, errors.New("invalid scalar string")
+	}
+	return s.setInt(mod.NewInt(i, primeOrder)), nil
+}
+
 func (s *scalar) toInt() *mod.Int {
 	return mod.NewIntBytes(s.v[:], primeOrder, defaultEndianess)
 }
diff --git a/group/mod/int.go b/group/mod/int.go
index 741b5ca0e..a8d969414 100644
--- a/group/mod/int.go
+++ b/group/mod/int.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"crypto/cipher"
 	"encoding/hex"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math/big"
 
@@ -173,6 +174,15 @@ func (i *Int) SetInt64(v int64) kyber.Scalar {
 	return i
 }
 
+func (i *Int) SetIntString(v string) (kyber.Scalar, error) {
+	bigV := new(big.Int)
+	bigV, ok := bigV.SetString(v, 0)
+	if !ok {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to set string number: %v", v)
+	}
+	return i.Init(bigV, i.M), nil
+}
+
 // Int64 returns the int64 representation of the value.
 // If the value is not representable in an int64 the result is undefined.
 func (i *Int) Int64() int64 {
diff --git a/pairing/bls12381/circl/scalar.go b/pairing/bls12381/circl/scalar.go
index 17046ae44..f4d7e284f 100644
--- a/pairing/bls12381/circl/scalar.go
+++ b/pairing/bls12381/circl/scalar.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package circl
 
 import (
 	"crypto/cipher"
+	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"math/big"
 
@@ -62,6 +63,14 @@ func (s *Scalar) SetInt64(v int64) kyber.Scalar {
 	return s
 }
 
+func (s *Scalar) SetIntString(v string) (kyber.Scalar, error) {
+	err := s.inner.SetString(v)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to set string number: %v", err)
+	}
+	return s, nil
+}
+
 func (s *Scalar) Zero() kyber.Scalar { s.inner.SetUint64(0); return s }
 
 func (s *Scalar) Add(a, b kyber.Scalar) kyber.Scalar {
diff --git a/share/vss/pedersen/vss_test.go b/share/vss/pedersen/vss_test.go
index ec903bbea..697e48a4e 100644
--- a/share/vss/pedersen/vss_test.go
+++ b/share/vss/pedersen/vss_test.go
@@ -64,7 +64,10 @@ func TestMinimumT(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestVSSWhole(t *testing.T) {
 	dealer, verifiers := genAll()
+	vssWhole(t, dealer, verifiers, secret)
+}
 
+func vssWhole(t *testing.T, dealer *Dealer, verifiers []*Verifier, secret kyber.Scalar) {
 	// 1. dispatch deal
 	resps := make([]*Response, nbVerifiers)
 	encDeals, err := dealer.EncryptedDeals()
@@ -591,6 +594,15 @@ func TestVSSContext(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Len(t, c, suite.Hash().Size())
 }
 
+func TestDeterministicStringSecret(t *testing.T) {
+	deterministicSec, err := suite.Scalar().SetIntString("0x123456789abcdef")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	dealer, err := NewDealer(suite, dealerSec, deterministicSec, verifiersPub, vssThreshold)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	verifiers := genVerifiers()
+	vssWhole(t, dealer, verifiers, deterministicSec)
+}
+
 func genPair() (kyber.Scalar, kyber.Point) {
 	secret := suite.Scalar().Pick(suite.RandomStream())
 	public := suite.Point().Mul(secret, nil)
@@ -612,13 +624,16 @@ func genDealer() *Dealer {
 }
 
 func genAll() (*Dealer, []*Verifier) {
-	dealer := genDealer()
+	return genDealer(), genVerifiers()
+}
+
+func genVerifiers() []*Verifier {
 	var verifiers = make([]*Verifier, nbVerifiers)
 	for i := 0; i < nbVerifiers; i++ {
 		v, _ := NewVerifier(suite, verifiersSec[i], dealerPub, verifiersPub)
 		verifiers[i] = v
 	}
-	return dealer, verifiers
+	return verifiers
 }
 
 func randomBytes(n int) []byte {