diff --git a/manticore/core/smtlib/solver.py b/manticore/core/smtlib/solver.py
index 77e8806..af1a239 100644
--- a/manticore/core/smtlib/solver.py
+++ b/manticore/core/smtlib/solver.py
@@ -23,9 +23,10 @@ import logging
 import re
 import time
 from visitors import *
-from ...utils.helpers import issymbolic
-logger = logging.getLogger("SMT")
+from ...utils.helpers import issymbolic, memoized
+import collections
 
+logger = logging.getLogger("SMT")
 
 class Z3NotFoundError(EnvironmentError):
     pass
@@ -104,76 +105,73 @@ class Solver(object):
         else:
             return x, x
 
-import collections
-import functools
-
-class memoized(object):
-   '''Decorator. Caches a function's return value each time it is called.
-   If called later with the same arguments, the cached value is returned
-   (not reevaluated).
-   '''
-   def __init__(self, func):
-      self.func = func
-      self.cache = {}
-   def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
-      key = args + tuple(sorted(kwargs.items()))
-      if not isinstance(key, collections.Hashable):
-         # uncacheable. a list, for instance.
-         # better to not cache than blow up.
-         return self.func(*args, **kwargs)
-      if key in self.cache:
-         return self.cache[key]
-      else:
-         value = self.func(*args, **kwargs)
-         self.cache[key] = value
-         return value
-   def __repr__(self):
-      '''Return the function's docstring.'''
-      return self.func.__doc__
-   def __get__(self, obj, objtype):
-      '''Support instance methods.'''
-      return functools.partial(self.__call__, obj)
-
-#FixME move this \/
+#FixME move this \/ This configuration should be registered as global config 
 consider_unknown_as_unsat = True
 
-class SMTSolver(Solver):
+
+Version = collections.namedtuple('Version', 'major minor patch')
+class Z3Solver(Solver):
     def __init__(self):
-        ''' Build a solver intance.
-            This is implemented using an external native solver via a subprocess.
-            Everytime a new symbol or assertion is added a smtlibv2 command is 
-            sent to the solver.
-            The actual state is also mantained in memory to be able to save and
-            restore the state. 
-            The analisys may be saved to disk and continued after a while or 
-            forked in memory or even sent over the network.
+        ''' Build a Z3 solver intance.
+            This is implemented using an external z3 solver (via a subprocess).
         '''
-        super(SMTSolver, self).__init__()
+        super(Z3Solver, self).__init__()
+        self._proc = None
+        self._log = '' #this should be enabled only if we are debugging
+
+        self.version = self._solver_version()
+
+        self.support_maximize = False
+        self.support_minimize = False
+        self.support_reset = True
+        logger.debug('Z3 version: %s', self.version)
+
+        if self.version >= Version(4, 4, 1):
+            self.support_maximize = True
+            self.support_minimize = True
+        else:
+            logger.debug(' Please install Z3 4.4.1 or newer to get optimization support')
+
+        self._command = 'z3 -t:30000 -smt2 -in'
+        self._init = ['(set-logic QF_AUFBV)', '(set-option :global-decls false)']
+        self._get_value_fmt = (re.compile('\(\((?P<expr>(.*))\ #x(?P<value>([0-9a-fA-F]*))\)\)'), 16)
+
+    @staticmethod
+    def _solver_version():
+        '''
+        If we
+        fail to parse the version, we assume z3's output has changed, meaning it's a newer
+        version than what's used now, and therefore ok.
+        
+        Anticipated version_cmd_output format: 'Z3 version 4.4.2'
+                                               'Z3 version 4.4.5 - 64 bit - build hashcode $Z3GITHASH'
+
+    
+        '''
+        their_version = Version(0,0,0)
         try:
-            version_cmd_output = check_output(self.version_cmd.split())
+            version_cmd_output = check_output('z3 -version'.split())
         except OSError:
             raise Z3NotFoundError
-        self._check_solver_version(version_cmd_output)
-        self._proc = None
-        self._constraints = None
-        self._log = ''
-
-    def _check_solver_version(self, version_cmd_output):
-        ''' Auxiliary method to check the version of the external solver
-            This will spawn the external solver with the configured parameters and check that the banner matches the expected version.
-        '''
-        pass
+        try:
+            version = version_cmd_output.split()[2]
+            their_version = Version(*map(int, version.split('.')))
+        except (IndexError, ValueError, TypeError):
+            pass
+        return their_version
 
+        
     def _start_proc(self):
         ''' Auxiliary method to spawn the external solver pocess'''
         assert '_proc' not in dir(self) or self._proc is None
         try:
-            self._proc = Popen(self.command.split(' '), stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE )
+            self._proc = Popen(self._command.split(' '), stdin=PIPE, stdout=PIPE )
         except OSError:
+            #Z3 was removed from the system in the middle of operation
             raise Z3NotFoundError  # TODO(mark) don't catch this exception in two places
 
         #run solver specific initializations
-        for cfg in self.init:
+        for cfg in self._init:
             self._send(cfg)
 
     def _stop_proc(self):
@@ -210,7 +208,8 @@ class SMTSolver(Solver):
         else:
             if self.support_reset:
                 self._send("(reset)")
-                for cfg in self.init:
+                
+                for cfg in self._init:
                     self._send(cfg)
             else: 
                 self._stop_proc()
@@ -254,16 +253,15 @@ class SMTSolver(Solver):
             raise Exception("Error in smtlib: {}".format(bufl[0]))
         return buf
 
-    ## UTILS: check-sat get-value simplify 
+    ## UTILS: check-sat get-value 
     def _check(self):
         ''' Check the satisfiability of the current state '''
-        logger.debug("!! Solver.check() ")
+        logger.debug("Solver.check() ")
         start = time.time()
         self._send('(check-sat)')
         _status = self._recv()
         logger.debug("Check took %s seconds (%s)", time.time()- start, _status)
         if _status not in ('sat','unsat','unknown'):
-            #print "<"*100 + self._log +">"*100
             raise SolverException(_status)
         if consider_unknown_as_unsat:
             if _status == 'unknown':
@@ -297,7 +295,7 @@ class SMTSolver(Solver):
         if isinstance(expression, Bool):
             return {'true': True, 'false': False}[ret[2:-2].split(' ')[1]]
         elif isinstance(expression, BitVec):
-            pattern, base = self.get_value_fmt
+            pattern, base = self._get_value_fmt
             m = pattern.match(ret)
             expr, value = m.group('expr'), m.group('value')
             return int(value, base)
@@ -450,7 +448,7 @@ class SMTSolver(Solver):
                     self._send('(get-value (%s))'%var[i].name)
                     ret = self._recv()
                     assert ret.startswith('((') and ret.endswith('))')
-                    pattern, base = self.get_value_fmt
+                    pattern, base = self._get_value_fmt
                     m = pattern.match(ret)
                     expr, value = m.group('expr'), m.group('value')
                     result += chr(int(value, base))
@@ -470,54 +468,11 @@ class SMTSolver(Solver):
         if isinstance(expression, Bool):
             return {'true':True, 'false':False}[ret[2:-2].split(' ')[1]]
         if isinstance(expression, BitVec):
-            pattern, base = self.get_value_fmt
+            pattern, base = self._get_value_fmt
             m = pattern.match(ret)
             expr, value = m.group('expr'), m.group('value')
             return int(value, base)
         raise NotImplementedError("get_value only implemented for Bool and BitVec")
 
 
-    def simplify(self):
-        ''' Ask the solver to try to simplify the expression val.
-            This works only with z3.
-            :param val: a symbol or expression. 
-        '''
-        simple_constraints = []
-        for exp in self._constraints:
-            new_constraint = exp.simplify()
-            if not isinstance(new_constraint, Bool):
-                simple_constraints.append(new_constraint)
-        self._constraints = set(simple_constraints)
-
-Version = collections.namedtuple('Version', 'major minor patch')
-
-class Z3Solver(SMTSolver):
-    def __init__(self):
-        self.command = 'z3 -t:30000 -smt2 -in'
-        self.init = ['(set-logic QF_AUFBV)', '(set-option :global-decls false)']
-        self.version_cmd = 'z3 -version'
-        self.min_version = Version(4, 4, 2)
-        self.get_value_fmt = (re.compile('\(\((?P<expr>(.*))\ #x(?P<value>([0-9a-fA-F]*))\)\)'), 16)
-        self.support_simplify = True
-        self.support_reset = False
-        self.support_maximize = True
-        self.support_minimize = True
-        super(Z3Solver, self).__init__()
-
-    def _check_solver_version(self, version_cmd_output):
-        '''
-        Check that the z3 version we're using is at least the minimum we need. If we
-        fail to parse the version, we assume z3's output has changed, meaning it's a newer
-        version than what's used now, and therefore ok.
-        
-        Anticipated version_cmd_output format: 'Z3 version 4.4.2'
-        '''
-        try:
-            version = version_cmd_output.split()[2]
-            their_version = Version(*map(int, version.split('.')))
-            if their_version < self.min_version:
-                raise SolverException("Z3 Version >= {}.{}.{} required".format(*self.min_version))
-        except (IndexError, ValueError, TypeError):
-            pass
-
 solver = Z3Solver()
diff --git a/manticore/manticore.py b/manticore/manticore.py
index 666684e..e9e1f12 100644
--- a/manticore/manticore.py
+++ b/manticore/manticore.py
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-
 import os
 import sys
 import time
diff --git a/manticore/utils/helpers.py b/manticore/utils/helpers.py
index 47cf861..4babfdd 100644
--- a/manticore/utils/helpers.py
+++ b/manticore/utils/helpers.py
@@ -12,3 +12,32 @@ def issymbolic(value):
     '''
     return isinstance(value, Expression)
 
+import functools
+
+class memoized(object):
+   '''Decorator. Caches a function's return value each time it is called.
+   If called later with the same arguments, the cached value is returned
+   (not reevaluated).
+   '''
+   def __init__(self, func):
+      self.func = func
+      self.cache = {}
+   def __call__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+      key = args + tuple(sorted(kwargs.items()))
+      if not isinstance(key, collections.Hashable):
+         # uncacheable. a list, for instance.
+         # better to not cache than blow up.
+         return self.func(*args, **kwargs)
+      if key in self.cache:
+         return self.cache[key]
+      else:
+         value = self.func(*args, **kwargs)
+         self.cache[key] = value
+         return value
+   def __repr__(self):
+      '''Return the function's docstring.'''
+      return self.func.__doc__
+   def __get__(self, obj, objtype):
+      '''Support instance methods.'''
+      return functools.partial(self.__call__, obj)
+
diff --git a/tests/test_smtlibv2.py b/tests/test_smtlibv2.py
index 8521ffa..65c00c6 100644
--- a/tests/test_smtlibv2.py
+++ b/tests/test_smtlibv2.py
@@ -658,28 +658,33 @@ class ExpressionTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertTrue(solver.check(cs))
         self.assertEqual(solver.get_value(cs, a), -7&0xFF)
 
+import importlib
 class Z3Test(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
-        self.z3 = Z3Solver()
+        #Manual mock for check_output 
+        self.module = importlib.import_module('manticore.core.smtlib.solver')
+        self.module.check_output = lambda *args, **kwargs: self.version
+        self.z3 = self.module.Z3Solver
 
     def test_check_solver_min(self):
-        self.z3._check_solver_version('Z3 version 4.4.2')
-
-    def test_check_solver_too_old(self):
-        with self.assertRaises(SolverException):
-            self.z3._check_solver_version('Z3 version 4.4.1')
+        self.version = 'Z3 version 4.4.1'
+        self.assertTrue(self.z3._solver_version() == Version(major=4, minor=4, patch=1))
 
     def test_check_solver_newer(self):
-        self.z3._check_solver_version('Z3 version 4.5.0')
+        self.version = 'Z3 version 4.5.0'
+        self.assertTrue(self.z3._solver_version() > Version(major=4, minor=4, patch=1))
 
-    def test_check_solver_badfmt(self):
-        self.z3._check_solver_version('Z3 4.5.0')
+    def test_check_solver_optimize(self):
+        self.version = 'Z3 version 4.5.0'
+        solver = self.z3()
+        self.assertTrue(solver.support_maximize)
+        self.assertTrue(solver.support_minimize)
 
-    def test_check_solver_badfmt2(self):
-        self.z3._check_solver_version('Z3 version 4.5.0.8')
-
-    def test_check_solver_badfmt3(self):
-        self.z3._check_solver_version('Z3 version 4.5.what')
+    def test_check_solver_optimize(self):
+        self.version = 'Z3 version 4.4.0'
+        solver = self.z3()
+        self.assertFalse(solver.support_maximize)
+        self.assertFalse(solver.support_minimize)
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     unittest.main()