diff --git a/subxt/src/tx/mod.rs b/subxt/src/tx/mod.rs
index 95a60a8f98..8288898efb 100644
--- a/subxt/src/tx/mod.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/tx/mod.rs
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ pub use self::{
         Signer,
     },
     tx_client::{
-        SignedSubmittableExtrinsic,
+        SubmittableExtrinsic,
         TxClient,
     },
     tx_payload::{
diff --git a/subxt/src/tx/tx_client.rs b/subxt/src/tx/tx_client.rs
index 1c281c39e6..b35e0586b3 100644
--- a/subxt/src/tx/tx_client.rs
+++ b/subxt/src/tx/tx_client.rs
@@ -79,14 +79,52 @@ impl<T: Config, C: OfflineClientT<T>> TxClient<T, C> {
         Ok(bytes)
     }
 
-    /// Creates a raw signed extrinsic, without submitting it.
+    /// Creates an unsigned extrinsic without submitting it.
+    pub async fn create_unsigned<Call>(
+        &self,
+        call: &Call,
+    ) -> Result<SubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>, Error>
+    where
+        Call: TxPayload,
+    {
+        // 1. Validate this call against the current node metadata if the call comes
+        // with a hash allowing us to do so.
+        self.validate(call)?;
+
+        // 2. Encode extrinsic
+        let extrinsic = {
+            let mut encoded_inner = Vec::new();
+            // transaction protocol version (4) (is not signed, so no 1 bit at the front).
+            4u8.encode_to(&mut encoded_inner);
+            // encode call data after this byte.
+            call.encode_call_data(&self.client.metadata(), &mut encoded_inner)?;
+            // now, prefix byte length:
+            let len = Compact(
+                u32::try_from(encoded_inner.len())
+                    .expect("extrinsic size expected to be <4GB"),
+            );
+            let mut encoded = Vec::new();
+            len.encode_to(&mut encoded);
+            encoded.extend(encoded_inner);
+            encoded
+        };
+
+        // Wrap in Encoded to ensure that any more "encode" calls leave it in the right state.
+        Ok(SubmittableExtrinsic {
+            client: self.client.clone(),
+            encoded: Encoded(extrinsic),
+            marker: std::marker::PhantomData,
+        })
+    }
+
+    /// Creates a raw signed extrinsic without submitting it.
     pub async fn create_signed_with_nonce<Call>(
         &self,
         call: &Call,
         signer: &(dyn Signer<T> + Send + Sync),
         account_nonce: T::Index,
         other_params: <T::ExtrinsicParams as ExtrinsicParams<T::Index, T::Hash>>::OtherParams,
-    ) -> Result<SignedSubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>, Error>
+    ) -> Result<SubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>, Error>
     where
         Call: TxPayload,
     {
@@ -160,7 +198,7 @@ impl<T: Config, C: OfflineClientT<T>> TxClient<T, C> {
 
         // Wrap in Encoded to ensure that any more "encode" calls leave it in the right state.
         // maybe we can just return the raw bytes..
-        Ok(SignedSubmittableExtrinsic {
+        Ok(SubmittableExtrinsic {
             client: self.client.clone(),
             encoded: Encoded(extrinsic),
             marker: std::marker::PhantomData,
@@ -175,7 +213,7 @@ impl<T: Config, C: OnlineClientT<T>> TxClient<T, C> {
         call: &Call,
         signer: &(dyn Signer<T> + Send + Sync),
         other_params: <T::ExtrinsicParams as ExtrinsicParams<T::Index, T::Hash>>::OtherParams,
-    ) -> Result<SignedSubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>, Error>
+    ) -> Result<SubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>, Error>
     where
         Call: TxPayload,
     {
@@ -277,13 +315,24 @@ impl<T: Config, C: OnlineClientT<T>> TxClient<T, C> {
 }
 
 /// This represents an extrinsic that has been signed and is ready to submit.
-pub struct SignedSubmittableExtrinsic<T, C> {
+pub struct SubmittableExtrinsic<T, C> {
     client: C,
     encoded: Encoded,
     marker: std::marker::PhantomData<T>,
 }
 
-impl<T, C> SignedSubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>
+impl<T, C> SubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>
+where
+    T: Config,
+    C: OfflineClientT<T>,
+{
+    /// Returns the SCALE encoded extrinsic bytes.
+    pub fn encoded(&self) -> &[u8] {
+        &self.encoded.0
+    }
+}
+
+impl<T, C> SubmittableExtrinsic<T, C>
 where
     T: Config,
     C: OnlineClientT<T>,
@@ -323,9 +372,4 @@ where
     ) -> Result<ApplyExtrinsicResult, Error> {
         self.client.rpc().dry_run(self.encoded(), at).await
     }
-
-    /// Returns the SCALE encoded extrinsic bytes.
-    pub fn encoded(&self) -> &[u8] {
-        &self.encoded.0
-    }
 }
diff --git a/testing/integration-tests/src/client/mod.rs b/testing/integration-tests/src/client/mod.rs
index 9e68c75af2..25a9bf8615 100644
--- a/testing/integration-tests/src/client/mod.rs
+++ b/testing/integration-tests/src/client/mod.rs
@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ async fn dry_run_passes() {
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
-    api.rpc()
-        .dry_run(signed_extrinsic.encoded(), None)
+    signed_extrinsic
+        .dry_run(None)
         .await
         .expect("dryrunning failed")
         .expect("expected dryrunning to be successful")
@@ -186,9 +186,8 @@ async fn dry_run_fails() {
         .await
         .unwrap();
 
-    let dry_run_res = api
-        .rpc()
-        .dry_run(signed_extrinsic.encoded(), None)
+    let dry_run_res = signed_extrinsic
+        .dry_run(None)
         .await
         .expect("dryrunning failed")
         .expect("expected dryrun transaction to be valid");
@@ -214,3 +213,35 @@ async fn dry_run_fails() {
         panic!("expected a runtime module error");
     }
 }
+
+#[tokio::test]
+async fn unsigned_extrinsic_is_same_shape_as_polkadotjs() {
+    let ctx = test_context().await;
+    let api = ctx.client();
+
+    let tx = node_runtime::tx().balances().transfer(
+        pair_signer(AccountKeyring::Alice.pair())
+            .account_id()
+            .clone()
+            .into(),
+        12345,
+    );
+
+    let actual_tx = api.tx().create_unsigned(&tx).await.unwrap();
+
+    let actual_tx_bytes = actual_tx.encoded();
+
+    // How these were obtained:
+    // - start local substrate node.
+    // - open polkadot.js UI in browser and point at local node.
+    // - open dev console (may need to refresh page now) and find the WS connection.
+    // - create a balances.transfer to ALICE with 12345 and "submit unsigned".
+    // - find the submitAndWatchExtrinsic call in the WS connection to get these bytes:
+    let expected_tx_bytes = hex::decode(
+        "9804060000d43593c715fdd31c61141abd04a99fd6822c8558854ccde39a5684e7a56da27de5c0",
+    )
+    .unwrap();
+
+    // Make sure our encoding is the same as the encoding polkadot UI created.
+    assert_eq!(actual_tx_bytes, expected_tx_bytes);
+}