diff --git a/Bencode/bencode.py b/Bencode/bencode.py
index 5f544b5..ba876cc 100644
--- a/Bencode/bencode.py
+++ b/Bencode/bencode.py
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ def bencode(data):
 
     encoders = {
         bytes: encode_bytes,
-        str: encode_string,
         float: encode_float,
         int: encode_int,
         dict: encode_dict,
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ def bencode(data):
     return encoder(data)
 
 def encode_bytes(data):
-    return '%d:%s' % (len(data), data)
+    return b'%d:%s' % (len(data), data)
 
 def encode_dict(data):
     result = []
@@ -38,24 +37,21 @@ def encode_dict(data):
     for key in keys:
         result.append(bencode(key))
         result.append(bencode(data[key]))
-    result = ''.join(result)
-    return 'd%se' % result
+    result = b''.join(result)
+    return b'd%se' % result
 
 def encode_float(data):
-    return encode_string(str(data))
+    return encode_bytes(str(data).encode())
 
 def encode_int(data):
-    return 'i%de' % data
+    return b'i%de' % data
 
 def encode_iterator(data):
     result = []
     for item in data:
         result.append(bencode(item))
-    result = ''.join(result)
-    return 'l%se' % result
-
-def encode_string(data):
-    return encode_bytes(data)
+    result = b''.join(result)
+    return b'l%se' % result
 
 
 # =============================================================================
@@ -74,70 +70,28 @@ def bdecode(data):
     if data is None:
         return None
 
-    data = data.strip()
-    if isinstance(data, bytes):
-        data = data.decode('utf-8')
+    #data = data.strip()
+    if isinstance(data, str):
+        data = data.encode('utf-8')
 
-    if data[0] == 'i':
+    identifier = data[0:1]
+    if identifier == b'i':
         return decode_int(data)
 
-    if data[0].isdigit():
-        return decode_string(data)
+    if identifier.isdigit():
+        return decode_bytes(data)
 
-    if data[0] == 'l':
+    if identifier == b'l':
         return decode_list(data)
 
-    if data[0] == 'd':
+    if identifier == b'd':
         return decode_dict(data)
 
-    raise ValueError('Invalid initial delimiter "%s"' % data[0])
+    raise ValueError('Invalid initial delimiter "%s"' % identifier)
 
-def decode_dict(data):
-    result = {}
-
-    # slice leading d
-    remainder = data[1:]
-    while remainder[0] != 'e':
-        temp = bdecode(remainder)
-        key = temp['result']
-        remainder = temp['remainder']
-
-        temp = bdecode(remainder)
-        value = temp['result']
-        remainder = temp['remainder']
-
-        result[key] = value
-
-    # slice ending 3
-    remainder = remainder[1:]
-    return {'result': result, 'remainder': remainder}
-
-def decode_int(data):
-    end = data.find('e')
-    if end == -1:
-        raise ValueError('Missing end delimiter "e"')
-
-    # slice leading i and closing e
-    result = data[1:end]
-    remainder = data[end+1:]
-    return {'result': result, 'remainder': remainder}
-
-def decode_list(data):
-    result = []
-    
-    # slice leading l
-    remainder = data[1:]
-    while remainder[0] != 'e':
-        item = bdecode(data)
-        result.append(item['result'])
-        reaminder = item['remainder']
-
-    # slice ending e
-    remainder = remainder[1:]
-    return {'result': result, 'remainder': remainder}
-
-def decode_string(data):
-    start = data.find(':') + 1
+def decode_bytes(data):
+    #print('Decoding bytes from', data[:100])
+    start = data.find(b':') + 1
     size = int(data[:start-1])
     end = start + size
     text = data[start:end]
@@ -145,3 +99,49 @@ def decode_string(data):
         raise ValueError('Actual length %d is less than declared length %d' % len(text), size)
     remainder = data[end:]
     return {'result': text, 'remainder': remainder}
+
+def decode_dict(data):
+    #print('Decoding dict from', data[:100])
+    result = {}
+
+    # slice leading d
+    remainder = data[1:]
+    while remainder[0:1] != b'e':
+        temp = bdecode(remainder)
+        key = temp['result']
+        remainder = temp['remainder']
+
+        temp = bdecode(remainder)
+        value = temp['result']
+        remainder = temp['remainder']
+        result[key] = value
+
+    # slice ending e
+    remainder = remainder[1:]
+    return {'result': result, 'remainder': remainder}
+
+def decode_int(data):
+    #print('Decoding int from', data[:100])
+    end = data.find(b'e')
+    if end == -1:
+        raise ValueError('Missing end delimiter "e"')
+
+    # slice leading i and closing e
+    result = int(data[1:end])
+    remainder = data[end+1:]
+    return {'result': result, 'remainder': remainder}
+
+def decode_list(data):
+    #print('Decoding list from', data[:100])
+    result = []
+
+    # slice leading l
+    remainder = data[1:]
+    while remainder[0:1] != b'e':
+        item = bdecode(remainder)
+        result.append(item['result'])
+        remainder = item['remainder']
+
+    # slice ending e
+    remainder = remainder[1:]
+    return {'result': result, 'remainder': remainder}