diff --git a/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py b/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py
index 6b2facc..e59e0dc 100644
--- a/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py
+++ b/lib/py/src/protocol/TBinaryProtocol.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #
 
 from .TProtocol import TType, TProtocolBase, TProtocolException, TProtocolFactory
+from ..compat import binary_to_str
 from struct import pack, unpack
 
 
@@ -145,7 +146,7 @@
             if self.strictRead:
                 raise TProtocolException(type=TProtocolException.BAD_VERSION,
                                          message='No protocol version header')
-            name = self.trans.readAll(sz)
+            name = binary_to_str(self.trans.readAll(sz))
             type = self.readByte()
             seqid = self.readI32()
         return (name, type, seqid)