diff --git a/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_hs_generator.cc b/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_hs_generator.cc
index c41ff68..9e08d37 100644
--- a/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_hs_generator.cc
+++ b/compiler/cpp/src/generate/t_hs_generator.cc
@@ -233,7 +233,7 @@
     result += "\n";
   }
 
-  result += "import Thrift\nimport Data.Typeable ( Typeable )\nimport Control.Exception\nimport qualified Data.Map as Map\nimport qualified Data.Set as Set\nimport Data.ByteString.Lazy\nimport Data.Int\nimport Data.Word\nimport Prelude ((==), String, Eq, Show, Ord, Maybe(..), (&&), (||), return, IO, Enum, fromIntegral, fromEnum, toEnum, Bool(..), (++), ($), Double, (-), length)";
+  result += "import Thrift\nimport Data.Typeable ( Typeable )\nimport Control.Exception\nimport qualified Data.Map as Map\nimport qualified Data.Set as Set\nimport Data.ByteString.Lazy\nimport Data.Int\nimport Prelude ((==), String, Eq, Show, Ord, Maybe(..), (&&), (||), return, IO, Enum, fromIntegral, fromEnum, toEnum, Bool(..), (++), ($), Double, (-), length)";
   return result;
 }
 
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@
       break;
 
     case t_base_type::TYPE_BYTE:
-      out << "(" << value->get_integer() << " :: Word8)";
+      out << "(" << value->get_integer() << " :: Int8)";
       break;
 
     case t_base_type::TYPE_I16:
@@ -1434,7 +1434,7 @@
     case t_base_type::TYPE_BOOL:
       return "Bool";
     case t_base_type::TYPE_BYTE:
-      return "Word8";
+      return "Int8";
     case t_base_type::TYPE_I16:
       return "Int16";
     case t_base_type::TYPE_I32:
diff --git a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol.hs b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol.hs
index b34e806..1a31932 100644
--- a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol.hs
+++ b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol.hs
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 import Control.Exception
 import Data.Int
 import Data.Typeable ( Typeable )
-import Data.Word
 import Data.ByteString.Lazy
 
 import Thrift.Transport
@@ -119,7 +118,7 @@
     writeSetEnd      :: Transport t => a t -> IO ()
 
     writeBool   :: Transport t => a t -> Bool -> IO ()
-    writeByte   :: Transport t => a t -> Word8 -> IO ()
+    writeByte   :: Transport t => a t -> Int8 -> IO ()
     writeI16    :: Transport t => a t -> Int16 -> IO ()
     writeI32    :: Transport t => a t -> Int32 -> IO ()
     writeI64    :: Transport t => a t -> Int64 -> IO ()
@@ -143,7 +142,7 @@
     readSetEnd      :: Transport t => a t -> IO ()
 
     readBool   :: Transport t => a t -> IO Bool
-    readByte   :: Transport t => a t -> IO Word8
+    readByte   :: Transport t => a t -> IO Int8
     readI16    :: Transport t => a t -> IO Int16
     readI32    :: Transport t => a t -> IO Int32
     readI64    :: Transport t => a t -> IO Int64
diff --git a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol/Binary.hs b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol/Binary.hs
index cd95965..c55ea5a 100644
--- a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol/Binary.hs
+++ b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Protocol/Binary.hs
@@ -27,10 +27,9 @@
 import Control.Exception ( throw )
 import Control.Monad ( liftM )
 
+import qualified Data.Binary
 import Data.Bits
 import Data.Int
-import Data.List ( foldl' )
-import Data.Word
 
 import GHC.Exts
 import GHC.Word
@@ -38,8 +37,8 @@
 import Thrift.Protocol
 import Thrift.Transport
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as LBSChar8
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LBS
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as LBSChar8
 
 version_mask :: Int32
 version_mask = 0xffff0000
@@ -71,11 +70,11 @@
     writeSetBegin p (t, n) = writeType p t >> writeI32 p n
     writeSetEnd _ = return ()
 
-    writeBool p b = tWrite (getTransport p) $ LBSChar8.singleton $ toEnum $ if b then 1 else 0
-    writeByte p b = tWrite (getTransport p) (getBytes b 1)
-    writeI16 p b = tWrite (getTransport p) (getBytes b 2)
-    writeI32 p b = tWrite (getTransport p) (getBytes b 4)
-    writeI64 p b = tWrite (getTransport p) (getBytes b 8)
+    writeBool p b = tWrite (getTransport p) $ LBS.singleton $ toEnum $ if b then 1 else 0
+    writeByte p b = tWrite (getTransport p) $ Data.Binary.encode b
+    writeI16 p b = tWrite (getTransport p) $ Data.Binary.encode b
+    writeI32 p b = tWrite (getTransport p) $ Data.Binary.encode b
+    writeI64 p b = tWrite (getTransport p) $ Data.Binary.encode b
     writeDouble p d = writeI64 p (fromIntegral $ floatBits d)
     writeString p s = writeI32 p (fromIntegral $ length s) >> tWrite (getTransport p) (LBSChar8.pack s)
     writeBinary p s = writeI32 p (fromIntegral $ LBS.length s) >> tWrite (getTransport p) s
@@ -114,20 +113,31 @@
     readSetEnd _ = return ()
 
     readBool p = (== 1) `fmap` readByte p
+
     readByte p = do
         bs <- tReadAll (getTransport p) 1
-        return $ fromIntegral (composeBytes bs :: Int8)
+        return $ Data.Binary.decode bs
+
     readI16 p = do
         bs <- tReadAll (getTransport p) 2
-        return $ fromIntegral (composeBytes bs :: Int16)
-    readI32 p = composeBytes `fmap` tReadAll (getTransport p) 4
-    readI64 p = composeBytes `fmap` tReadAll (getTransport p) 8
+        return $ Data.Binary.decode bs
+
+    readI32 p = do
+        bs <- tReadAll (getTransport p) 4
+        return $ Data.Binary.decode bs
+
+    readI64 p = do
+        bs <- tReadAll (getTransport p) 8
+        return $ Data.Binary.decode bs
+
     readDouble p = do
         bs <- readI64 p
         return $ floatOfBits $ fromIntegral bs
+
     readString p = do
         i <- readI32 p
         LBSChar8.unpack `liftM` tReadAll (getTransport p) (fromIntegral i)
+
     readBinary p = do
         i <- readI32 p
         tReadAll (getTransport p) (fromIntegral i)
@@ -143,17 +153,6 @@
     b <- readByte p
     return $ toEnum $ fromIntegral b
 
-composeBytes :: (Bits b) => LBSChar8.ByteString -> b
-composeBytes = (foldl' fn 0) . (map (fromIntegral . fromEnum)) . LBSChar8.unpack
-    where fn acc b = (acc `shiftL` 8) .|. b
-
-getByte :: Bits a => a -> Int -> a
-getByte i n = 255 .&. (i `shiftR` (8 * n))
-
-getBytes :: (Bits a, Integral a) => a -> Int -> LBSChar8.ByteString
-getBytes _ 0 = LBSChar8.empty
-getBytes i n = (toEnum $ fromIntegral $ getByte i (n-1)) `LBSChar8.cons` (getBytes i (n-1))
-
 floatBits :: Double -> Word64
 floatBits (D# d#) = W64# (unsafeCoerce# d#)
 
diff --git a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport.hs b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport.hs
index 99dbd6f..3e5f18b 100644
--- a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport.hs
+++ b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport.hs
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 
 import Data.Typeable ( Typeable )
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as LBS
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LBS
 import Data.Monoid
 
 class Transport a where
diff --git a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/Handle.hs b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/Handle.hs
index e9fe17e..70d39e7 100644
--- a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/Handle.hs
+++ b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/Handle.hs
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 
 import Thrift.Transport
 
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as LBS
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LBS
 import Data.Monoid
 
 instance Transport Handle where
diff --git a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/HttpClient.hs b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/HttpClient.hs
index 6729b12..b1b0982 100644
--- a/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/HttpClient.hs
+++ b/lib/hs/src/Thrift/Transport/HttpClient.hs
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 import Control.Exception (throw)
 import Control.Concurrent.MVar
 import qualified Data.Binary.Builder as B
-import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy.Char8 as LBS
+import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LBS
 
 
 -- | 'HttpClient', or THttpClient implements the Thrift Transport