diff --git a/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TBinaryProtocol.cs b/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TBinaryProtocol.cs
index 36f03d0..c2eb81f 100644
--- a/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TBinaryProtocol.cs
+++ b/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TBinaryProtocol.cs
@@ -195,9 +195,8 @@
 			WriteI64(BitConverter.DoubleToInt64Bits(d));
 		}
 
-		public override void WriteString(string s)
+		public override void WriteBinary(byte[] b)
 		{
-			byte[] b = Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(s);
 			WriteI32(b.Length);
 			trans.Write(b, 0, b.Length);
 		}
@@ -361,13 +360,15 @@
 			}
 		}
 
-		public override string ReadString()
+		public override byte[] ReadBinary()
 		{
 			int size = ReadI32();
-			return ReadStringBody(size);
+			CheckReadLength(size);
+			byte[] buf = new byte[size];
+			trans.ReadAll(buf, 0, size);
+			return buf;
 		}
-
-		public string ReadStringBody(int size)
+		private  string ReadStringBody(int size)
 		{
 			CheckReadLength(size);
 			byte[] buf = new byte[size];
diff --git a/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocol.cs b/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocol.cs
index f46b6d1..d4b0829 100644
--- a/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocol.cs
+++ b/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocol.cs
@@ -50,7 +50,10 @@
 		public abstract void WriteI32(int i32);
 		public abstract void WriteI64(long i64);
 		public abstract void WriteDouble(double d);
-		public abstract void WriteString(string s);
+		public void WriteString(string s) {
+			WriteBinary(Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(s));
+		}
+		public abstract void WriteBinary(byte[] b);
 
 		public abstract TMessage ReadMessageBegin();
 		public abstract void ReadMessageEnd();
@@ -70,6 +73,9 @@
 		public abstract int ReadI32();
 		public abstract long ReadI64();
 		public abstract double ReadDouble();
-		public abstract string ReadString();
+		public string ReadString() {
+		       return Encoding.UTF8.GetString(ReadBinary());
+		}
+		public abstract byte[] ReadBinary();
 	}
 }
diff --git a/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocolUtil.cs b/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocolUtil.cs
index 67f0ce6..ae5a107 100644
--- a/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocolUtil.cs
+++ b/lib/csharp/src/Protocol/TProtocolUtil.cs
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@
 					prot.ReadDouble();
 					break;
 				case TType.String:
-					prot.ReadString();
+					// Don't try to decode the string, just skip it.
+					prot.ReadBinary();
 					break;
 				case TType.Struct:
 					prot.ReadStructBegin();