diff --git a/extra/bencode/bencode-tests.factor b/extra/bencode/bencode-tests.factor
index b9a1bcb0b4..7fc9bb2238 100644
--- a/extra/bencode/bencode-tests.factor
+++ b/extra/bencode/bencode-tests.factor
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ USING: bencode linked-assocs tools.test ;
 { "4:spam" } [ "spam" >bencode ] unit-test
 
 { "3:\x01\x02\x03" } [ B{ 1 2 3 } >bencode ] unit-test
+{ "\x01\x02\x03" } [ B{ 51 58 1 2 3 } bencode> ] unit-test
 
 { { "spam" 42 } } [ "l4:spami42ee" bencode> ] unit-test
 
diff --git a/extra/bencode/bencode.factor b/extra/bencode/bencode.factor
index b23ea09c71..fc4537477f 100644
--- a/extra/bencode/bencode.factor
+++ b/extra/bencode/bencode.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 USING: arrays assocs byte-arrays combinators io
-io.streams.string kernel linked-assocs math math.parser
-sequences strings ;
+io.encodings.binary io.streams.byte-array io.streams.string
+kernel linked-assocs math math.parser sequences strings ;
 IN: bencode
 
 GENERIC: >bencode ( obj -- bencode )
@@ -50,5 +50,10 @@ PRIVATE>
         [ read-string ]
     } case ;
 
-: bencode> ( bencode -- obj )
+GENERIC: bencode> ( bencode -- obj )
+
+M: byte-array bencode>
+    binary [ read-bencode ] with-byte-reader ;
+
+M: string bencode>
     [ read-bencode ] with-string-reader ;