diff --git a/example/clonebytes.go b/example/clonebytes.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4db5053
--- /dev/null
+++ b/example/clonebytes.go
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+package main
+
+import (
+	"log"
+	"sync"
+
+	"github.com/tidwall/redcon"
+)
+
+var addr = ":6380"
+
+func main() {
+	var mu sync.RWMutex
+	var items = make(map[string][]byte)
+	go log.Printf("started server at %s", addr)
+	err := redcon.ListenAndServeBytes(addr,
+		func(conn redcon.Conn, commands [][][]byte) {
+			for _, args := range commands {
+				switch string(args[0]) {
+				default:
+					conn.WriteError("ERR unknown command '" + string(args[0]) + "'")
+				case "ping":
+					conn.WriteString("PONG")
+				case "quit":
+					conn.WriteString("OK")
+					conn.Close()
+				case "set":
+					if len(args) != 3 {
+						conn.WriteError("ERR wrong number of arguments for '" + string(args[0]) + "' command")
+						continue
+					}
+					mu.Lock()
+					items[string(args[1])] = args[2]
+					mu.Unlock()
+					conn.WriteString("OK")
+				case "get":
+					if len(args) != 2 {
+						conn.WriteError("ERR wrong number of arguments for '" + string(args[0]) + "' command")
+						continue
+					}
+					mu.RLock()
+					val, ok := items[string(args[1])]
+					mu.RUnlock()
+					if !ok {
+						conn.WriteNull()
+					} else {
+						conn.WriteBulkBytes(val)
+					}
+				case "del":
+					if len(args) != 2 {
+						conn.WriteError("ERR wrong number of arguments for '" + string(args[0]) + "' command")
+						continue
+					}
+					mu.Lock()
+					_, ok := items[string(args[1])]
+					delete(items, string(args[1]))
+					mu.Unlock()
+					if !ok {
+						conn.WriteInt(0)
+					} else {
+						conn.WriteInt(1)
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		},
+		func(conn redcon.Conn) bool {
+			// use this function to accept or deny the connection.
+			// log.Printf("accept: %s", conn.RemoteAddr())
+			return true
+		},
+		func(conn redcon.Conn, err error) {
+			// this is called when the connection has been closed
+			// log.Printf("closed: %s, err: %v", conn.RemoteAddr(), err)
+		},
+	)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/redcon.go b/redcon.go
index fdcc306..6274204 100644
--- a/redcon.go
+++ b/redcon.go
@@ -64,16 +64,17 @@ func (err *errProtocol) Error() string {
 
 // Server represents a Redcon server.
 type Server struct {
-	mu      sync.Mutex
-	addr    string
-	handler func(conn Conn, cmds [][]string)
-	accept  func(conn Conn) bool
-	closed  func(conn Conn, err error)
-	ln      *net.TCPListener
-	done    bool
-	conns   map[*conn]bool
-	rdpool  [][]byte
-	wrpool  [][]byte
+	mu       sync.Mutex
+	addr     string
+	shandler func(conn Conn, cmds [][]string)
+	bhandler func(conn Conn, cmds [][][]byte)
+	accept   func(conn Conn) bool
+	closed   func(conn Conn, err error)
+	ln       *net.TCPListener
+	done     bool
+	conns    map[*conn]bool
+	rdpool   [][]byte
+	wrpool   [][]byte
 }
 
 // NewServer returns a new server
@@ -82,11 +83,26 @@ func NewServer(
 	accept func(conn Conn) bool, closed func(conn Conn, err error),
 ) *Server {
 	return &Server{
-		addr:    addr,
-		handler: handler,
-		accept:  accept,
-		closed:  closed,
-		conns:   make(map[*conn]bool),
+		addr:     addr,
+		shandler: handler,
+		accept:   accept,
+		closed:   closed,
+		conns:    make(map[*conn]bool),
+	}
+}
+
+// NewServerBytes returns a new server
+// It uses []byte instead of string for the handler commands.
+func NewServerBytes(
+	addr string, handler func(conn Conn, cmds [][][]byte),
+	accept func(conn Conn) bool, closed func(conn Conn, err error),
+) *Server {
+	return &Server{
+		addr:     addr,
+		bhandler: handler,
+		accept:   accept,
+		closed:   closed,
+		conns:    make(map[*conn]bool),
 	}
 }
 
@@ -111,7 +127,8 @@ func (s *Server) ListenAndServe() error {
 // when listening. signal can be nil.
 func (s *Server) ListenServeAndSignal(signal chan error) error {
 	var addr = s.addr
-	var handler = s.handler
+	var shandler = s.shandler
+	var bhandler = s.bhandler
 	var accept = s.accept
 	var closed = s.closed
 	ln, err := net.Listen("tcp", addr)
@@ -139,9 +156,6 @@ func (s *Server) ListenServeAndSignal(signal chan error) error {
 			s.conns = nil
 		}()
 	}()
-	if handler == nil {
-		handler = func(conn Conn, cmds [][]string) {}
-	}
 	for {
 		tcpc, err := tln.AcceptTCP()
 		if err != nil {
@@ -178,7 +192,14 @@ func (s *Server) ListenServeAndSignal(signal chan error) error {
 			c.Close()
 			continue
 		}
-		go handle(s, c, handler, closed)
+		if shandler == nil && bhandler == nil {
+			shandler = func(conn Conn, cmds [][]string) {}
+		} else if shandler != nil {
+			bhandler = nil
+		} else if bhandler != nil {
+			shandler = nil
+		}
+		go handle(s, c, shandler, bhandler, closed)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -190,9 +211,19 @@ func ListenAndServe(
 	return NewServer(addr, handler, accept, closed).ListenAndServe()
 }
 
+// ListenAndServeBytes creates a new server and binds to addr.
+// It uses []byte instead of string for the handler commands.
+func ListenAndServeBytes(
+	addr string, handler func(conn Conn, cmds [][][]byte),
+	accept func(conn Conn) bool, closed func(conn Conn, err error),
+) error {
+	return NewServerBytes(addr, handler, accept, closed).ListenAndServe()
+}
+
 func handle(
 	s *Server, c *conn,
-	handler func(conn Conn, cmds [][]string),
+	shandler func(conn Conn, cmds [][]string),
+	bhandler func(conn Conn, cmds [][][]byte),
 	closed func(conn Conn, err error)) {
 	var err error
 	defer func() {
@@ -228,7 +259,28 @@ func handle(
 				return err
 			}
 			if len(cmds) > 0 {
-				handler(c, cmds)
+				if shandler != nil {
+					// convert bytes to strings
+					scmds := make([][]string, len(cmds))
+					for i := 0; i < len(cmds); i++ {
+						scmds[i] = make([]string, len(cmds[i]))
+						for j := 0; j < len(scmds[i]); j++ {
+							scmds[i][j] = string(scmds[i][j])
+						}
+					}
+					shandler(c, scmds)
+				} else if bhandler != nil {
+					// copy the byte commands once, before exposing to the
+					// client.
+					for i := 0; i < len(cmds); i++ {
+						for j := 0; j < len(cmds[i]); j++ {
+							nb := make([]byte, len(cmds[i][j]))
+							copy(nb, cmds[i][j])
+							cmds[i][j] = nb
+						}
+					}
+					bhandler(c, cmds)
+				}
 			}
 			if c.wr.err != nil {
 				if c.wr.err == errClosed {
@@ -313,11 +365,11 @@ func (rd *reader) reassign(r io.Reader) {
 }
 
 // ReadCommands reads one or more commands from the reader.
-func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
+func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][][]byte, error) {
 	if r.end-r.start > 0 {
 		b := r.buf[r.start:r.end]
 		// we have some potential commands.
-		var cmds [][]string
+		var cmds [][][]byte
 	next:
 		switch b[0] {
 		default:
@@ -330,7 +382,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 					} else {
 						line = b[:i]
 					}
-					var args []string
+					var args [][]byte
 					var quote bool
 					var escape bool
 				outer:
@@ -341,7 +393,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 							if !quote {
 								if c == ' ' {
 									if len(nline) > 0 {
-										args = append(args, string(nline))
+										args = append(args, nline)
 									}
 									line = line[i+1:]
 									continue outer
@@ -367,7 +419,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 									}
 								} else if c == '"' {
 									quote = false
-									args = append(args, string(nline))
+									args = append(args, nline)
 									line = line[i+1:]
 									if len(line) > 0 && line[0] != ' ' {
 										return nil, errUnbalancedQuotes
@@ -384,7 +436,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 							return nil, errUnbalancedQuotes
 						}
 						if len(line) > 0 {
-							args = append(args, string(line))
+							args = append(args, line)
 						}
 						break
 					}
@@ -404,7 +456,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 			var si int
 		outer2:
 			for i := 0; i < len(b); i++ {
-				var args []string
+				var args [][]byte
 				if b[i] == '\n' {
 					if b[i-1] != '\r' {
 						return nil, errInvalidMultiBulkLength
@@ -413,7 +465,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 					if err != nil || ni <= 0 {
 						return nil, errInvalidMultiBulkLength
 					}
-					args = make([]string, 0, ni)
+					args = make([][]byte, 0, ni)
 					for j := 0; j < ni; j++ {
 						// read bulk length
 						i++
@@ -450,7 +502,7 @@ func (r *reader) ReadCommands() ([][]string, error) {
 										}
 									}
 									i += ni2 + 1
-									args = append(args, string(arg))
+									args = append(args, arg)
 									break
 								}
 							}
diff --git a/redcon_test.go b/redcon_test.go
index 73c2b4a..7baf369 100644
--- a/redcon_test.go
+++ b/redcon_test.go
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ func TestRandomCommands(t *testing.T) {
 			log.Fatal(err)
 		}
 		for _, cmd := range cmds {
-			if len(cmd) == 3 && cmd[0] == "RESET" && cmd[1] == "THE" && cmd[2] == "INDEX" {
+			if len(cmd) == 3 && string(cmd[0]) == "RESET" && string(cmd[1]) == "THE" && string(cmd[2]) == "INDEX" {
 				if idx != len(gcmds) {
 					t.Fatalf("did not process all commands")
 				}
@@ -186,7 +186,7 @@ func TestRandomCommands(t *testing.T) {
 							continue
 						}
 					}
-				} else if cmd[i] == gcmds[idx][i] {
+				} else if string(cmd[i]) == string(gcmds[idx][i]) {
 					continue
 				}
 				t.Fatalf("not equal for index %d/%d", idx, i)