diff --git a/sqlite3.go b/sqlite3.go
index f731d20..1cf9451 100644
--- a/sqlite3.go
+++ b/sqlite3.go
@@ -2062,9 +2062,8 @@ func (rc *SQLiteRows) Next(dest []driver.Value) error {
 				}
 				dest[i] = t
 			default:
-				dest[i] = []byte(s)
+				dest[i] = s
 			}
-
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
diff --git a/sqlite3_test.go b/sqlite3_test.go
index 16bbb10..3ef8533 100644
--- a/sqlite3_test.go
+++ b/sqlite3_test.go
@@ -1670,6 +1670,26 @@ func TestAuthorizer(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNonColumnString(t *testing.T) {
+	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", ":memory:")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	defer db.Close()
+
+	var x interface{}
+	if err := db.QueryRow("SELECT 'hello'").Scan(&x); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	s, ok := x.(string)
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("non-column string must return string but got %T", x)
+	}
+	if s != "hello" {
+		t.Fatalf("non-column string must return %q but got %q", "hello", s)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestNilAndEmptyBytes(t *testing.T) {
 	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", ":memory:")
 	if err != nil {