diff --git a/pyignite/datatypes/standard.py b/pyignite/datatypes/standard.py
index 6109c7a..5f3af74 100644
--- a/pyignite/datatypes/standard.py
+++ b/pyignite/datatypes/standard.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import ctypes
 from datetime import date, datetime, time, timedelta
 import decimal
+from math import ceil
 import uuid
 
 from pyignite.constants import *
@@ -163,7 +164,7 @@
             {
                 '_pack_': 1,
                 '_fields_': [
-                    ('data', ctypes.c_char * header.length),
+                    ('data', ctypes.c_ubyte * header.length),
                 ],
             }
         )
@@ -179,12 +180,18 @@
             return None
 
         sign = 1 if ctype_object.data[0] & 0x80 else 0
-        data = bytes([ctype_object.data[0] & 0x7f]) + ctype_object.data[1:]
-        result = decimal.Decimal(data.decode(PROTOCOL_STRING_ENCODING))
+        data = ctype_object.data[1:]
+        data.insert(0, ctype_object.data[0] & 0x7f)
+        # decode n-byte integer
+        result = sum([
+            [x for x in reversed(data)][i] * 0x100 ** i for i in
+            range(len(data))
+        ])
         # apply scale
         result = (
             result
-            * decimal.Decimal('10') ** decimal.Decimal(ctype_object.scale)
+            / decimal.Decimal('10')
+            ** decimal.Decimal(ctype_object.scale)
         )
         if sign:
             # apply sign
@@ -197,12 +204,20 @@
             return Null.from_python()
 
         sign, digits, scale = value.normalize().as_tuple()
-        data = bytearray([ord('0') + digit for digit in digits])
+        integer = int(''.join([str(d) for d in digits]))
+        # calculate number of bytes (at least one, and not forget the sign bit)
+        length = ceil((integer.bit_length() + 1)/8)
+        # write byte string
+        data = []
+        for i in range(length):
+            digit = integer % 0x100
+            integer //= 0x100
+            data.insert(0, digit)
+        # apply sign
         if sign:
             data[0] |= 0x80
         else:
             data[0] &= 0x7f
-        length = len(digits)
         header_class = cls.build_c_header()
         data_class = type(
             cls.__name__,
@@ -210,7 +225,7 @@
             {
                 '_pack_': 1,
                 '_fields_': [
-                    ('data', ctypes.c_char * length),
+                    ('data', ctypes.c_ubyte * length),
                 ],
             }
         )
@@ -220,8 +235,9 @@
             byteorder=PROTOCOL_BYTE_ORDER
         )
         data_object.length = length
-        data_object.scale = scale
-        data_object.data = bytes(data)
+        data_object.scale = -scale
+        for i in range(length):
+            data_object.data[i] = data[i]
         return bytes(data_object)
 
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 5d14dae..7419c97 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
             if is_a_requirement(line):
                 requirements[section].append(line)
 
-with open('README.md', 'r') as readme_file:
+with open('README.md', 'r', encoding='utf-8') as readme_file:
     long_description = readme_file.read()
 
 setuptools.setup(