diff --git a/Interp.hs b/Interp.hs
index be439ab..63c215a 100644
--- a/Interp.hs
+++ b/Interp.hs
@@ -7,11 +7,10 @@ import Prelude hiding (lookup)
 import qualified Data.Map as M
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Char8 as BSC
 import qualified Network.Socket as SO
-import qualified System.IO.UTF8 as UTF8
 import Data.List (intercalate)
 import Control.Monad.Trans (lift)
 import Control.Monad.Trans.State (StateT, runStateT, evalStateT, get, put)
-import System.IO (Handle, hPutStr, hGetLine, hFlush, hClose, hIsEOF, openBinaryFile, IOMode(..), stdout, stdin)
+import System.IO (Handle, hPutStr, hGetLine, hFlush, hClose, hIsEOF, openBinaryFile, hSetBinaryMode, IOMode(..), stdout, stdin)
 import System.Directory (doesFileExist)
 import System.FilePath (FilePath, splitExtension, takeBaseName)
 import AST
@@ -117,7 +116,7 @@ _fputstr (TupleV [StreamV h, StrV str]) = do
 _fgetline (StreamV h) = do
 	(handles,_) <- get
 	let handle = handles !! h
-	str <- lift $ UTF8.hGetLine handle
+	str <- lift $ hGetLine handle
 	if last str == '\r' then -- remove trailing CR
 		return . StrV $ init str
 	else return $ StrV str
@@ -412,6 +411,12 @@ apply (Builtin (BIF fn)) arg = fn arg
 
 -- some helper programs for evaluation
 
+-- sets up stdin/stdout for binary mode
+initIO :: IO ()
+initIO = do
+       hSetBinaryMode stdin True
+       hSetBinaryMode stdout True
+
 evalProgram :: [AST] -> InterpState Value
 evalProgram nodes = foldr1 (>>) $ map eval nodes
 
diff --git a/Lamb.hs b/Lamb.hs
index 932f004..1235737 100644
--- a/Lamb.hs
+++ b/Lamb.hs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import System.Environment (getArgs)
 import System.Directory (doesFileExist)
 import System.FilePath (FilePath, splitExtension)
-import Interp (evalFileV, Value(UnitV))
+import Interp (evalFileV, initIO, Value(UnitV))
 
 -- returns Nothing if all files exist, or Just path for the first one that doesn't
 allExist :: [FilePath] -> IO (Maybe FilePath)
@@ -22,4 +22,5 @@ main = do
 	case exist of
 		Just file -> putStrLn $ "error: file " ++ file ++ " doesn't exist"
 		Nothing ->
+			initIO >>
 			mapM_ evalFileV args
\ No newline at end of file