diff --git a/stream.go b/stream.go
index ad38fa6..f60501a 100644
--- a/stream.go
+++ b/stream.go
@@ -25,13 +25,13 @@ type Stream struct {
 
 	// if more than a single instruction is read, the rest are buffered here
 	parseStart int
-	buffer     []byte
-	reset      []byte
+	buffer     []rune
+	reset      []rune
 }
 
 // NewStream creates a new stream
 func NewStream(conn net.Conn, timeout time.Duration) (ret *Stream) {
-	buffer := make([]byte, 0, MaxGuacMessage*3)
+	buffer := make([]rune, 0, MaxGuacMessage*3)
 	return &Stream{
 		conn:    conn,
 		timeout: timeout,
@@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ func (s *Stream) ReadSome() (instruction []byte, err error) {
 				// instruction.
 				switch terminator {
 				case ';':
-					instruction = s.buffer[0:i]
+					instruction = []byte(string(s.buffer[0:i]))
 					s.parseStart = 0
 					s.buffer = s.buffer[i:]
 					return
 				case ',':
 					// keep going
 				default:
-					err = ErrServer.NewError("Element terminator of instruction was not ';' nor ','")
+					err = ErrServer.NewError("Element terminator of instruction was not ';' nor ',', twas " + string(terminator))
 					return
 				}
 			default:
@@ -128,11 +128,8 @@ func (s *Stream) ReadSome() (instruction []byte, err error) {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if cap(s.buffer) < MaxGuacMessage {
-			s.Flush()
-		}
-
-		n, err = s.conn.Read(s.buffer[len(s.buffer):cap(s.buffer)])
+		buffer := make([]byte, 1024)
+		n, err = s.conn.Read(buffer)
 		if err != nil && n == 0 {
 			switch err.(type) {
 			case net.Error:
@@ -150,6 +147,13 @@ func (s *Stream) ReadSome() (instruction []byte, err error) {
 		if n == 0 {
 			err = ErrServer.NewError("read 0 bytes")
 		}
+		runes := []rune(string(buffer[:n]))
+
+		if cap(s.buffer)-len(s.buffer) < len(runes) {
+			s.Flush()
+		}
+
+		n = copy(s.buffer[len(s.buffer):cap(s.buffer)], runes)
 		// must reslice so len is changed
 		s.buffer = s.buffer[:len(s.buffer)+n]
 	}
diff --git a/stream_test.go b/stream_test.go
index 713f511..f5f8bc5 100644
--- a/stream_test.go
+++ b/stream_test.go
@@ -43,6 +43,41 @@ func TestInstructionReader_ReadSome(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestInstructionReader_ReadSome_Unicode(t *testing.T) {
+	conn := &fakeConn{
+		ToRead: []byte("4.copy,1.🚀;4.copy"),
+	}
+	stream := NewStream(conn, 1*time.Minute)
+
+	ins, err := stream.ReadSome()
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("Unexpected error", err)
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(ins, []byte("4.copy,1.🚀;")) {
+		t.Error("Unexpected bytes returned")
+	}
+	if !stream.Available() {
+		t.Error("Stream has more available but returned false")
+	}
+
+	// Read the rest of the fragmented instruction
+	n := copy(conn.ToRead, ",1.🚀;")
+	conn.ToRead = conn.ToRead[:n]
+	conn.HasRead = false
+	ins, err = stream.ReadSome()
+
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Error("Unexpected error", err)
+	}
+	if !bytes.Equal(ins, []byte("4.copy,1.🚀;")) {
+		t.Error("Unexpected bytes returned")
+	}
+	if stream.Available() {
+		t.Error("Stream thinks it has more available but doesn't")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestInstructionReader_Flush(t *testing.T) {
 	s := NewStream(&fakeConn{}, time.Second)
 	s.buffer = s.buffer[:4]