diff --git a/.travis/ldap/test_data.ldif b/.travis/ldap/test_data.ldif
index 2d88bc5..aca0f1b 100644
--- a/.travis/ldap/test_data.ldif
+++ b/.travis/ldap/test_data.ldif
@@ -46,3 +46,10 @@ objectClass: room
 commonName: meetingRoom
 roomNumber: 42
 description: The Room where meetings happens
+
+dn: commonName=ùnícödəR°°m,ou=Rooms,dc=test,dc=com
+objectClass: top
+objectClass: room
+commonName: ùnícödəR°°m
+roomNumber: 8
+description: The Room where ùnícödə happens 🏰
diff --git a/lib/paddle.ex b/lib/paddle.ex
index 198f0e0..93bb72e 100644
--- a/lib/paddle.ex
+++ b/lib/paddle.ex
@@ -291,12 +291,12 @@ defmodule Paddle do
   """
   def authenticate(kwdn, password) when is_list(kwdn) do
     dn = Parsing.construct_dn(kwdn, config(:base))
-    GenServer.call(Paddle, {:authenticate, dn, String.to_charlist(password)})
+    GenServer.call(Paddle, {:authenticate, dn, :binary.bin_to_list(password)})
   end
 
   def authenticate(username, password) do
     dn = Parsing.construct_dn([{config(:account_identifier), username}], config(:account_base))
-    GenServer.call(Paddle, {:authenticate, dn, String.to_charlist(password)})
+    GenServer.call(Paddle, {:authenticate, dn, :binary.bin_to_list(password)})
   end
 
   @spec get_dn(Paddle.Class.t) :: {:ok, binary} | {:error, :missing_unique_identifier}
@@ -589,6 +589,14 @@ defmodule Paddle do
                     add: {"description", "This is a description"},
                     delete: "gecos",
                     replace: {"o", ["Club *Nix", "Linux Foundation"]})
+
+  Or, using class objects:
+
+      Paddle.modify(%MyApp.PosixAccount{uid: "testuser"},
+                    add: {"description", "This is a description"},
+                    delete: "gecos",
+                    replace: {"o", ["Club *Nix", "Linux Foundation"]})
+
   """
   def modify(kwdn, mods) when is_list(kwdn) or is_binary(kwdn) do
     GenServer.call(Paddle, {:modify, kwdn, :base, mods})
@@ -629,9 +637,9 @@ defmodule Paddle do
   def config(:sslopts),            do: config(:sslopts, [])
   def config(:port),               do: config(:port, 389)
   def config(:timeout),            do: config(:timeout, nil)
-  def config(:base),               do: config(:base, "")                   |> String.to_charlist
+  def config(:base),               do: config(:base, "")                   |> :binary.bin_to_list
   def config(:account_base),       do: config(:account_subdn) ++ ',' ++ config(:base)
-  def config(:account_subdn),      do: config(:account_subdn, "ou=People") |> String.to_charlist
+  def config(:account_subdn),      do: config(:account_subdn, "ou=People") |> :binary.bin_to_list
   def config(:account_identifier), do: config(:account_identifier, :uid)
   def config(:schema_files),       do: config(:schema_files, [])
 
diff --git a/lib/paddle/parsing.ex b/lib/paddle/parsing.ex
index e94e6e9..b521657 100644
--- a/lib/paddle/parsing.ex
+++ b/lib/paddle/parsing.ex
@@ -30,22 +30,25 @@ defmodule Paddle.Parsing do
   reordered and because they can be mistaken for a class object (see
   `Paddle.Class`).
   """
+  def construct_dn(subdn, base) when is_binary(base) do
+    construct_dn(subdn, :binary.bin_to_list(base))
+  end
+
   def construct_dn(map, base \\ '')
 
   def construct_dn([], base) when is_list(base), do: base
-  def construct_dn([], base), do: String.to_charlist(base)
 
   def construct_dn(subdn, base) when is_binary(subdn) and is_list(base), do:
-    String.to_charlist(subdn) ++ ',' ++ base
-  def construct_dn(subdn, base) when is_binary(subdn), do:
-    String.to_charlist(subdn) ++ ',' ++ String.to_charlist(base)
+    :binary.bin_to_list(subdn) ++ ',' ++ base
 
   def construct_dn(nil, base) when is_list(base), do: base
-  def construct_dn(nil, base), do: String.to_charlist(base)
 
   def construct_dn(map, '') do
-    ',' ++ dn = map
-                |> Enum.reduce('', fn {key, value}, acc -> acc ++ ',#{key}=#{ldap_escape value}' end)
+    ',' ++ dn = Enum.reduce(map,
+                            '',
+                            fn {key, value}, acc ->
+                              acc ++ ',#{key}=#{ldap_escape value}'
+                            end)
     dn
   end
 
@@ -53,8 +56,6 @@ defmodule Paddle.Parsing do
     construct_dn(map, '') ++ ',' ++ base
   end
 
-  def construct_dn(map, base), do: construct_dn(map, String.to_charlist(base))
-
   @spec dn_to_kwlist(charlist | binary) :: [{binary, binary}]
 
   @doc ~S"""
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ defmodule Paddle.Parsing do
     escaped_char ++ ldap_escape(rest)
   end
 
-  def ldap_escape(token), do: ldap_escape(String.to_charlist(token))
+  def ldap_escape(token), do: ldap_escape(:binary.bin_to_list(token))
 
   # =============
   # == Entries ==
@@ -308,7 +309,7 @@ defmodule Paddle.Parsing do
 
   defp attribute_to_binary({key, values}) do
     {List.to_string(key),
-     values |> Enum.map(&List.to_string/1)}
+     values |> Enum.map(&:binary.list_to_bin/1)}
   end
 
 end
diff --git a/test/obsolete.schema b/test/obsolete.schema
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..828d977
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/obsolete.schema
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+objectclass ( 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.344 NAME 'dcObject'
+	DESC 'RFC2247: domain component object'
+	OBSOLETE
+	SUP top AUXILIARY MUST dc )
diff --git a/test/paddle_test.exs b/test/paddle_test.exs
index 71aac03..5a38404 100644
--- a/test/paddle_test.exs
+++ b/test/paddle_test.exs
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ defmodule PaddleTest do
   doctest Paddle
 
   test "class generator helper macro" do
-    assert Paddle.get!(%MyApp.Room{})                  == [%MyApp.Room{cn: ["meetingRoom"], description: ["The Room where meetings happens"], roomNumber: ["42"]}]
+    assert Paddle.get!(%MyApp.Room{})                  == [%MyApp.Room{cn: ["ùnícödəR°°m"], description: ["The Room where ùnícödə happens 🏰"], roomNumber: ["8"]},
+                                                           %MyApp.Room{cn: ["meetingRoom"], description: ["The Room where meetings happens"], roomNumber: ["42"]}]
     assert Paddle.get!(%MyApp.Room{cn: "meetingRoom"}) == [%MyApp.Room{cn: ["meetingRoom"], description: ["The Room where meetings happens"], roomNumber: ["42"]}]
     assert Paddle.get!(%MyApp.Room{roomNumber: 42})    == [%MyApp.Room{cn: ["meetingRoom"], description: ["The Room where meetings happens"], roomNumber: ["42"]}]
   end