diff --git a/pyads/connection.py b/pyads/connection.py
index 4e02e93..fd0f813 100644
--- a/pyads/connection.py
+++ b/pyads/connection.py
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
     ads_type_to_ctype,
     PLCSimpleDataType,
     PLCDataType,
-    STRING_BUFFER,
 )
 from .filetimes import filetime_to_dt
 from .pyads_ex import (
@@ -449,7 +448,7 @@ def get_all_symbols(self) -> List[AdsSymbol]:
             symbol_size_msg = self.read(
                 ADSIGRP_SYM_UPLOADINFO2,
                 ADSIOFFS_DEVDATA_ADSSTATE,
-                PLCTYPE_STRING * STRING_BUFFER,
+                PLCTYPE_STRING,
                 return_ctypes=True,
             )
             sym_count = struct.unpack("I", symbol_size_msg[0:4])[0]
diff --git a/pyads/pyads_ex.py b/pyads/pyads_ex.py
index bec56a9..b39edb7 100644
--- a/pyads/pyads_ex.py
+++ b/pyads/pyads_ex.py
@@ -840,7 +840,11 @@ def adsSyncReadReqEx2(
     index_offset_c = ctypes.c_ulong(index_offset)
 
     # Strings were handled specifically before, but their sizes are contained and we
-    # can proceed as normal:
+    # can proceed as normal
+    if data_type == PLCTYPE_STRING or data_type == PLCTYPE_WSTRING:
+        # This implies a string of size 1, which is so are we instead use a large fixed
+        # size buffer:
+        data_type = data_type * STRING_BUFFER
     data = data_type()
 
     data_pointer = ctypes.pointer(data)