diff --git a/DeDRM_plugin/alfcrypto.py b/DeDRM_plugin/alfcrypto.py
index 5c197a7..5a31d09 100644
--- a/DeDRM_plugin/alfcrypto.py
+++ b/DeDRM_plugin/alfcrypto.py
@@ -207,8 +207,9 @@ def _load_python_alfcrypto():
 
         def ctx_init(self, key):
             ctx1 = 0x0CAFFE19E
-            for keyChar in key:
-                keyByte = ord(keyChar)
+            if isinstance(key, str):
+                key = key.encode('latin-1')
+            for keyByte in key:
                 ctx2 = ctx1
                 ctx1 = ((((ctx1 >>2) * (ctx1 >>7))&0xFFFFFFFF) ^ (keyByte * keyByte * 0x0F902007)& 0xFFFFFFFF )
             self._ctx = [ctx1, ctx2]
@@ -220,8 +221,9 @@ def _load_python_alfcrypto():
             ctx1 = ctx[0]
             ctx2 = ctx[1]
             plainText = ""
-            for dataChar in data:
-                dataByte = ord(dataChar)
+            if isinstance(data, str):
+                data = data.encode('latin-1')
+            for dataByte in data:
                 m = (dataByte ^ ((ctx1 >> 3) &0xFF) ^ ((ctx2<<3) & 0xFF)) &0xFF
                 ctx2 = ctx1
                 ctx1 = (((ctx1 >> 2) * (ctx1 >> 7)) &0xFFFFFFFF) ^((m * m * 0x0F902007) &0xFFFFFFFF)
diff --git a/DeDRM_plugin/flatxml2html.py b/DeDRM_plugin/flatxml2html.py
index 2fe80c3..63cd8f6 100644
--- a/DeDRM_plugin/flatxml2html.py
+++ b/DeDRM_plugin/flatxml2html.py
@@ -473,8 +473,10 @@ class DocParser(object):
                     if (link > 0):
                         linktype = self.link_type[link-1]
                         title = self.link_title[link-1]
-                        if (title == b"") or (parares.rfind(title.decode('utf-8')) < 0):
-                            title=parares[lstart:].encode('utf-8')
+                        if isinstance(title, bytes):
+                            title = title.decode('utf-8')
+                        if (title == "") or (parares.rfind(title) < 0):
+                            title=parares[lstart:]
                         if linktype == 'external' :
                             linkhref = self.link_href[link-1]
                             linkhtml = '<a href="%s">' % linkhref
@@ -485,9 +487,9 @@ class DocParser(object):
                             else :
                                 # just link to the current page
                                 linkhtml = '<a href="#' + self.id + '">'
-                        linkhtml += title.decode('utf-8')
+                        linkhtml += title
                         linkhtml += '</a>'
-                        pos = parares.rfind(title.decode('utf-8'))
+                        pos = parares.rfind(title)
                         if pos >= 0:
                             parares = parares[0:pos] + linkhtml + parares[pos+len(title):]
                         else :
diff --git a/DeDRM_plugin/topazextract.py b/DeDRM_plugin/topazextract.py
index 8be96a2..f65d25a 100644
--- a/DeDRM_plugin/topazextract.py
+++ b/DeDRM_plugin/topazextract.py
@@ -175,6 +175,8 @@ def decryptRecord(data,PID):
 # Try to decrypt a dkey record (contains the bookPID)
 def decryptDkeyRecord(data,PID):
     record = decryptRecord(data,PID)
+    if isinstance(record, str):
+       record = record.encode('latin-1')
     fields = unpack('3sB8sB8s3s',record)
     if fields[0] != b'PID' or fields[5] != b'pid' :
         raise DrmException("Didn't find PID magic numbers in record")
@@ -318,6 +320,8 @@ class TopazBook:
                 raise DrmException("Error: Attempt to decrypt without bookKey")
 
         if compressed:
+            if isinstance(record, str):
+                record = bytes(record, 'latin-1')
             record = zlib.decompress(record)
 
         return record
@@ -345,6 +349,8 @@ class TopazBook:
         for pid in pidlst:
             # use 8 digit pids here
             pid = pid[0:8]
+            if isinstance(pid, str):
+                pid = pid.encode('latin-1')
             print("Trying: {0}".format(pid))
             bookKeys = []
             data = keydata
@@ -412,6 +418,8 @@ class TopazBook:
                     outputFile = os.path.join(destdir,fname)
                     print(".", end=' ')
                     record = self.getBookPayloadRecord(name,index)
+                    if isinstance(record, str):
+                        record=bytes(record, 'latin-1')
                     if record != b'':
                         open(outputFile, 'wb').write(record)
                 print(" ")