diff --git a/bin/ikarus b/bin/ikarus
index 8b8109b..b68fd99 100755
Binary files a/bin/ikarus and b/bin/ikarus differ
diff --git a/bin/ikarus-runtime.c b/bin/ikarus-runtime.c
index 03871c6..7eca7ae 100644
--- a/bin/ikarus-runtime.c
+++ b/bin/ikarus-runtime.c
@@ -467,8 +467,8 @@ ikp ik_uuid(ikp str){
     }
     uuid_strlen = strlen(uuid_chars);
   }
-  int n = unfix(ref(str, off_string_length));
-  unsigned char* data = str+off_string_data;
+  int n = unfix(ref(str, off_bytevector_length));
+  unsigned char* data = str+off_bytevector_data;
   read(fd, data, n);
   unsigned char* p = data;
   unsigned char* q = data + n;
@@ -480,20 +480,6 @@ ikp ik_uuid(ikp str){
 }
 
 
-#if 0
-ikp ik_read(ikp fdptr, ikp bufptr, ikp lenptr){
-  int fd = unfix(fdptr);
-  int len = unfix(lenptr);
-  char* buf = (char*)(bufptr+disp_string_data-string_tag);
-  int bytes = read(fd, buf, len);
-  if(bytes == -1){
-    perror("S_read");
-    exit(-10);
-  }
-  return fix(bytes);
-}  
-#endif
-
 ikp ik_write(ikp fdptr, ikp idx, ikp str){
   fprintf(stderr, "IK_WRITE\n");
   int fd = unfix(fdptr);
diff --git a/src/ikarus.boot b/src/ikarus.boot
index 865575f..ff96eda 100644
Binary files a/src/ikarus.boot and b/src/ikarus.boot differ
diff --git a/src/ikarus.strings.ss b/src/ikarus.strings.ss
index d8d4a06..7a53999 100644
--- a/src/ikarus.strings.ss
+++ b/src/ikarus.strings.ss
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     (ikarus system $strings)
     (ikarus system $fx)
     (ikarus system $chars)
+    (ikarus system $bytevectors)
     (ikarus system $pairs)
     (except (ikarus) string-length string-ref string-set! make-string
             string->list string=? string-append substring string
@@ -230,7 +231,8 @@
 
   (define uuid
     (lambda ()
-      (let ([s (make-string 16)])
-        (or (foreign-call "ik_uuid" s)
-            (error 'uuid "failed!")))))
+      (let ([s ($make-bytevector 16)])
+        (utf8-bytevector->string
+          (or (foreign-call "ik_uuid" s)
+              (error 'uuid "failed!"))))))
   )