diff --git a/lib/x11/handshake.js b/lib/x11/handshake.js
index e23e74c..8e27dfc 100644
--- a/lib/x11/handshake.js
+++ b/lib/x11/handshake.js
@@ -183,13 +183,11 @@ bl.unpack('C', function(res) {
 function writeClientHello(stream, displayNum, authHost)
 {
     getAuthString( displayNum, authHost, function( authType, authData ) {
-        authType = xutil.padded_string( authType );
-        authData = xutil.padded_string( authData );
         var byte_order = 'l'.charCodeAt(0); // TODO: byteorder!!!
         var protocol_major = 11; // TODO: config? env?
         var protocol_minor = 0;
         stream.pack(
-            'CxSSSSxxaa', 
+            'CxSSSSxxpp', 
             [ 
             byte_order,
             protocol_major,
@@ -205,4 +203,4 @@ function writeClientHello(stream, displayNum, authHost)
 }
 
 module.exports.readServerHello = readServerHello;
-module.exports.writeClientHello = writeClientHello;
\ No newline at end of file
+module.exports.writeClientHello = writeClientHello;
diff --git a/lib/x11/unpackstream.js b/lib/x11/unpackstream.js
index fd0f34b..5ff46e7 100644
--- a/lib/x11/unpackstream.js
+++ b/lib/x11/unpackstream.js
@@ -273,11 +273,11 @@ UnpackStream.prototype.pack = function(format, args)
                 break;
             case 'p':  // padded string
                 var str = args[arg++];
-                var len = padded(str);
+                var len = xutil.padded_length(str.length);
                 // TODO: buffer.write could be faster
                 var c = 0;
                 for (; c < str.length; ++c)
-                    buf[offset++] = str[c];
+                    buf[offset++] = str.charCodeAt(c);
                 for (; c < len; ++c)
                     buf[offset++] = 0;
                 break;