diff --git a/lib/protocol.js b/lib/protocol.js
index 370e55b..f2dd9d9 100644
--- a/lib/protocol.js
+++ b/lib/protocol.js
@@ -1,15 +1,17 @@
-var Iconv = require('iconv').Iconv
-  , assert = require('assert')
-  , toUcs2 = new Iconv('UTF-8', 'utf16be')
-  , fromUcs2 = new Iconv('utf16be', 'UTF-8')
+var assert = require('assert');
 
 var STRING_MAX_LENGTH = 240;
 
-exports.version = 51;
-exports.minecraftVersion = '1.4.6';
-exports.sessionVersion = 13;
-exports.parsePacket = parsePacket;
-exports.createPacketBuffer = createPacketBuffer;
+module.exports = {
+  version: 51,
+  minecraftVersion: '1.4.6',
+  sessionVersion: 13,
+  parsePacket: parsePacket,
+  createPacketBuffer: createPacketBuffer,
+  constants: {
+    STRING_MAX_LENGTH: STRING_MAX_LENGTH,
+  },
+};
 
 var packets = {
   0x00: [
@@ -681,18 +683,20 @@ function readAscii (buffer, offset) {
 }
 
 function readString (buffer, offset) {
-  var results = readShort(buffer, offset);
-  if (! results) return null;
-  
-  var strBegin = offset + results.size;
-  var strLen = results.value;
-  var strEnd = strBegin + strLen * 2;
+  var cursor = offset + 2;
+  if (cursor > buffer.length) return null;
+  var stringLength = buffer.readInt16BE(offset);
+  var strEnd = cursor + stringLength * 2;
   if (strEnd > buffer.length) return null;
-  var str = fromUcs2.convert(buffer.slice(strBegin, strEnd)).toString('utf8');
 
+  var value = '';
+  for (var i = 0; i < stringLength; ++i) {
+    value += String.fromCharCode(buffer.readUInt16BE(cursor));
+    cursor += 2;
+  }
   return {
-    value: str,
-    size: strEnd - offset,
+    value: value,
+    size: cursor - offset,
   };
 }
 
@@ -878,14 +882,20 @@ SlotWriter.prototype.write = function(buffer, offset) {
 };
 
 function StringWriter(value) {
+  assert.ok(value.length < STRING_MAX_LENGTH, "string greater than max length");
   this.value = value;
-  this.encoded = toUcs2.convert(value);
-  this.size = 2 + this.encoded.length;
+  this.size = 2 + 2 * value.length;
 }
 
 StringWriter.prototype.write = function(buffer, offset) {
-  buffer.writeInt16BE(this.value.length, offset);
-  this.encoded.copy(buffer, offset + 2);
+  var cursor = offset;
+  buffer.writeInt16BE(this.value.length, cursor);
+  cursor += 2;
+
+  for (var i = 0; i < this.value.length; ++i) {
+    buffer.writeUInt16BE(this.value.charCodeAt(i), cursor);
+    cursor += 2;
+  }
 };
 
 function ByteArray16Writer(value) {
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index cc650fc..5f6cee5 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "ursa": "~0.8.0",
     "superagent": "~0.10.0",
-    "iconv": "~1.2.4",
     "batch": "~0.2.1"
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 821bafc..2307332 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ var defaultServerProps = {
   'motd': 'A Minecraft Server',
 };
 
-describe("minecraft protocol", function() {
+describe("client", function() {
   this.timeout(20000);
 
   var mcServer;
@@ -213,3 +213,7 @@ describe("minecraft protocol", function() {
     });
   });
 });
+describe("server", function() {
+  it("kicks clients that do not emit keep alive");
+  it("responds to ping requests");
+});