diff --git a/src/taoensso/nippy.clj b/src/taoensso/nippy.clj
index 952528d..4bbff16 100644
--- a/src/taoensso/nippy.clj
+++ b/src/taoensso/nippy.clj
@@ -14,18 +14,20 @@
 
 (def ^:const schema-header "\u0000~0.9.0")
 
-(def ^:const id-reader  (int 1)) ; Fallback: *print-dup* pr-str output
+;;                           1
 (def ^:const id-bytes   (int 2))
 (def ^:const id-nil     (int 3))
 (def ^:const id-boolean (int 4))
+(def ^:const id-reader  (int 5)) ; Fallback: *print-dup* pr-str output
 
 (def ^:const id-char    (int 10))
-(def ^:const id-string  (int 11))
+;;                           11
 (def ^:const id-keyword (int 12))
+(def ^:const id-string  (int 13))
 
 (def ^:const id-list    (int 20))
 (def ^:const id-vector  (int 21))
-(def ^:const id-old-map (int 22)) ; DEPRECATED as of 0.9.0
+;;                           22
 (def ^:const id-set     (int 23))
 (def ^:const id-coll    (int 24)) ; Fallback: non-specific collection
 (def ^:const id-meta    (int 25))
@@ -44,6 +46,11 @@
 
 (def ^:const id-ratio   (int 70))
 
+;;; DEPRECATED
+(def ^:const id-old-reader (int 1))  ; as of 0.9.1, for +64k support
+(def ^:const id-old-string (int 11)) ; as of 0.9.1, for +64k support
+(def ^:const id-old-map    (int 22)) ; as of 0.9.0, for more efficient thaw
+
 ;;;; Shared low-level stream stuff
 
 (defn- write-id! [^DataOutputStream stream ^Integer id] (.writeByte stream id))
@@ -101,7 +108,7 @@
 (freezer Boolean              id-boolean (.writeBoolean s x))
 
 (freezer Character id-char    (.writeChar s (int x)))
-(freezer String    id-string  (.writeUTF s x))
+(freezer String    id-string  (write-bytes! s (.getBytes x "UTF-8")))
 (freezer Keyword   id-keyword (.writeUTF s (if-let [ns (namespace x)]
                                              (str ns "/" (name x))
                                              (name x))))
@@ -137,7 +144,7 @@
          (write-biginteger! s (.denominator x)))
 
 ;; Use Clojure's own reader as final fallback
-(freezer Object id-reader (.writeUTF s (pr-str x)))
+(freezer Object id-reader (write-bytes! s (.getBytes (pr-str x) "UTF-8")))
 
 (defn- freeze-to-stream!* [^DataOutputStream s x]
   (if-let [m (meta x)]
@@ -177,13 +184,13 @@
     (utils/case-eval
      type-id
 
-     id-reader  (read-string (.readUTF s))
+     id-reader  (read-string (String. (read-bytes! s) "UTF-8"))
      id-bytes   (read-bytes! s)
      id-nil     nil
      id-boolean (.readBoolean s)
 
      id-char    (.readChar s)
-     id-string  (.readUTF s)
+     id-string  (String. (read-bytes! s) "UTF-8")
      id-keyword (keyword (.readUTF s))
 
      id-list    (apply list (coll-thaw! s))
@@ -193,10 +200,6 @@
      id-coll    (doall (coll-thaw! s))
      id-queue   (into  (PersistentQueue/EMPTY) (coll-thaw! s))
 
-     ;; DEPRECATED as of 0.9.0
-     id-old-map (apply hash-map (repeatedly (* 2 (.readInt s))
-                                            (partial thaw-from-stream!* s)))
-
      id-meta (let [m (thaw-from-stream!* s)] (with-meta (thaw-from-stream!* s) m))
 
      id-byte    (.readByte s)
@@ -212,6 +215,12 @@
      id-ratio (/ (bigint (read-biginteger! s))
                  (bigint (read-biginteger! s)))
 
+     ;;; DEPRECATED
+     id-old-reader (read-string (.readUTF s))
+     id-old-string (.readUTF s)
+     id-old-map    (apply hash-map (repeatedly (* 2 (.readInt s))
+                                               (partial thaw-from-stream!* s)))
+
      (throw (Exception. (str "Failed to thaw unknown type ID: " type-id))))))
 
 ;; TODO Scheduled for Carmine version 1.0.0