diff --git a/crates/voidpin/proto/voidpin/v1/voidpin.proto b/crates/voidpin/proto/voidpin/v1/voidpin.proto
index 93aa847..4783dee 100644
--- a/crates/voidpin/proto/voidpin/v1/voidpin.proto
+++ b/crates/voidpin/proto/voidpin/v1/voidpin.proto
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ syntax = "proto3";
 package voidpin.v1;
 
 message CopyRequest {
- bytes content = 1;
+ string content = 1;
 }
 
 message CopyResponse {}
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ message PasteRequest {
 }
 
 message PasteResponse {
- bytes content = 1;
+ string content = 1;
 }
 
 service VoidPin {
diff --git a/crates/voidpin/src/gen/voidpin.v1.rs b/crates/voidpin/src/gen/voidpin.v1.rs
index 2497878..d014a09 100644
--- a/crates/voidpin/src/gen/voidpin.v1.rs
+++ b/crates/voidpin/src/gen/voidpin.v1.rs
@@ -3,8 +3,8 @@
 #[allow(clippy::derive_partial_eq_without_eq)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
 pub struct CopyRequest {
-    #[prost(bytes="vec", tag="1")]
-    pub content: ::prost::alloc::vec::Vec<u8>,
+    #[prost(string, tag="1")]
+    pub content: ::prost::alloc::string::String,
 }
 #[allow(clippy::derive_partial_eq_without_eq)]
 #[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ pub struct PasteRequest {
 #[allow(clippy::derive_partial_eq_without_eq)]
 #[derive(Clone, PartialEq, ::prost::Message)]
 pub struct PasteResponse {
-    #[prost(bytes="vec", tag="1")]
-    pub content: ::prost::alloc::vec::Vec<u8>,
+    #[prost(string, tag="1")]
+    pub content: ::prost::alloc::string::String,
 }
 include!("voidpin.v1.tonic.rs");
 // @@protoc_insertion_point(module)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/crates/voidpin/src/grpc_server.rs b/crates/voidpin/src/grpc_server.rs
index fa0d5bc..84b3d33 100644
--- a/crates/voidpin/src/grpc_server.rs
+++ b/crates/voidpin/src/grpc_server.rs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ impl crate::grpc::void_pin_server::VoidPin for GrpcServer {
 
         self.state
             .local_copier()
-            .copy(&req.content)
+            .copy(&req.content.as_bytes())
             .await
             .map_err(|e| tonic::Status::internal(e.to_string()))?;
 
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ impl crate::grpc::void_pin_server::VoidPin for GrpcServer {
             .map_err(|e| tonic::Status::internal(e.to_string()))?;
 
         Ok(tonic::Response::new(crate::grpc::PasteResponse {
-            content: output,
+            content: String::from_utf8_lossy(&output).to_string(),
         }))
     }
 }
diff --git a/crates/voidpin/src/main.rs b/crates/voidpin/src/main.rs
index ddc4d84..94c6891 100644
--- a/crates/voidpin/src/main.rs
+++ b/crates/voidpin/src/main.rs
@@ -100,10 +100,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                 }
 
                 tracing::debug!(content = &input, "found content");
-                state
-                    .remote_copier(&remote_host)
-                    .copy(input.as_bytes())
-                    .await?;
+                state.remote_copier(&remote_host).copy(input).await?;
 
                 return Ok(());
             }
@@ -127,7 +124,7 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
             if let Ok(remote_host) = std::env::var("VOIDPIN_REMOTE") {
                 let output = state.remote_copier(&remote_host).paste().await?;
 
-                stdout.write_all(&output).await?;
+                stdout.write_all(output.as_bytes()).await?;
                 stdout.flush().await?;
 
                 return Ok(());
@@ -150,16 +147,13 @@ async fn main() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
                 }
 
                 tracing::debug!(content = &input, "found content");
-                state
-                    .remote_copier(&remote_host)
-                    .copy(input.as_bytes())
-                    .await?;
+                state.remote_copier(&remote_host).copy(input).await?;
             }
             RemoteCommands::Paste { remote_host } => {
                 let output = state.remote_copier(&remote_host).paste().await?;
 
                 let mut stdout = tokio::io::stdout();
-                stdout.write_all(&output).await?;
+                stdout.write_all(output.as_bytes()).await?;
                 stdout.flush().await?;
             }
         },
diff --git a/crates/voidpin/src/remote_copy.rs b/crates/voidpin/src/remote_copy.rs
index e47100e..f4858de 100644
--- a/crates/voidpin/src/remote_copy.rs
+++ b/crates/voidpin/src/remote_copy.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ impl RemoteCopier {
         }
     }
 
-    pub async fn copy(&self, input: &[u8]) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    pub async fn copy(&self, input: String) -> anyhow::Result<()> {
         let tls = ClientTlsConfig::new();
         let channel = Channel::from_shared(self.host.clone())?
             .tls_config(if self.host.starts_with("https") {
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ impl RemoteCopier {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    pub async fn paste(&self) -> anyhow::Result<Vec<u8>> {
+    pub async fn paste(&self) -> anyhow::Result<String> {
         let tls = ClientTlsConfig::new();
         let channel = Channel::from_shared(self.host.clone())?
             .tls_config(if self.host.starts_with("https") {
@@ -59,10 +59,9 @@ impl RemoteCopier {
         let resp = client.paste(PasteRequest {}).await?;
 
         let output = resp.into_inner().content;
-        let output = String::from_utf8_lossy(&output);
-        tracing::info!(content = output.to_string(), "received paste response");
+        tracing::info!(content = output, "received paste response");
 
-        Ok(output.as_bytes().to_vec())
+        Ok(output)
     }
 }