diff --git a/lib/http.js b/lib/http.js
index 554f047d4b..da957eaece 100644
--- a/lib/http.js
+++ b/lib/http.js
@@ -707,8 +707,7 @@ exports.cat = function (url, encoding_, headers_) {
   });
 
   client.addListener("error", function (err) {
-    // todo an error should actually be passed here...
-    if (callback) callback(new Error('Connection error'));
+    if (callback) callback(err);
   });
 
   req.close();
diff --git a/lib/net.js b/lib/net.js
index d4926c6471..191d872c07 100644
--- a/lib/net.js
+++ b/lib/net.js
@@ -443,20 +443,23 @@ Stream.prototype._writeOut = function (data, encoding) {
       allocNewPool();
     }
 
-    if (encoding == 'utf8' || encoding == 'utf-8') {
+    if (encoding == 'binary') {
+      bytesWritten = pool.binaryWrite(data, pool.used);
+      charsWritten = bytesWritten;
+    } else if (encoding == 'ascii') {
+      bytesWritten = pool.asciiWrite(data, pool.used);
+      charsWritten = bytesWritten;
+
+    } else {
+      // default to utf8
       bytesWritten = pool.utf8Write(data, pool.used);
+      // Don't include the null
+      if (pool[pool.used + bytesWritten-1] == 0) bytesWritten--;
       // XXX Hacky way to find out the number of characters written.
       // Waiting for a more optimal way: http://codereview.chromium.org/1539013
       var _s = pool.utf8Slice(pool.used, pool.used + bytesWritten);
       charsWritten = _s.length;
-    } else if (encoding == 'ascii') {
-      bytesWritten = pool.asciiWrite(data, pool.used);
-      charsWritten = bytesWritten;
-      assert(charsWritten <= data.length);
-    } else {
-      bytesWritten = pool.binaryWrite(data, pool.used);
-      charsWritten = bytesWritten;
-      assert(charsWritten <= data.length);
+
     }
 
     assert(bytesWritten > 0);
diff --git a/src/node.cc b/src/node.cc
index 452c111b11..4965237024 100644
--- a/src/node.cc
+++ b/src/node.cc
@@ -218,7 +218,8 @@ ssize_t DecodeBytes(v8::Handle<v8::Value> val, enum encoding encoding) {
 #endif
 
 // Returns number of bytes written.
-ssize_t DecodeWrite(char *buf, size_t buflen,
+ssize_t DecodeWrite(char *buf,
+                    size_t buflen,
                     v8::Handle<v8::Value> val,
                     enum encoding encoding) {
   HandleScope scope;
diff --git a/test/simple/test-http-chunked.js b/test/simple/test-http-chunked.js
index a838235472..a3395fcb9c 100644
--- a/test/simple/test-http-chunked.js
+++ b/test/simple/test-http-chunked.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 require("../common");
 var http = require("http");
 
-var UTF8_STRING = "Il était tué";
+var UTF8_STRING = "南越国是前203年至前111年存在于岭南地区的一个国家，国都位于番禺，疆域包括今天中国的广东、广西两省区的大部份地区，福建省、湖南、贵州、云南的一小部份地区和越南的北部。南越国是秦朝灭亡后，由南海郡尉赵佗于前203年起兵兼并桂林郡和象郡后建立。前196年和前179年，南越国曾先后两次名义上臣属于西汉，成为西汉的“外臣”。前112年，南越国末代君主赵建德与西汉发生战争，被汉武帝于前111年所灭。南越国共存在93年，历经五代君主。南越国是岭南地区的第一个有记载的政权国家，采用封建制和郡县制并存的制度，它的建立保证了秦末乱世岭南地区社会秩序的稳定，有效的改善了岭南地区落后的政治、经济现状。";
 
 var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
   res.writeHead(200, {"Content-Type": "text/plain; charset=utf8"});
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ server.listen(PORT);
 
 http.cat("http://127.0.0.1:"+PORT+"/", "utf8", function (err, data) {
   if (err) throw err;
+  assert.equal('string', typeof data);
+  puts('here is the response:');
   assert.equal(UTF8_STRING, data);
+  puts(data);
   server.close();
 })