diff --git a/Connection.c b/Connection.c
index 7d8fe0e..95ca11c 100644
--- a/Connection.c
+++ b/Connection.c
@@ -264,11 +264,11 @@ static int Connection_GetConnection(
                     environment->errorHandle);
             if (Environment_CheckForError(environment, status,
                     "Connection_GetConnection(): set user name") < 0) {
-                StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+                StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
                 return -1;
             }
         }
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
 
         // set the password, if applicable
         if (StringBuffer_Fill(&buffer, self->password) < 0)
@@ -280,11 +280,11 @@ static int Connection_GetConnection(
                     environment->errorHandle);
             if (Environment_CheckForError(environment, status,
                     "Connection_GetConnection(): set password") < 0) {
-                StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+                StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
                 return -1;
             }
         }
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
 
         // if no user name or password are set, using external credentials
         if (!pool && externalCredentials)
@@ -300,11 +300,11 @@ static int Connection_GetConnection(
                     environment->errorHandle);
             if (Environment_CheckForError(environment, status,
                     "Connection_GetConnection(): set connection class") < 0) {
-                StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+                StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
                 return -1;
             }
         }
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
 
         // set the purity, if applicable
         if (purity != OCI_ATTR_PURITY_DEFAULT) {
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ static int Connection_GetConnection(
             &self->handle, authInfo, (text*) buffer.ptr, buffer.size, NULL, 0,
             NULL, NULL, &found, mode);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
     if (Environment_CheckForError(environment, status,
             "Connection_GetConnection(): get connection") < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ static int Connection_Connect(
             self->environment->errorHandle, (text*) buffer.ptr, buffer.size,
             OCI_DEFAULT);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
     if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
             "Connection_Connect(): server attach") < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -522,11 +522,11 @@ static int Connection_Connect(
                 self->environment->errorHandle);
         if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
                 "Connection_Connect(): set user name") < 0) {
-            StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+            StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
             return -1;
         }
     }
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
 
     // set password in session handle
     if (StringBuffer_Fill(&buffer, self->password) < 0)
@@ -538,11 +538,11 @@ static int Connection_Connect(
                 self->environment->errorHandle);
         if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
                 "Connection_Connect(): set password") < 0) {
-            StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+            StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
             return -1;
         }
     }
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
 
 #ifdef OCI_ATTR_DRIVER_NAME
     status = OCIAttrSet(self->sessionHandle, OCI_HTYPE_SESSION,
diff --git a/Cursor.c b/Cursor.c
index 8ed7e99..fb786fe 100644
--- a/Cursor.c
+++ b/Cursor.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ static int Cursor_FreeHandle(
             status = OCIStmtRelease(self->handle,
                     self->environment->errorHandle, (text*) buffer.ptr,
                     buffer.size, OCI_DEFAULT);
-            StringBuffer_CLEAR(&buffer);
+            StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
             if (raiseException && Environment_CheckForError(
                     self->environment, status, "Cursor_FreeHandle()") < 0)
                 return -1;
@@ -1115,7 +1115,7 @@ static int Cursor_InternalPrepare(
     if (StringBuffer_Fill(&statementBuffer, statement) < 0)
         return -1;
     if (StringBuffer_Fill(&tagBuffer, statementTag) < 0) {
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&statementBuffer);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&statementBuffer);
         return -1;
     }
     status = OCIStmtPrepare2(self->connection->handle, &self->handle,
@@ -1123,8 +1123,8 @@ static int Cursor_InternalPrepare(
             statementBuffer.size, (text*) tagBuffer.ptr, tagBuffer.size,
             OCI_NTV_SYNTAX, OCI_DEFAULT);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&statementBuffer);
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&tagBuffer);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&statementBuffer);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&tagBuffer);
     if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
             "Cursor_InternalPrepare(): prepare") < 0) {
         // this is needed to avoid "invalid handle" errors since Oracle doesn't
diff --git a/SessionPool.c b/SessionPool.c
index 44e7913..5bc98f7 100644
--- a/SessionPool.c
+++ b/SessionPool.c
@@ -255,12 +255,12 @@ static int SessionPool_Init(
     if (StringBuffer_Fill(&username, self->username) < 0)
         return -1;
     if (StringBuffer_Fill(&password, self->password) < 0) {
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&username);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&username);
         return -1;
     }
     if (StringBuffer_Fill(&dsn, self->dsn) < 0) {
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&username);
-        StringBuffer_CLEAR(&password);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&username);
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&password);
         return -1;
     }
     Py_BEGIN_ALLOW_THREADS
@@ -271,9 +271,9 @@ static int SessionPool_Init(
             (OraText*) username.ptr, username.size, (OraText*) password.ptr,
             password.size, poolMode);
     Py_END_ALLOW_THREADS
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&username);
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&password);
-    StringBuffer_CLEAR(&dsn);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&username);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&password);
+    StringBuffer_Clear(&dsn);
     if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
             "SessionPool_New(): create pool") < 0)
         return -1;
diff --git a/StringUtils.c b/StringUtils.c
index f7fb067..5581ec2 100644
--- a/StringUtils.c
+++ b/StringUtils.c
@@ -73,12 +73,12 @@ static int StringBuffer_Fill(
     #define cxString_FromAscii(str) \
         PyUnicode_DecodeASCII(str, strlen(str), NULL)
     #ifdef Py_UNICODE_WIDE
-        #define StringBuffer_CLEAR(buffer) \
+        #define StringBuffer_Clear(buffer) \
             Py_XDECREF((buffer)->encodedString)
         #define cxString_FromEncodedString(buffer, numBytes) \
             PyUnicode_DecodeUTF16(buffer, numBytes, NULL, NULL)
     #else
-        #define StringBuffer_CLEAR(buffer)
+        #define StringBuffer_Clear(buffer)
         #define cxString_FromEncodedString(buffer, numBytes) \
             PyUnicode_FromUnicode((Py_UNICODE*) (buffer), (numBytes) / 2)
     #endif
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static int StringBuffer_Fill(
     #define cxString_Type               &PyBytes_Type
     #define cxString_Format             PyBytes_Format
     #define cxString_Check              PyBytes_Check
-    #define StringBuffer_CLEAR(buffer)
+    #define StringBuffer_Clear(buffer)
     #define cxString_FromAscii(str) \
         PyBytes_FromString(str)
     #define cxString_FromEncodedString(buffer, numBytes) \
diff --git a/StringVar.c b/StringVar.c
index 902b526..b7488f1 100644
--- a/StringVar.c
+++ b/StringVar.c
@@ -358,10 +358,14 @@ static int StringVar_SetValue(
 
     // get the buffer data and size for binding
     encodedString = NULL;
+#ifdef WITH_UNICODE
+    if (var->type == &vt_Binary) {
+#else
     if (var->type->charsetForm == SQLCS_IMPLICIT) {
-        if (PyString_Check(value)) {
-            buffer = PyString_AS_STRING(value);
-            bufferSize = PyString_GET_SIZE(value);
+#endif
+        if (PyBytes_Check(value)) {
+            buffer = PyBytes_AS_STRING(value);
+            bufferSize = PyBytes_GET_SIZE(value);
         } else if (PyBuffer_Check(value)) {
             if (PyObject_AsReadBuffer(value, &buffer, &bufferSize) < 0)
                 return -1;
diff --git a/Variable.c b/Variable.c
index 5dba50b..da37f68 100644
--- a/Variable.c
+++ b/Variable.c
@@ -1006,22 +1006,24 @@ static int Variable_InternalBind(
 
     // perform the bind
     if (var->boundName) {
+        udt_StringBuffer buffer;
+        if (StringBuffer_Fill(&buffer, var->boundName) < 0)
+            return -1;
         if (var->isArray) {
             status = OCIBindByName(var->boundCursorHandle, &var->bindHandle,
-                    var->environment->errorHandle,
-                    (unsigned char*) PyString_AS_STRING(var->boundName),
-                    PyString_GET_SIZE(var->boundName), var->data,
-                    var->maxLength, var->type->oracleType, var->indicator,
-                    var->actualLength, var->returnCode, var->allocatedElements,
+                    var->environment->errorHandle, (text*) buffer.ptr,
+                    buffer.size, var->data, var->maxLength,
+                    var->type->oracleType, var->indicator, var->actualLength,
+                    var->returnCode, var->allocatedElements,
                     &var->actualElements, OCI_DEFAULT);
         } else {
             status = OCIBindByName(var->boundCursorHandle, &var->bindHandle,
-                    var->environment->errorHandle,
-                    (unsigned char*) PyString_AS_STRING(var->boundName),
-                    PyString_GET_SIZE(var->boundName), var->data,
-                    var->maxLength, var->type->oracleType, var->indicator,
-                    var->actualLength, var->returnCode, 0, 0, OCI_DEFAULT);
+                    var->environment->errorHandle, (text*) buffer.ptr,
+                    buffer.size, var->data, var->maxLength,
+                    var->type->oracleType, var->indicator, var->actualLength,
+                    var->returnCode, 0, 0, OCI_DEFAULT);
         }
+        StringBuffer_Clear(&buffer);
     } else {
         if (var->isArray) {
             status = OCIBindByPos(var->boundCursorHandle, &var->bindHandle,
@@ -1095,11 +1097,19 @@ static int Variable_Bind(
         return 0;
 
     // set the instance variables specific for binding
-    Py_XDECREF(var->boundName);
-    Py_XINCREF(name);
-    var->boundName = name;
     var->boundPos = pos;
     var->boundCursorHandle = cursor->handle;
+    Py_XDECREF(var->boundName);
+#if defined(WITH_UNICODE) && Py_MAJOR_VERSION < 3
+    if (name && PyBytes_Check(name)) {
+        var->boundName = PyObject_Unicode(name);
+        if (!var->boundName)
+            return -1;
+        return Variable_InternalBind(var);
+    }
+#endif
+    Py_XINCREF(name);
+    var->boundName = name;
 
     // perform the bind
     return Variable_InternalBind(var);
diff --git a/test/test.py b/test/test.py
index 0a552ed..6308940 100644
--- a/test/test.py
+++ b/test/test.py
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ if hasattr(cx_Oracle, "UNICODE") or sys.version_info[0] >= 3:
     ]
 else:
     moduleNames = [
-            "uConnection"
+            "uConnection",
+            "uCursor"
     ]
 
 class BaseTestCase(unittest.TestCase):