diff --git a/lib/api/api-request.js b/lib/api/api-request.js
index 285c76de241..2537b264ee3 100644
--- a/lib/api/api-request.js
+++ b/lib/api/api-request.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 'use strict'
 
-const Readable = require('./readable')
+const { Readable } = require('./readable')
 const {
   InvalidArgumentError,
   RequestAbortedError
diff --git a/lib/api/readable.js b/lib/api/readable.js
index f2eca3f822e..f4d935c5bf6 100644
--- a/lib/api/readable.js
+++ b/lib/api/readable.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const kContentType = Symbol('kContentType')
 
 const noop = () => {}
 
-module.exports = class BodyReadable extends Readable {
+class BodyReadable extends Readable {
   constructor ({
     resume,
     abort,
@@ -348,3 +348,5 @@ function consumeFinish (consume, err) {
   consume.length = 0
   consume.body = null
 }
+
+module.exports = { Readable: BodyReadable, chunksDecode }
diff --git a/lib/api/util.js b/lib/api/util.js
index 60f001b2254..24f69d12bd3 100644
--- a/lib/api/util.js
+++ b/lib/api/util.js
@@ -2,18 +2,20 @@ const assert = require('node:assert')
 const {
   ResponseStatusCodeError
 } = require('../core/errors')
-const { toUSVString } = require('../core/util')
+
+const { chunksDecode } = require('./readable')
+const CHUNK_LIMIT = 128 * 1024
 
 async function getResolveErrorBodyCallback ({ callback, body, contentType, statusCode, statusMessage, headers }) {
   assert(body)
 
   let chunks = []
-  let limit = 0
+  let length = 0
 
   for await (const chunk of body) {
     chunks.push(chunk)
-    limit += chunk.length
-    if (limit > 128 * 1024) {
+    length += chunk.length
+    if (length > CHUNK_LIMIT) {
       chunks = null
       break
     }
@@ -26,13 +28,13 @@ async function getResolveErrorBodyCallback ({ callback, body, contentType, statu
 
   try {
     if (contentType.startsWith('application/json')) {
-      const payload = JSON.parse(toUSVString(Buffer.concat(chunks)))
+      const payload = JSON.parse(chunksDecode(chunks, length))
       process.nextTick(callback, new ResponseStatusCodeError(`Response status code ${statusCode}${statusMessage ? `: ${statusMessage}` : ''}`, statusCode, headers, payload))
       return
     }
 
     if (contentType.startsWith('text/')) {
-      const payload = toUSVString(Buffer.concat(chunks))
+      const payload = chunksDecode(chunks, length)
       process.nextTick(callback, new ResponseStatusCodeError(`Response status code ${statusCode}${statusMessage ? `: ${statusMessage}` : ''}`, statusCode, headers, payload))
       return
     }
diff --git a/test/readable.js b/test/readable.js
index 72327482aa2..dd0631daf8b 100644
--- a/test/readable.js
+++ b/test/readable.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 const { tspl } = require('@matteo.collina/tspl')
 const { test, describe } = require('node:test')
-const Readable = require('../lib/api/readable')
+const { Readable } = require('../lib/api/readable')
 
 describe('Readable', () => {
   test('avoid body reordering', async function (t) {