diff --git a/src/converter.js b/src/converter.js
index 074610285..f819123f5 100644
--- a/src/converter.js
+++ b/src/converter.js
@@ -244,9 +244,15 @@ converter.toObject = function toObject(mtype) {
             ("d%s=o.longs===String?n.toString():o.longs===Number?n.toNumber():n", prop)
         ("}else")
             ("d%s=o.longs===String?%j:%i", prop, field.typeDefault.toString(), field.typeDefault.toNumber());
-            else if (field.bytes) gen
-        ("d%s=o.bytes===String?%j:%s", prop, String.fromCharCode.apply(String, field.typeDefault), "[" + Array.prototype.slice.call(field.typeDefault).join(",") + "]");
-            else gen
+            else if (field.bytes) {
+                var arrayDefault = "[" + Array.prototype.slice.call(field.typeDefault).join(",") + "]";
+                gen
+        ("if(o.bytes===String)d%s=%j", prop, String.fromCharCode.apply(String, field.typeDefault))
+        ("else{")
+            ("d%s=%s", prop, arrayDefault)
+            ("if(o.bytes!==Array)d%s=util.newBuffer(d%s)", prop, prop)
+        ("}")
+            } else gen
         ("d%s=%j", prop, field.typeDefault); // also messages (=null)
         } gen
     ("}");