diff --git a/src/module/io.wren b/src/module/io.wren
index afe161f4..c008df4b 100644
--- a/src/module/io.wren
+++ b/src/module/io.wren
@@ -224,8 +224,9 @@ class Stdin {
   static readByte() {
     return read_ {
       // Peel off the first byte.
+      // TODO: this doing a huge amount of effort, but likely fast enough
       var byte = __buffered.bytes[0]
-      __buffered = __buffered[1..-1]
+      __buffered = __buffered.bytes.skip(1).map { |x| String.fromByte(x) }.join() 
       return byte
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/module/io.wren.inc b/src/module/io.wren.inc
index 22b27355..8c7a7350 100644
--- a/src/module/io.wren.inc
+++ b/src/module/io.wren.inc
@@ -228,8 +228,9 @@ static const char* ioModuleSource =
 "  static readByte() {\n"
 "    return read_ {\n"
 "      // Peel off the first byte.\n"
+"      // TODO: this doing a huge amount of effort, but likely fast enough\n"
 "      var byte = __buffered.bytes[0]\n"
-"      __buffered = __buffered[1..-1]\n"
+"      __buffered = __buffered.bytes.skip(1).map { |x| String.fromByte(x) }.join() \n"
 "      return byte\n"
 "    }\n"
 "  }\n"