diff --git a/bread/__init__.py b/bread/__init__.py
index 6d834e7..d544480 100644
--- a/bread/__init__.py
+++ b/bread/__init__.py
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 from .lifecycle import *
 
 __title__ = 'bread'
-__version__ = '2.3.0'
+__version__ = '3.0.0'
 __author__ = 'Alex Rasmussen'
 __license__ = 'MIT'
 __copyright__ = 'Copyright 2015 Alex Rasmussen'
diff --git a/bread/string.py b/bread/string.py
index d2b1caf..8b91cb2 100644
--- a/bread/string.py
+++ b/bread/string.py
@@ -2,18 +2,18 @@
 from .field import BreadField
 
 
-def string(length):
+def string(length, encoding='utf-8'):
     def make_string_field(parent, **field_options):
         length_in_bits = length * 8
 
         def encode_string(value):
             if type(value) != bytes:
-                value = value.encode('utf-8')
+                value = value.encode(encoding)
 
             return BitArray(bytes=value)
 
         def decode_string(encoded):
-            return encoded.bytes
+            return encoded.bytes.decode(encoding)
 
         return BreadField(length_in_bits, encode_string, decode_string,
                           str_format=field_options.get('str_format', None))
diff --git a/docs/source/conf.py b/docs/source/conf.py
index 5a52566..b647448 100644
--- a/docs/source/conf.py
+++ b/docs/source/conf.py
@@ -48,9 +48,9 @@
 # built documents.
 #
 # The short X.Y version.
-version = '2.3.0'
+version = '3.0.0'
 # The full version, including alpha/beta/rc tags.
-release = '2.3.0'
+release = '3.0.0'
 
 # The language for content autogenerated by Sphinx. Refer to documentation
 # for a list of supported languages.
diff --git a/docs/source/spec_language.rst b/docs/source/spec_language.rst
index 141f1a3..7075ee0 100644
--- a/docs/source/spec_language.rst
+++ b/docs/source/spec_language.rst
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ For convenience and improved readability, the following shorthands are defined:
 Strings
 ~~~~~~~
 
-``string(length)`` - the next ``length`` bytes represent a string of the given length
+``string(length, encoding)`` - the next ``length`` bytes represent a string of the given length. You can pick an encoding for the strings to encode and decode in; the default is ``utf-8``.
 
 Booleans
 ~~~~~~~~
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 796bbf8..02fc720 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 from setuptools import setup
 
 setup(name='bread',
-      version='2.3.0',
+      version='3.0.0',
       description='Binary format parsing made easier',
       url='https://github.com/alexras/bread',
       author='Alex Rasmussen',
diff --git a/test.py b/test.py
index d46ff77..2a4d6c9 100755
--- a/test.py
+++ b/test.py
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python
-import pytest
-
-import struct, sys, pprint, unittest, itertools, tempfile, os, json
 
-import bread as b
+import itertools
+import json
+import os
+import struct
+import tempfile
 
 import bitstring
+import bread as b
+import pytest
 
 # Shared structs for bread struct test
 
@@ -94,10 +97,10 @@ def test_simple_struct():
 
     assert len(test) == 168
 
-    assert test.flag_one == True
-    assert test.flag_two == False
-    assert test.flag_three == True
-    assert test.flag_four == False
+    assert test.flag_one
+    assert not test.flag_two
+    assert test.flag_three
+    assert not test.flag_four
     assert test.first == 0xfb
     assert test.blah == 0xdddd
 
@@ -169,10 +172,10 @@ def test_updates_do_not_leak():
 
     assert len(test2) == 168
 
-    assert test2.flag_one == False
-    assert test2.flag_two == False
-    assert test2.flag_three == False
-    assert test2.flag_four == True
+    assert not test2.flag_one
+    assert not test2.flag_two
+    assert not test2.flag_three
+    assert test2.flag_four
     assert test2.first == 0xde
     assert test2.blah == 0xfafe
 
@@ -182,10 +185,10 @@ def test_updates_do_not_leak():
 
     # Updating test2 shouldn't impact test
 
-    assert test.flag_one == True
-    assert test.flag_two == False
-    assert test.flag_three == True
-    assert test.flag_four == False
+    assert test.flag_one
+    assert not test.flag_two
+    assert test.flag_three
+    assert not test.flag_four
     assert test.first == 0xfb
     assert test.blah == 0xdddd
 
@@ -269,7 +272,7 @@ def test_nested_struct():
 
     assert supernested_test.__offsets__.dummy == current_byte * 8
     current_byte += 1
-    assert supernested_test.dummy.ok == False
+    assert not supernested_test.dummy.ok
 
     assert b.write(supernested_test, deeply_nested_struct) == bytearray(list(range(34)) + [0b0])
 
@@ -343,7 +346,7 @@ def test_conditional():
     true_test = b.parse(true_data, conditional_test)
 
     assert true_test._length == 13
-    assert true_test.qux == True
+    assert true_test.qux
     assert hasattr(true_test, "frooz")
     assert not hasattr(true_test, "fooz")
     assert true_test.frooz == 0b1001
@@ -361,7 +364,7 @@ def test_conditional():
     false_test = b.parse(false_data, conditional_test)
 
     assert false_test._length == 17
-    assert false_test.qux == False
+    assert not false_test.qux
     assert hasattr(false_test, "fooz")
     assert not hasattr(false_test, "frooz")
     assert false_test.fooz == 0b10010001
@@ -500,6 +503,7 @@ def test_array_of_conditionals():
     assert test_parsed.foos[2].baz == 0b11
     assert test_parsed._length == 32
 
+
 def test_modifying_conditional_with_structs_that_have_different_lengths():
     true_data = bitstring.BitArray(bytearray([0b11001010, 0b11101000]))
     true_data.append('0b0')
@@ -510,6 +514,7 @@ def test_modifying_conditional_with_structs_that_have_different_lengths():
     assert true_test._length == 17
     assert true_test.fooz == 0b10010101
 
+
 def test_field_properties_in_array():
     array_endian_test = [
         ("little_arr", b.array(3, b.uint16), {"endianness": b.LITTLE_ENDIAN}),
@@ -600,7 +605,7 @@ def test_parse_str():
 
     test_parsed = b.parse(test_str, test_struct)
 
-    assert test_parsed.str.decode('utf-8') == "gabbagabbahey"
+    assert test_parsed.str == "gabbagabbahey"
 
 
 def test_str():
@@ -608,10 +613,12 @@ def test_str():
 
     data = bytearray([0x68, 0x65, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x6f])
     result = b.parse(data, str_test)
-    assert result.msg.decode('utf-8') == "hello"
+    assert result.msg == "hello"
 
     assert b.write(result, str_test) == data
 
+    assert result.as_json() == json.dumps({'msg': 'hello'})
+
 
 def test_str_unicode():
     str_test = [("msg", b.string(5))]
@@ -619,7 +626,7 @@ def test_str_unicode():
     data = bytearray([104, 101, 108, 108, 111])
     result = b.parse(data, str_test)
 
-    assert result.msg.decode('utf-8') == "hello"
+    assert result.msg == "hello"
     assert b.write(result, str_test) == data
 
     result.msg = "abate"
@@ -628,7 +635,7 @@ def test_str_unicode():
 
     edited_result = b.parse(output_data, str_test)
 
-    assert result.msg == "abate"
+    assert edited_result.msg == "abate"
 
 
 def test_enum():
@@ -1068,7 +1075,7 @@ def test_new():
 
     assert len(empty_struct) == 8 * 5 + 4
 
-    assert empty_struct.greeting == b'\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'
+    assert empty_struct.greeting == b'\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00'.decode('utf-8')
     assert empty_struct.age == 0
 
     empty_struct.greeting = 'hello'