diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
index 864482ea..03e985f4 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
@@ -429,6 +429,16 @@ namespace ix
         return (binary) ? sendBinary(data, onProgressCallback) : sendText(data, onProgressCallback);
     }
 
+    WebSocketSendInfo WebSocket::sendBinary(const std::vector<uint8_t>& data,
+                                            const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+    {
+        if (!isConnected()) return WebSocketSendInfo(false);
+        std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(_writeMutex);
+        auto webSocketSendInfo = _ws.sendBinary(data, onProgressCallback);
+        WebSocket::invokeTrafficTrackerCallback(webSocketSendInfo.wireSize, false);
+        return webSocketSendInfo;
+    }
+
     WebSocketSendInfo WebSocket::sendBinary(const std::string& text,
                                             const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
     {
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
index 0c288cd5..d365fe01 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
@@ -74,8 +74,11 @@ namespace ix
         WebSocketSendInfo send(const std::string& data,
                                bool binary = false,
                                const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
+
         WebSocketSendInfo sendBinary(const std::string& text,
                                      const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
+        WebSocketSendInfo sendBinary(const std::vector<uint8_t>& data,
+                                     const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
         WebSocketSendInfo sendText(const std::string& text,
                                    const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
         WebSocketSendInfo ping(const std::string& text);
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketPerMessageDeflateCodec.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketPerMessageDeflateCodec.h
index 194c811f..b4d3687b 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketPerMessageDeflateCodec.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketPerMessageDeflateCodec.h
@@ -25,9 +25,8 @@ namespace ix
         bool compress(const std::vector<uint8_t>& in, std::string& out);
         bool compress(const std::vector<uint8_t>& in, std::vector<uint8_t>& out);
 
-        template<typename T, typename S> bool compressData(const T& in, S& out);
-
     private:
+        template<typename T, typename S> bool compressData(const T& in, S& out);
         template<typename T> bool endsWithEmptyUnCompressedBlock(const T& value);
 
         int _flush;
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp
index 15e99324..cec6f4ec 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp
@@ -751,11 +751,28 @@ namespace ix
         return static_cast<unsigned>(seconds);
     }
 
-    template<class T>
     WebSocketSendInfo WebSocketTransport::sendData(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
-                                                   const T& message,
-                                                   bool compress,
-                                                   const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+                               const std::string& message,
+                               bool compress,
+                               const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+    {
+        return sendRawData(type, message, compress, onProgressCallback);
+    }
+
+    WebSocketSendInfo WebSocketTransport::sendData(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
+                               const std::vector<uint8_t>& message,
+                               bool compress,
+                               const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+    {
+        return sendRawData(type, message, compress, onProgressCallback);
+    }
+
+
+    template<class T>
+    WebSocketSendInfo WebSocketTransport::sendRawData(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
+                                                      const T& message,
+                                                      bool compress,
+                                                      const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
     {
         if (_readyState != ReadyState::OPEN && _readyState != ReadyState::CLOSING)
         {
@@ -769,9 +786,11 @@ namespace ix
         auto message_begin = message.begin();
         auto message_end = message.end();
 
+#if 0
         if (compress)
         {
-            if (!_perMessageDeflate->compress(message, _compressedMessage))
+            T compressedMessage;
+            if (!_perMessageDeflate->compress(message, compressedMessage))
             {
                 bool success = false;
                 compressionError = true;
@@ -780,11 +799,12 @@ namespace ix
                 return WebSocketSendInfo(success, compressionError, payloadSize, wireSize);
             }
             compressionError = false;
-            wireSize = _compressedMessage.size();
+            wireSize = compressedMessage.size();
 
-            message_begin = _compressedMessage.begin();
-            message_end = _compressedMessage.end();
+            message_begin = compressedMessage.begin();
+            message_end = compressedMessage.end();
         }
+#endif
 
         {
             std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(_txbufMutex);
@@ -810,8 +830,8 @@ namespace ix
             //
             auto steps = wireSize / kChunkSize;
 
-            std::string::const_iterator begin = message_begin;
-            std::string::const_iterator end = message_end;
+            auto begin = message_begin;
+            auto end = message_end;
 
             for (uint64_t i = 0; i < steps; ++i)
             {
@@ -964,6 +984,14 @@ namespace ix
         return info;
     }
 
+    WebSocketSendInfo WebSocketTransport::sendBinary(const std::vector<uint8_t>& message,
+                                                     const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+
+    {
+        return sendData(
+            wsheader_type::BINARY_FRAME, message, _enablePerMessageDeflate, onProgressCallback);
+    }
+
     WebSocketSendInfo WebSocketTransport::sendBinary(const std::string& message,
                                                      const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
 
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h
index 6d185ad6..0906bbfb 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h
@@ -86,6 +86,9 @@ namespace ix
         WebSocketInitResult connectToSocket(std::unique_ptr<Socket> socket, int timeoutSecs);
 
         PollResult poll();
+
+        WebSocketSendInfo sendBinary(const std::vector<uint8_t>& message,
+                                     const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback);
         WebSocketSendInfo sendBinary(const std::string& message,
                                      const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback);
         WebSocketSendInfo sendText(const std::string& message,
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ namespace ix
         std::atomic<bool> _enablePerMessageDeflate;
 
         std::string _decompressedMessage;
-        std::string _compressedMessage;
+        std::vector<uint8_t> _compressedMessage;
 
         // Used to control TLS connection behavior
         SocketTLSOptions _socketTLSOptions;
@@ -239,12 +242,22 @@ namespace ix
         bool sendOnSocket();
         bool receiveFromSocket();
 
-        template<class T>
         WebSocketSendInfo sendData(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
-                                   const T& message,
+                                   const std::string& message,
                                    bool compress,
                                    const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
 
+        WebSocketSendInfo sendData(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
+                                   const std::vector<uint8_t>& message,
+                                   bool compress,
+                                   const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
+
+        template<class T>
+        WebSocketSendInfo sendRawData(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
+                                      const T& message,
+                                      bool compress,
+                                      const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
+
         template<class Iterator>
         bool sendFragment(wsheader_type::opcode_type type,
                           bool fin,
diff --git a/test/IXWebSocketChatTest.cpp b/test/IXWebSocketChatTest.cpp
index 8c531079..f308ffce 100644
--- a/test/IXWebSocketChatTest.cpp
+++ b/test/IXWebSocketChatTest.cpp
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ namespace
         }
 
         _webSocket.setUrl(url);
+        _webSocket.disablePerMessageDeflate();
 
         std::stringstream ss;
         log(std::string("Connecting to url: ") + url);
@@ -188,7 +189,9 @@ namespace
 
     void WebSocketChat::sendMessage(const std::string& text)
     {
-        _webSocket.sendBinary(encodeMessage(text));
+        auto msg = encodeMessage(text);
+        std::vector<uint8_t> data(text.begin(), text.end());
+        _webSocket.sendBinary(data);
     }
 
     bool startServer(ix::WebSocketServer& server)
diff --git a/ws/ws_connect.cpp b/ws/ws_connect.cpp
index 3f4c969b..39a0f179 100644
--- a/ws/ws_connect.cpp
+++ b/ws/ws_connect.cpp
@@ -216,7 +216,8 @@ namespace ix
     {
         if (_binaryMode)
         {
-            _webSocket.sendBinary(text);
+            std::vector<uint8_t> data(text.begin(), text.end());
+            _webSocket.sendBinary(data);
         }
         else
         {