diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1987e33..87cc3ae 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ class JSONSerializer:
         return json.dumps(obj).encode() + NULL_BYTE
 
     def loads(self, data: bytes) -> dict:
-        data = bytes(data).split(NULL_BYTE, 1)[0]
+        data = data.split(NULL_BYTE, 1)[0]
         return json.loads(data)
 
 ```
diff --git a/shared_memory_dict/serializers.py b/shared_memory_dict/serializers.py
index 617e64f..7fc0b74 100644
--- a/shared_memory_dict/serializers.py
+++ b/shared_memory_dict/serializers.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ def dumps(self, obj: dict) -> bytes:
         return json.dumps(obj).encode() + NULL_BYTE
 
     def loads(self, data: bytes) -> dict:
-        data = bytes(data).split(NULL_BYTE, 1)[0]
+        data = data.split(NULL_BYTE, 1)[0]
         return json.loads(data)