diff --git a/implementations/python/preserves/dissect.py b/implementations/python/preserves/dissect.py
index fba326c..abc4bae 100644
--- a/implementations/python/preserves/dissect.py
+++ b/implementations/python/preserves/dissect.py
@@ -7,11 +7,16 @@ def dissect_items(body, position=0):
         (count, i) = decode_varint(body)
         chunk = body[i:i+count]
         body = body[i+count:]
-        result.append(dissect(chunk, position + i))
+        result.append(_dissect(chunk, position + i))
         position = position + i+count
     return result
 
-def dissect(bs, position=0):
+def dissect(bs):
+    if not isinstance(bs, memoryview):
+        bs = memoryview(bs)
+    return _dissect(bs, 0)
+
+def _dissect(bs, position):
     tag = bs[0]
     body = bs[1:]
     info = None
@@ -23,23 +28,23 @@ def dissect(bs, position=0):
     elif tag in [0xA7, 0xA8, 0xA9, 0xBF]:
         kids = dissect_items(body, position+1)
     elif tag == 0xAB:
-        kids = [dissect(body, position+1)]
+        kids = [_dissect(body, position+1)]
     elif tag == 0xA2:
         if len(body) == 4: info = struct.unpack('>f', body)[0]
         if len(body) == 8: info = struct.unpack('>d', body)[0]
     elif tag == 0xA3:
         info = decode_int(body)
     elif tag == 0xA4:
-        info = body[:-1].decode('utf-8')
+        info = bytes(body[:-1]).decode('utf-8')
     elif tag == 0xA6:
-        info = body.decode('utf-8')
+        info = bytes(body).decode('utf-8')
 
     if kids is not None:
         return ((position, len(bs), tag), kids)
     elif info is not None:
-        return ((position, len(bs), tag), body, info)
+        return ((position, len(bs), tag), bytes(body), info)
     else:
-        return ((position, len(bs), tag), body)
+        return ((position, len(bs), tag), bytes(body))
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     import sys