diff --git a/ckMseed/LibTrace.py b/ckMseed/LibTrace.py
index 1eaea52d0dca969f2601f48cae39d99763df6a3d..f1891b5312ac09a14267c13fae6b750255f3d929 100755
--- a/ckMseed/LibTrace.py
+++ b/ckMseed/LibTrace.py
@@ -1417,7 +1417,7 @@ class Mseed(futils):
             tmpchar = ""
             while tmpchar != "~":
                 tupchar = self.sunpack(fmtstr, self.infileread(1))
-                tmpchar = str(tupchar[0])
+                tmpchar = tupchar[0].decode()
                 if tmpchar != "~":
                     char = char + tmpchar
                 length_data_string += 1