diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
index 07704f4d..f5851430 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap.rs
@@ -82,9 +82,7 @@ pub static SUPPORTED_CAPABILITIES: &[&str] = &[
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default)]
 pub struct EnvelopeCache {
-    bytes: Option<String>,
-    headers: Option<String>,
-    body: Option<String>,
+    bytes: Option<Vec<u8>>,
     flags: Option<Flag>,
 }
 
diff --git a/melib/src/backends/imap/operations.rs b/melib/src/backends/imap/operations.rs
index d1a6cfdb..d0db6cd6 100644
--- a/melib/src/backends/imap/operations.rs
+++ b/melib/src/backends/imap/operations.rs
@@ -103,12 +103,11 @@ impl BackendOp for ImapOp {
                     //flags.lock().await.set(Some(_flags));
                     cache.flags = Some(_flags);
                 }
-                cache.bytes =
-                    Some(unsafe { std::str::from_utf8_unchecked(body.unwrap()).to_string() });
+                cache.bytes = Some(body.unwrap().to_vec());
             }
             let mut bytes_cache = uid_store.byte_cache.lock()?;
             let cache = bytes_cache.entry(uid).or_default();
-            let ret = cache.bytes.clone().unwrap().into_bytes();
+            let ret = cache.bytes.clone().unwrap();
             Ok(ret)
         }))
     }