diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
index 42834a8..d3575b5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/main.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ jobs:
         include:
           - emsdk_ver: "3.1.73"
             python_version: "3.13"
-            pybind11_version: ""
+            pybind11_version: "<3"
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
 
diff --git a/build_mkdocs.sh b/build_mkdocs.sh
index 8f34d22..f97b0b6 100755
--- a/build_mkdocs.sh
+++ b/build_mkdocs.sh
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ if [ ! -d "$WASM_ENV_PREFIX" ]; then
             -c https://repo.prefix.dev/emscripten-forge-dev\
             -c https://repo.prefix.dev/conda-forge \
             --yes \
-            python=$PYTHON_VERSION "pybind11" nlohmann_json pybind11_json numpy \
+            python=$PYTHON_VERSION "pybind11<3" nlohmann_json pybind11_json numpy \
             bzip2 sqlite zlib zstd libffi exceptiongroup\
             "xeus" "xeus-lite" xeus-python "xeus-javascript" xtl "ipython" "traitlets>=5.14.2" \
             openssl liblzma
diff --git a/include/pyjs/convert.hpp b/include/pyjs/convert.hpp
index 998b50a..a2ed991 100644
--- a/include/pyjs/convert.hpp
+++ b/include/pyjs/convert.hpp
@@ -56,6 +56,6 @@ namespace pyjs
 
 
     em::val py_1d_buffer_to_typed_array(py::buffer buffer, bool view);
-    em::val bytes_to_js(char* data);
+    em::val bytes_to_js(char* data, std::size_t length);
 
 }
diff --git a/module/pyjs/convert_py_to_js.py b/module/pyjs/convert_py_to_js.py
index d41c114..0233bf3 100644
--- a/module/pyjs/convert_py_to_js.py
+++ b/module/pyjs/convert_py_to_js.py
@@ -80,7 +80,8 @@ def to_js(value, cache=None, depth=0, max_depth=None):
 
     # # bytestring
     elif isinstance(value, bytes):
-        return internal.bytes_to_typed_array(value).buffer
+        l = len(value)
+        return internal.bytes_to_typed_array(value, l).buffer
 
     elif hasattr(value, "explicit_to_js"):
         return value.explicit_to_js()
diff --git a/src/convert.cpp b/src/convert.cpp
index 58cb312..86c2fcd 100644
--- a/src/convert.cpp
+++ b/src/convert.cpp
@@ -205,10 +205,9 @@ namespace pyjs
     }
 
 
-    em::val bytes_to_js(char * binary_string)
+    em::val bytes_to_js(char * binary_string, std::size_t length)
     {
         // get the length of the string
-        std::size_t length = std::strlen(binary_string);
         em::val mem_view = em::val(em::typed_memory_view(length, binary_string));
         em::val mem_copy = em::val::global("Uint8Array").new_(mem_view);
         return mem_copy;
diff --git a/src/js_timestamp.cpp b/src/js_timestamp.cpp
index 2a2c129..a1588d5 100644
--- a/src/js_timestamp.cpp
+++ b/src/js_timestamp.cpp
@@ -1 +1 @@
-#define PYJS_JS_UTC_TIMESTAMP "2025-07-04 07:29:10.089112"
\ No newline at end of file
+#define PYJS_JS_UTC_TIMESTAMP "2025-09-01 06:22:09.224255"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/tests/test_pyjs.py b/tests/tests/test_pyjs.py
index 5125d2e..94497d2 100644
--- a/tests/tests/test_pyjs.py
+++ b/tests/tests/test_pyjs.py
@@ -246,6 +246,11 @@ def test_to_js_dict():
     assert jsmap.get(1) == "a"
 
 
+def test_bytes_to_js():
+    pyjs.to_js(b"\x00").byteLength == 1   
+    
+
+
 def test_to_js_none():
 
     jsval = pyjs.to_js(None)