diff --git a/libraries/eosiolib/core/eosio/datastream.hpp b/libraries/eosiolib/core/eosio/datastream.hpp
index 571d7236cb..7b9cb4e75c 100644
--- a/libraries/eosiolib/core/eosio/datastream.hpp
+++ b/libraries/eosiolib/core/eosio/datastream.hpp
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ datastream<Stream>& operator >> ( datastream<Stream>& ds, std::vector<T>& v ) {
 }
 
 /**
- *  Serialize a basic_string
+ *  Serialize a basic_string<T>
  *
  *  @param ds - The stream to write
  *  @param s - The value to serialize
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ datastream<Stream>& operator << ( datastream<Stream>& ds, const std::basic_strin
 }
 
 /**
- *  Deserialize a basic_string
+ *  Deserialize a basic_string<T>
  *
  *  @param ds - The stream to read
  *  @param s - The destination for deserialized value
@@ -800,6 +800,42 @@ datastream<Stream>& operator >> ( datastream<Stream>& ds, std::basic_string<T>&
    return ds;
 }
 
+/**
+ *  Serialize a basic_string<uint8_t>
+ *
+ *  @param ds - The stream to write
+ *  @param s - The value to serialize
+ *  @tparam Stream - Type of datastream buffer
+ *  @tparam T - Type of the object contained in the basic_string
+ *  @return datastream<Stream>& - Reference to the datastream
+ */
+template<typename Stream>
+datastream<Stream>& operator << ( datastream<Stream>& ds, const std::basic_string<uint8_t>& s ) {
+   ds << unsigned_int(s.size());
+   if (s.size())
+      ds.write(s.data(), s.size());
+   return ds;
+}
+
+/**
+ *  Deserialize a basic_string<uint8_t>
+ *
+ *  @param ds - The stream to read
+ *  @param s - The destination for deserialized value
+ *  @tparam Stream - Type of datastream buffer
+ *  @tparam T - Type of the object contained in the basic_string
+ *  @return datastream<Stream>& - Reference to the datastream
+ */
+template<typename Stream>
+datastream<Stream>& operator >> ( datastream<Stream>& ds, std::basic_string<uint8_t>& s ) {
+   unsigned_int v;
+   ds >> v;
+   s.resize(v.value);
+   ds.read(s.data(), s.size());
+   return ds;
+}
+
+
 /**
  *  Serialize a set
  *