diff --git a/keyvi/bin/keyvi_c/c_api.cpp b/keyvi/bin/keyvi_c/c_api.cpp
index 7925dd6a8..55905c312 100644
--- a/keyvi/bin/keyvi_c/c_api.cpp
+++ b/keyvi/bin/keyvi_c/c_api.cpp
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ char* keyvi_dictionary_get_statistics(const keyvi_dictionary* dict) {
   return std_2_c_string(dict->obj_->GetStatistics());
 }
 
-keyvi_match* keyvi_dictionary_get(const keyvi_dictionary* dict, const char* key) {
-  return new keyvi_match(dict->obj_->operator[](key));
+keyvi_match* keyvi_dictionary_get(const keyvi_dictionary* dict, const char* key, const size_t key_len) {
+  return new keyvi_match(dict->obj_->operator[](std::string(key, key_len)));
 }
 
 keyvi_match_iterator* keyvi_dictionary_get_all_items(const keyvi_dictionary* dict) {
diff --git a/keyvi/include/keyvi/c_api/c_api.h b/keyvi/include/keyvi/c_api/c_api.h
index d20337598..3c2d35fb8 100644
--- a/keyvi/include/keyvi/c_api/c_api.h
+++ b/keyvi/include/keyvi/c_api/c_api.h
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ size_t keyvi_dictionary_get_size(const struct keyvi_dictionary*);
 
 char* keyvi_dictionary_get_statistics(const struct keyvi_dictionary*);
 
-struct keyvi_match* keyvi_dictionary_get(const struct keyvi_dictionary*, const char*);
+struct keyvi_match* keyvi_dictionary_get(const struct keyvi_dictionary*, const char*, const size_t);
 
 struct keyvi_match_iterator* keyvi_dictionary_get_all_items(const struct keyvi_dictionary*);
 
diff --git a/rust/src/dictionary.rs b/rust/src/dictionary.rs
index f7dcb0b2a..448dc6fef 100644
--- a/rust/src/dictionary.rs
+++ b/rust/src/dictionary.rs
@@ -65,8 +65,9 @@ impl Dictionary {
     }
 
     pub fn get(&self, key: &str) -> KeyviMatch {
-        let key_c = CString::new(key).unwrap();
-        let match_ptr = unsafe { root::keyvi_dictionary_get(self.dict, key_c.as_ptr()) };
+        let match_ptr = unsafe {
+            root::keyvi_dictionary_get(self.dict, key.as_ptr() as *const i8, key.len() as u64)
+        };
         KeyviMatch::new(match_ptr)
     }
 
diff --git a/rust/test_data/test.kv b/rust/test_data/test.kv
index e5c37d8af..2beaf72cb 100644
Binary files a/rust/test_data/test.kv and b/rust/test_data/test.kv differ
diff --git a/rust/tests/tests.rs b/rust/tests/tests.rs
index 3aafced1d..4612c0d20 100644
--- a/rust/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/rust/tests/tests.rs
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ mod tests {
     #[test]
     fn dictionary_size() {
         let dict = dictionary::Dictionary::new("test_data/test.kv").unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(dict.size(), 3);
+        assert_eq!(dict.size(), 5);
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -77,18 +77,25 @@ mod tests {
 
     #[test]
     fn match_msgpacked_value_non_existing_key() {
-        let m = dictionary::Dictionary::new("test_data/test.kv")
-            .unwrap()
-            .get("non-existing-key");
+        let d = dictionary::Dictionary::new("test_data/test.kv").unwrap();
+        let m = d.get("non-existing-key");
+        assert!(m.get_value_as_string().is_empty());
+
+        let m = d.get("non-existing-key-with-\0-in-middle");
         assert!(m.get_value_as_string().is_empty());
     }
 
     #[test]
     fn match_value() {
-        let m = dictionary::Dictionary::new("test_data/test.kv")
-            .unwrap()
-            .get("a");
+        let d = dictionary::Dictionary::new("test_data/test.kv").unwrap();
+        let m = d.get("a");
         assert_eq!(m.get_value_as_string(), "[12,13]");
+
+        let m = d.get("d\0");
+        assert_eq!(m.get_value_as_string(), "[1,2]");
+
+        let m = d.get("e\0f");
+        assert_eq!(m.get_value_as_string(), "[3,4]");
     }
 
     #[test]