diff --git a/named.go b/named.go
index 6ac4477..59aa30f 100644
--- a/named.go
+++ b/named.go
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ type namedPreparer interface {
 
 func prepareNamed(p namedPreparer, query string) (*NamedStmt, error) {
 	bindType := BindType(p.DriverName())
-	q, args, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(query), bindType)
+	q, args, err := compileNamedQuery(query, bindType)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -211,7 +211,7 @@ func bindMapArgs(names []string, arg map[string]interface{}) ([]interface{}, err
 // The rules for binding field names to parameter names follow the same
 // conventions as for StructScan, including obeying the `db` struct tags.
 func bindStruct(bindType int, query string, arg interface{}, m *reflectx.Mapper) (string, []interface{}, error) {
-	bound, names, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(query), bindType)
+	bound, names, err := compileNamedQuery(query, bindType)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", []interface{}{}, err
 	}
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ func fixBound(bound string, loop int) string {
 func bindArray(bindType int, query string, arg interface{}, m *reflectx.Mapper) (string, []interface{}, error) {
 	// do the initial binding with QUESTION;  if bindType is not question,
 	// we can rebind it at the end.
-	bound, names, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(query), QUESTION)
+	bound, names, err := compileNamedQuery(query, QUESTION)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", []interface{}{}, err
 	}
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ func bindArray(bindType int, query string, arg interface{}, m *reflectx.Mapper)
 
 // bindMap binds a named parameter query with a map of arguments.
 func bindMap(bindType int, query string, args map[string]interface{}) (string, []interface{}, error) {
-	bound, names, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(query), bindType)
+	bound, names, err := compileNamedQuery(query, bindType)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", []interface{}{}, err
 	}
@@ -319,23 +319,16 @@ func bindMap(bindType int, query string, args map[string]interface{}) (string, [
 // digits and numbers, where '5' is a digit but '五' is not.
 var allowedBindRunes = []*unicode.RangeTable{unicode.Letter, unicode.Digit}
 
-// FIXME: this function isn't safe for unicode named params, as a failing test
-// can testify.  This is not a regression but a failure of the original code
-// as well.  It should be modified to range over runes in a string rather than
-// bytes, even though this is less convenient and slower.  Hopefully the
-// addition of the prepared NamedStmt (which will only do this once) will make
-// up for the slightly slower ad-hoc NamedExec/NamedQuery.
-
 // compile a NamedQuery into an unbound query (using the '?' bindvar) and
 // a list of names.
-func compileNamedQuery(qs []byte, bindType int) (query string, names []string, err error) {
+func compileNamedQuery(qs string, bindType int) (query string, names []string, err error) {
 	names = make([]string, 0, 10)
-	rebound := make([]byte, 0, len(qs))
+	rebound := make([]rune, 0, len(qs))
 
 	inName := false
 	last := len(qs) - 1
 	currentVar := 1
-	name := make([]byte, 0, 10)
+	name := make([]rune, 0, 10)
 
 	for i, b := range qs {
 		// a ':' while we're in a name is an error
@@ -350,19 +343,19 @@ func compileNamedQuery(qs []byte, bindType int) (query string, names []string, e
 				return query, names, err
 			}
 			inName = true
-			name = []byte{}
+			name = []rune{}
 		} else if inName && i > 0 && b == '=' && len(name) == 0 {
 			rebound = append(rebound, ':', '=')
 			inName = false
 			continue
 			// if we're in a name, and this is an allowed character, continue
 		} else if inName && (unicode.IsOneOf(allowedBindRunes, rune(b)) || b == '_' || b == '.') && i != last {
-			// append the byte to the name if we are in a name and not on the last byte
+			// append the rune to the name if we are in a name and not on the last rune
 			name = append(name, b)
 			// if we're in a name and it's not an allowed character, the name is done
 		} else if inName {
 			inName = false
-			// if this is the final byte of the string and it is part of the name, then
+			// if this is the final rune of the string and it is part of the name, then
 			// make sure to add it to the name
 			if i == last && unicode.IsOneOf(allowedBindRunes, rune(b)) {
 				name = append(name, b)
@@ -380,24 +373,24 @@ func compileNamedQuery(qs []byte, bindType int) (query string, names []string, e
 			case DOLLAR:
 				rebound = append(rebound, '$')
 				for _, b := range strconv.Itoa(currentVar) {
-					rebound = append(rebound, byte(b))
+					rebound = append(rebound, b)
 				}
 				currentVar++
 			case AT:
 				rebound = append(rebound, '@', 'p')
 				for _, b := range strconv.Itoa(currentVar) {
-					rebound = append(rebound, byte(b))
+					rebound = append(rebound, b)
 				}
 				currentVar++
 			}
-			// add this byte to string unless it was not part of the name
+			// add this rune to string unless it was not part of the name
 			if i != last {
 				rebound = append(rebound, b)
 			} else if !unicode.IsOneOf(allowedBindRunes, rune(b)) {
 				rebound = append(rebound, b)
 			}
 		} else {
-			// this is a normal byte and should just go onto the rebound query
+			// this is a normal rune and should just go onto the rebound query
 			rebound = append(rebound, b)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/named_context.go b/named_context.go
index 9ad23f4..7dc94d4 100644
--- a/named_context.go
+++ b/named_context.go
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ type namedPreparerContext interface {
 
 func prepareNamedContext(ctx context.Context, p namedPreparerContext, query string) (*NamedStmt, error) {
 	bindType := BindType(p.DriverName())
-	q, args, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(query), bindType)
+	q, args, err := compileNamedQuery(query, bindType)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/named_test.go b/named_test.go
index 0ee5b85..8250898 100644
--- a/named_test.go
+++ b/named_test.go
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ func TestCompileQuery(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	for _, test := range table {
-		qr, names, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(test.Q), QUESTION)
+		qr, names, err := compileNamedQuery(test.Q, QUESTION)
 		if err != nil {
 			t.Error(err)
 		}
@@ -82,17 +82,17 @@ func TestCompileQuery(t *testing.T) {
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		qd, _, _ := compileNamedQuery([]byte(test.Q), DOLLAR)
+		qd, _, _ := compileNamedQuery(test.Q, DOLLAR)
 		if qd != test.D {
 			t.Errorf("\nexpected: `%s`\ngot:      `%s`", test.D, qd)
 		}
 
-		qt, _, _ := compileNamedQuery([]byte(test.Q), AT)
+		qt, _, _ := compileNamedQuery(test.Q, AT)
 		if qt != test.T {
 			t.Errorf("\nexpected: `%s`\ngot:      `%s`", test.T, qt)
 		}
 
-		qq, _, _ := compileNamedQuery([]byte(test.Q), NAMED)
+		qq, _, _ := compileNamedQuery(test.Q, NAMED)
 		if qq != test.N {
 			t.Errorf("\nexpected: `%s`\ngot:      `%s`\n(len: %d vs %d)", test.N, qq, len(test.N), len(qq))
 		}
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ func TestEscapedColons(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Skip("not sure it is possible to support this in general case without an SQL parser")
 	var qs = `SELECT * FROM testtable WHERE timeposted BETWEEN (now() AT TIME ZONE 'utc') AND
 	(now() AT TIME ZONE 'utc') - interval '01:30:00') AND name = '\'this is a test\'' and id = :id`
-	_, _, err := compileNamedQuery([]byte(qs), DOLLAR)
+	_, _, err := compileNamedQuery(qs, DOLLAR)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Error("Didn't handle colons correctly when inside a string")
 	}