diff --git a/binary.js b/binary.js
index c20c91d..38a3578 100644
--- a/binary.js
+++ b/binary.js
@@ -17,39 +17,38 @@ var isBuf = require('./is-buffer');
  * @api public
  */
 
-exports.deconstructPacket = function(packet){
+exports.deconstructPacket = function(packet) {
   var buffers = [];
   var packetData = packet.data;
-
-  function _deconstructPacket(data) {
-    if (!data) return data;
-
-    if (isBuf(data)) {
-      var placeholder = { _placeholder: true, num: buffers.length };
-      buffers.push(data);
-      return placeholder;
-    } else if (isArray(data)) {
-      var newData = new Array(data.length);
-      for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
-        newData[i] = _deconstructPacket(data[i]);
-      }
-      return newData;
-    } else if (typeof data === 'object' && !(data instanceof Date)) {
-      var newData = {};
-      for (var key in data) {
-        newData[key] = _deconstructPacket(data[key]);
-      }
-      return newData;
-    }
-    return data;
-  }
-
   var pack = packet;
-  pack.data = _deconstructPacket(packetData);
+  pack.data = _deconstructPacket(packetData, buffers);
   pack.attachments = buffers.length; // number of binary 'attachments'
   return {packet: pack, buffers: buffers};
 };
 
+function _deconstructPacket(data, buffers) {
+  if (!data) return data;
+
+  if (isBuf(data)) {
+    var placeholder = { _placeholder: true, num: buffers.length };
+    buffers.push(data);
+    return placeholder;
+  } else if (isArray(data)) {
+    var newData = new Array(data.length);
+    for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
+      newData[i] = _deconstructPacket(data[i], buffers);
+    }
+    return newData;
+  } else if (typeof data === 'object' && !(data instanceof Date)) {
+    var newData = {};
+    for (var key in data) {
+      newData[key] = _deconstructPacket(data[key], buffers);
+    }
+    return newData;
+  }
+  return data;
+}
+
 /**
  * Reconstructs a binary packet from its placeholder packet and buffers
  *
@@ -60,29 +59,28 @@ exports.deconstructPacket = function(packet){
  */
 
 exports.reconstructPacket = function(packet, buffers) {
+  packet.data = _reconstructPacket(packet.data, buffers);
+  packet.attachments = undefined; // no longer useful
+  return packet;
+};
 
-  function _reconstructPacket(data) {
-    if (data && data._placeholder) {
-      var buf = buffers[data.num]; // appropriate buffer (should be natural order anyway)
-      return buf;
-    } else if (isArray(data)) {
-      for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
-        data[i] = _reconstructPacket(data[i]);
-      }
-      return data;
-    } else if (data && 'object' === typeof data) {
-      for (var key in data) {
-        data[key] = _reconstructPacket(data[key]);
-      }
-      return data;
+function _reconstructPacket(data, buffers) {
+  if (!data) return data;
+
+  if (data && data._placeholder) {
+    return buffers[data.num]; // appropriate buffer (should be natural order anyway)
+  } else if (isArray(data)) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < data.length; i++) {
+      data[i] = _reconstructPacket(data[i], buffers);
+    }
+  } else if (typeof data === 'object') {
+    for (var key in data) {
+      data[key] = _reconstructPacket(data[key], buffers);
     }
-    return data;
   }
 
-  packet.data = _reconstructPacket(packet.data);
-  packet.attachments = undefined; // no longer useful
-  return packet;
-};
+  return data;
+}
 
 /**
  * Asynchronously removes Blobs or Files from data via
@@ -124,7 +122,7 @@ exports.removeBlobs = function(data, callback) {
       for (var i = 0; i < obj.length; i++) {
         _removeBlobs(obj[i], i, obj);
       }
-    } else if (obj && 'object' === typeof obj && !isBuf(obj)) { // and object
+    } else if (typeof obj === 'object' && !isBuf(obj)) { // and object
       for (var key in obj) {
         _removeBlobs(obj[key], key, obj);
       }
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 81273ee..902d188 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -144,22 +144,19 @@ Encoder.prototype.encode = function(obj, callback){
  */
 
 function encodeAsString(obj) {
-  var str = '';
 
   // first is type
-  str += obj.type;
+  var str = '' + obj.type;
 
   // attachments if we have them
   if (exports.BINARY_EVENT === obj.type || exports.BINARY_ACK === obj.type) {
-    str += obj.attachments;
-    str += '-';
+    str += obj.attachments + '-';
   }
 
   // if we have a namespace other than `/`
   // we append it followed by a comma `,`
   if (obj.nsp && '/' !== obj.nsp) {
-    str += obj.nsp;
-    str += ',';
+    str += obj.nsp + ',';
   }
 
   // immediately followed by the id
@@ -265,15 +262,16 @@ Decoder.prototype.add = function(obj) {
  */
 
 function decodeString(str) {
-  var p = {};
   var i = 0;
-
   // look up type
-  p.type = Number(str.charAt(0));
+  var p = {
+    type: Number(str.charAt(0))
+  };
+
   if (null == exports.types[p.type]) return error();
 
   // look up attachments if type binary
-  if (exports.BINARY_EVENT == p.type || exports.BINARY_ACK == p.type) {
+  if (exports.BINARY_EVENT === p.type || exports.BINARY_ACK === p.type) {
     var buf = '';
     while (str.charAt(++i) !== '-') {
       buf += str.charAt(i);
@@ -390,7 +388,7 @@ BinaryReconstructor.prototype.finishedReconstruction = function() {
   this.buffers = [];
 };
 
-function error(data){
+function error() {
   return {
     type: exports.ERROR,
     data: 'parser error'