diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index c44df8c..4de537b 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ function nowEpochSeconds(){
   return Math.floor(new Date().getTime()/1000);
 }
 
-function base64urlEncode(str) {
-  return new Buffer(str)
+function base64urlEncode(data) {
+  const str = typeof data === 'number' ? data.toString() : data;
+  return Buffer.from(str)
     .toString('base64')
     .replace(/\+/g, '-')
     .replace(/\//g, '_')
@@ -277,7 +278,7 @@ Parser.prototype.isSupportedAlg = isSupportedAlg;
 Parser.prototype.safeJsonParse = function(input) {
   var result;
   try{
-    result = JSON.parse(new Buffer(base64urlUnescape(input),'base64'));
+    result = JSON.parse(Buffer.from(base64urlUnescape(input),'base64'));
   }catch(e){
     return e;
   }
@@ -297,7 +298,7 @@ Parser.prototype.parse = function parse(jwtString,cb){
   var body = this.safeJsonParse(segments[1]);
 
   if(segments[2]){
-    signature = new Buffer(base64urlUnescape(segments[2]),'base64')
+    signature = Buffer.from(base64urlUnescape(segments[2]),'base64')
       .toString('base64');
   }
 
diff --git a/test/builder.js b/test/builder.js
index c1a20d2..424109a 100644
--- a/test/builder.js
+++ b/test/builder.js
@@ -101,12 +101,19 @@ describe('base64 URL Encoding',function(){
     assert.equal(
       nJwt.Jwt.prototype.sign(
         [compactHeader,compactBody].join('.'),
-        'HS256',new Buffer(key,'base64')
+        'HS256',Buffer.from(key,'base64')
       ),
       expectedSignature
     );
 
   });
+
+  it('does not create an uninitialized Buffer', function() { 
+  // see https://nodejs.org/api/buffer.html#buffer_buffer_from_buffer_alloc_and_buffer_allocunsafe
+    var fromDigits = nJwt.base64urlEncode(10);
+    var fromString = nJwt.base64urlEncode('10');
+    assert.equal(fromDigits, fromString);
+  });
 });