diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 08a2cda..17af7fe 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ matrix:
       dist: trusty
     - python: 3.7
       dist: xenial
+    - python: 3.8
+      dist: xenial
       env: RUN_LINTER=1
     - python: nightly
       dist: xenial
diff --git a/examples/benchmark.py b/examples/benchmark.py
index 80ebe8f..a74bd27 100644
--- a/examples/benchmark.py
+++ b/examples/benchmark.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 args = parser.parse_args()
 
+random.seed(0)
 reader = maxminddb.open_database(args.file, args.mode)
 
 
diff --git a/maxminddb/reader.py b/maxminddb/reader.py
index 6d5b916..5654889 100644
--- a/maxminddb/reader.py
+++ b/maxminddb/reader.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 
 import struct
 
-from maxminddb.compat import byte_from_int, compat_ip_address, string_type
+from maxminddb.compat import compat_ip_address, string_type
 from maxminddb.const import MODE_AUTO, MODE_MMAP, MODE_FILE, MODE_MEMORY, MODE_FD
 from maxminddb.decoder import Decoder
 from maxminddb.errors import InvalidDatabaseError
@@ -179,15 +179,13 @@ def _read_node(self, node_number, index):
             offset = base_offset + index * 3
             node_bytes = b'\x00' + self._buffer[offset:offset + 3]
         elif record_size == 28:
-            (middle, ) = struct.unpack(
-                b'!B', self._buffer[base_offset + 3:base_offset + 4])
+            offset = base_offset + 3 * index
+            node_bytes = bytearray(self._buffer[offset:offset + 4])
             if index:
-                middle &= 0x0F
+                node_bytes[0] = 0x0F & node_bytes[0]
             else:
-                middle = (0xF0 & middle) >> 4
-            offset = base_offset + index * 4
-            node_bytes = byte_from_int(middle) + self._buffer[offset:offset +
-                                                              3]
+                middle = (0xF0 & node_bytes.pop()) >> 4
+                node_bytes.insert(0, middle)
         elif record_size == 32:
             offset = base_offset + index * 4
             node_bytes = self._buffer[offset:offset + 4]