diff --git a/src/core/IO/Socket.pm b/src/core/IO/Socket.pm
index 2afad0a1305..0c7366725c6 100644
--- a/src/core/IO/Socket.pm
+++ b/src/core/IO/Socket.pm
@@ -7,8 +7,11 @@ my role IO::Socket {
 
         if $!buffer.chars < $chars {
             my str $r = $!PIO.recv;
-            $r = pir::trans_encoding__Ssi($r,
-                    pir::find_encoding__Is('utf8'));
+            try {
+                my Mu $bb := pir::new__Ps('ByteBuffer');
+                pir::set__vPs($bb, $r);
+                $r = $bb.get_string(PARROT_ENCODING('utf8'));
+            }
             $!buffer ~= nqp::p6box_s($r);
         }