diff --git a/lib/webSocketServer.js b/lib/webSocketServer.js
index a160b79b08..6a6142a114 100644
--- a/lib/webSocketServer.js
+++ b/lib/webSocketServer.js
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-var WebSocketServer = require("websocket").server;
+var websocket = require("websocket");
+var WebSocketServer = websocket.server;
 
 module.exports = function(httpServer, provider, logger) {
   var connectionManager = new ConnectionManager(provider, logger);
@@ -43,10 +44,18 @@ ConnectionManager.prototype.manageConnection = function(connection) {
   };
 
   connection.on("message", function(message) {
+    let payload;
     try {
-      var payload = JSON.parse(message.utf8Data);
+      if (message.type === "utf8") {
+        payload = JSON.parse(message.utf8Data);
+      } else if (message.type === "binary") {
+        payload = JSON.parse(message.binaryData.toString("utf8").trim());
+      } else {
+        throw new Error("Invalid message type");
+      }
     } catch (e) {
-      connection.reject(400, "Bad Request");
+      connection.close(websocket.connection.CLOSE_REASON_UNPROCESSABLE_INPUT, e.message);
+      return;
     }
 
     self._logPayload(payload);
diff --git a/test/requests.js b/test/requests.js
index 4e637f3163..b29af9b262 100644
--- a/test/requests.js
+++ b/test/requests.js
@@ -1620,6 +1620,53 @@ describe("WebSockets Server:", function() {
 
   tests(web3);
 
+  it("Can also handle binary websocket data", async() => {
+    // Python web3 only sends binary over websockets and we should
+    // be able to handle it.
+
+    // web3.eth.getAccounts transmits over utf8, so use that as our baseline.
+    const accounts = await web3.eth.getAccounts();
+
+    // Listen for messages:
+    const pendingMessage = new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      function message(result) {
+        cleanup();
+        resolve(JSON.parse(result.data));
+      }
+      function close(err) {
+        cleanup();
+        reject(err.reason);
+      }
+      function cleanup() {
+        web3.currentProvider.connection.removeEventListener("message", message);
+        web3.currentProvider.connection.removeEventListener("close", close);
+      }
+      web3.currentProvider.connection.addEventListener("message", message);
+      web3.currentProvider.connection.addEventListener("close", close);
+    });
+
+    // generate a binary jsonrpc message:
+    const jsonRpc = Buffer.from(
+      JSON.stringify({
+        jsonrpc: "2.0",
+        id: 9999,
+        method: "eth_accounts",
+        params: []
+      })
+    );
+
+    // send the binary data:
+    web3.currentProvider.connection.send(jsonRpc);
+    const result = await pendingMessage;
+
+    // And compare
+    assert.deepStrictEqual(
+      result.result,
+      accounts.map((a) => a.toLocaleLowerCase()),
+      "Accounts don't match between binary and utf8 websocket requests!"
+    );
+  }).timeout(500); // fail quick if our hacked-together websocket handler fails.
+
   after("Shutdown server", async function() {
     let provider = web3._provider;
     web3.setProvider();