diff --git a/bytes.cabal b/bytes.cabal
--- a/bytes.cabal
+++ b/bytes.cabal
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 name:          bytes
 category:      Data, Serialization
-version:       0.6
+version:       0.7
 license:       BSD3
 cabal-version: >= 1.8
 license-file:  LICENSE
@@ -42,11 +42,12 @@
 library
   build-depends:
     base                      >= 4.3      && < 5,
-    binary                    >= 0.5      && < 0.6,
+    binary                    >= 0.5      && < 0.8,
     bytestring                >= 0.9      && < 0.11,
     cereal                    >= 0.3.5    && < 0.4,
     ghc-prim,
     mtl                       >= 2.0      && < 2.2,
+    text                      >= 0.2      && < 1,
     transformers              >= 0.2      && < 0.4,
     transformers-compat       >= 0.1      && < 1,
     void                      >= 0.6      && < 0.7
diff --git a/src/Data/Bytes/Get.hs b/src/Data/Bytes/Get.hs
--- a/src/Data/Bytes/Get.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Bytes/Get.hs
@@ -69,14 +69,6 @@
   -- Fails if @ga@ fails.
   lookAhead :: m a -> m a
 
-  -- | Like 'lookAhead', but consume the input if @gma@ returns 'Just _'.
-  -- Fails if @gma@ fails.
-  lookAheadM :: m (Maybe a) -> m (Maybe a)
-
-  -- | Like 'lookAhead', but consume the input if @gea@ returns 'Right _'.
-  -- Fails if @gea@ fails.
-  lookAheadE :: m (Either a b) -> m (Either a b)
-
   -- | Get the next up to @n@ bytes as a lazy ByteString, without consuming them.
   uncheckedLookAhead :: Unchecked m -> m (Bytes m)
 #ifndef HLINT
@@ -213,10 +205,6 @@
   {-# INLINE uncheckedSkip #-}
   lookAhead = B.lookAhead
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM = B.lookAheadM
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE = B.lookAheadE
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
   uncheckedLookAhead = B.uncheckedLookAhead
   {-# INLINE uncheckedLookAhead #-}
   ensure n = do
@@ -266,10 +254,6 @@
   {-# INLINE uncheckedSkip #-}
   lookAhead = S.lookAhead
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM = S.lookAheadM
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE = S.lookAheadE
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
   uncheckedLookAhead = S.uncheckedLookAhead
   {-# INLINE uncheckedLookAhead #-}
   getBytes = S.getBytes
@@ -312,115 +296,39 @@
   type Bytes (Lazy.StateT s m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (Lazy.StateT m) = Lazy.StateT (lookAhead . m)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (Lazy.StateT m) = Lazy.StateT (liftM factor . lookAheadE . liftM distribute . m)
-    where
-    distribute (Nothing, s') = Left (Nothing, s')
-    distribute (Just a, s') = Right (Just a, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (Lazy.StateT m) = Lazy.StateT (liftM factor . lookAheadE . liftM distribute . m)
-    where
-    distribute (Left a, s') = Left (Left a, s')
-    distribute (Right b, s') = Right (Right b, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
 
 instance MonadGet m => MonadGet (Strict.StateT s m) where
   type Unchecked (Strict.StateT s m) = Unchecked m
   type Bytes (Strict.StateT s m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (Strict.StateT m) = Strict.StateT (lookAhead . m)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (Strict.StateT m) = Strict.StateT (liftM factor . lookAheadE . liftM distribute . m)
-    where
-    distribute (Nothing, s') = Left (Nothing, s')
-    distribute (Just a, s') = Right (Just a, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (Strict.StateT m) = Strict.StateT (liftM factor . lookAheadE . liftM distribute . m)
-    where
-    distribute (Left a, s') = Left (Left a, s')
-    distribute (Right b, s') = Right (Right b, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
 
 instance MonadGet m => MonadGet (ReaderT e m) where
   type Unchecked (ReaderT e m) = Unchecked m
   type Bytes (ReaderT e m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (ReaderT m) = ReaderT (lookAhead . m)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (ReaderT m) = ReaderT (lookAheadM . m)
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (ReaderT m) = ReaderT (lookAheadE . m)
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
 
 instance (MonadGet m, Monoid w) => MonadGet (Lazy.WriterT w m) where
   type Unchecked (Lazy.WriterT w m) = Unchecked m
   type Bytes (Lazy.WriterT w m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (Lazy.WriterT m) = Lazy.WriterT (lookAhead m)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (Lazy.WriterT m) = Lazy.WriterT (liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute m)
-    where
-    distribute (Nothing, s') = Left (Nothing, s')
-    distribute (Just a, s') = Right (Just a, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (Lazy.WriterT m) = Lazy.WriterT (liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute m)
-    where
-    distribute (Left a, s') = Left (Left a, s')
-    distribute (Right b, s') = Right (Right b, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
 
 instance (MonadGet m, Monoid w) => MonadGet (Strict.WriterT w m) where
   type Unchecked (Strict.WriterT w m) = Unchecked m
   type Bytes (Strict.WriterT w m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (Strict.WriterT m) = Strict.WriterT (lookAhead m)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (Strict.WriterT m) = Strict.WriterT (liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute m)
-    where
-    distribute (Nothing, s') = Left (Nothing, s')
-    distribute (Just a, s') = Right (Just a, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (Strict.WriterT m) = Strict.WriterT (liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute m)
-    where
-    distribute (Left a, s') = Left (Left a, s')
-    distribute (Right b, s') = Right (Right b, s')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
 
 instance (MonadGet m, Monoid w) => MonadGet (Strict.RWST r w s m) where
   type Unchecked (Strict.RWST r w s m) = Unchecked m
   type Bytes (Strict.RWST r w s m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (Strict.RWST m) = Strict.RWST $ \r s -> lookAhead (m r s)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (Strict.RWST m) = Strict.RWST (\r s -> liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute $ m r s )
-    where
-    distribute (Nothing, s',w') = Left (Nothing, s', w')
-    distribute (Just a, s',w') = Right (Just a, s', w')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (Strict.RWST m) = Strict.RWST (\r s -> liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute $ m r s)
-    where
-    distribute (Left a, s', w') = Left (Left a, s', w')
-    distribute (Right b, s', w') = Right (Right b, s', w')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
 
 instance (MonadGet m, Monoid w) => MonadGet (Lazy.RWST r w s m) where
   type Unchecked (Lazy.RWST r w s m) = Unchecked m
   type Bytes (Lazy.RWST r w s m) = Bytes m
   lookAhead (Lazy.RWST m) = Lazy.RWST $ \r s -> lookAhead (m r s)
   {-# INLINE lookAhead #-}
-  lookAheadM (Lazy.RWST m) = Lazy.RWST (\r s -> liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute $ m r s )
-    where
-    distribute (Nothing, s',w') = Left (Nothing, s', w')
-    distribute (Just a, s',w') = Right (Just a, s', w')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadM #-}
-  lookAheadE (Lazy.RWST m) = Lazy.RWST (\r s -> liftM factor $ lookAheadE $ liftM distribute $ m r s)
-    where
-    distribute (Left a, s', w') = Left (Left a, s', w')
-    distribute (Right b, s', w') = Right (Right b, s', w')
-    factor = either id id
-  {-# INLINE lookAheadE #-}
diff --git a/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs b/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs
--- a/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs
+++ b/src/Data/Bytes/Serial.hs
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@
 import Data.ByteString.Lazy as Lazy
 import Data.ByteString as Strict
 import Data.Int
+import Data.Text as SText
+import Data.Text.Encoding as SText
+import Data.Text.Lazy as LText
+import Data.Text.Lazy.Encoding as LText
 import Data.Void
 import Data.Word
 import Foreign.ForeignPtr
@@ -76,6 +80,14 @@
   deserialize = do
     n <- getWord64host
     getLazyByteString (fromIntegral n)
+
+instance Serial SText.Text where
+  serialize = serialize . SText.encodeUtf8
+  deserialize = SText.decodeUtf8 `fmap` deserialize
+
+instance Serial LText.Text where
+  serialize = serialize . LText.encodeUtf8
+  deserialize = LText.decodeUtf8 `fmap` deserialize
 
 instance Serial ()
 instance Serial a => Serial [a]