diff --git a/proto-lens.cabal b/proto-lens.cabal
--- a/proto-lens.cabal
+++ b/proto-lens.cabal
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 cabal-version: 1.12
 
--- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.34.4.
+-- This file has been generated from package.yaml by hpack version 0.35.2.
 --
 -- see: https://github.com/sol/hpack
 
 name:           proto-lens
-version:        0.7.1.2
+version:        0.7.1.3
 synopsis:       A lens-based implementation of protocol buffers in Haskell.
 description:    The proto-lens library provides an API for protocol buffers using modern Haskell language and library patterns.  Specifically, it provides:
                 .
@@ -58,19 +58,19 @@
   hs-source-dirs:
       src
   build-depends:
-      base >=4.10 && <4.18
+      base >=4.10 && <4.19
     , bytestring >=0.10 && <0.12
     , containers >=0.5 && <0.7
     , deepseq ==1.4.*
-    , ghc-prim >=0.4 && <0.10
+    , ghc-prim >=0.4 && <0.11
     , lens-family >=1.2 && <2.2
     , parsec ==3.1.*
     , pretty ==1.1.*
-    , primitive >=0.6 && <0.8
+    , primitive >=0.6 && <0.9
     , profunctors >=5.2 && <6.0
     , tagged ==0.8.*
     , text >=1.2 && <2.1
-    , transformers >=0.4 && <0.6
+    , transformers >=0.4 && <0.7
     , vector >=0.11 && <0.14
   default-language: Haskell2010
 
diff --git a/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Bytes.hs b/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Bytes.hs
--- a/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Bytes.hs
+++ b/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Bytes.hs
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
     -- * Bytestrings
     getBytes,
     putBytes,
+    -- * Text
+    getText,
     -- * Integral types
     getVarInt,
     getVarIntH,
diff --git a/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Parser.hs b/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Parser.hs
--- a/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Parser.hs
+++ b/src/Data/ProtoLens/Encoding/Parser.hs
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
     , getWord8
     , getWord32le
     , getBytes
+    , getText
     , (<?>)
     ) where
 
@@ -18,6 +19,8 @@
 import Data.Word (Word8, Word32)
 import Data.ByteString (ByteString, packCStringLen)
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Unsafe as B
+import Data.Text (Text)
+import Data.Text.Encoding (decodeUtf8')
 import Foreign.Ptr
 import Foreign.Storable
 import System.IO.Unsafe (unsafePerformIO)
@@ -68,6 +71,12 @@
 getBytes n = withSized n "getBytes: Unexpected end of input"
                     $ \pos -> packCStringLen (castPtr pos, n)
 
+getText :: Int -> Parser Text
+getText n = do
+  r <- withSized n "getText: Unexpected end of input" $ \pos ->
+          decodeUtf8' <$> B.unsafePackCStringLen (castPtr pos, n)
+  either (fail . show) pure r
+
 -- | Helper function for reading bytes from the current position and
 -- advancing the pointer.
 --
@@ -86,7 +95,7 @@
     | otherwise = fail "withSized: negative length"
 {-# INLINE withSized #-}
 
--- | Run the given parsing action as if there are only 
+-- | Run the given parsing action as if there are only
 -- @len@ bytes remaining.  That is, once @len@ bytes have been
 -- consumed, 'atEnd' will return 'True' and other actions
 -- like 'getWord8' will act like there is no input remaining.