diff --git a/Network/RTorrent/Command/Internals.hs b/Network/RTorrent/Command/Internals.hs
--- a/Network/RTorrent/Command/Internals.hs
+++ b/Network/RTorrent/Command/Internals.hs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
     , getArray
     , getArray'
     , single
+    , decodeUtf8
 ) where
 
 import Control.Applicative
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@
 import Control.Monad.Error
 import Control.Monad.Identity
 
+import qualified Codec.Binary.UTF8.String as U
+
 import Data.List.Split (splitPlaces)
 
 import Network.XmlRpc.Internals
@@ -100,6 +103,9 @@
 -- | Parse a value wrapped in two singleton arrays.
 parseSingle :: (Monad m, XmlRpcType a) => Value -> m a
 parseSingle = parseValue <=< single <=< single
+
+decodeUtf8 :: String -> String
+decodeUtf8 = U.decodeString
 
 -- | A newtype wrapper for method calls. 
 -- 
diff --git a/Network/RTorrent/CommandList.hs b/Network/RTorrent/CommandList.hs
--- a/Network/RTorrent/CommandList.hs
+++ b/Network/RTorrent/CommandList.hs
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@
 
 -- | Get the default download directory.
 getDirectory :: Global String
-getDirectory = commandSimple "get_directory"
+getDirectory = fmap decodeUtf8 $ commandSimple "get_directory"
 
 -- | Get the maximum upload rate, in bytes per second.
 --
diff --git a/Network/RTorrent/File.hs b/Network/RTorrent/File.hs
--- a/Network/RTorrent/File.hs
+++ b/Network/RTorrent/File.hs
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
 
 import Network.RTorrent.Action.Internals
 import Network.RTorrent.Torrent
-import Network.RTorrent.Command
+import Network.RTorrent.Command.Internals
 import Network.RTorrent.Priority
 import Network.XmlRpc.Internals
 
@@ -85,11 +85,11 @@
 
 -- | Get the file name relative to the torrent base directory.
 getFilePath :: FileId -> FileAction String
-getFilePath = simpleAction "f.path" []
+getFilePath = fmap decodeUtf8 . simpleAction "f.path" []
 
 -- | Get the absolute path.
 getFileAbsolutePath :: FileId -> FileAction String
-getFileAbsolutePath = simpleAction "f.frozen_path" []
+getFileAbsolutePath = fmap decodeUtf8 . simpleAction "f.frozen_path" []
 
 getFileSizeBytes :: FileId -> FileAction Int
 getFileSizeBytes = simpleAction "f.size_bytes" []
diff --git a/Network/RTorrent/RPC.hs b/Network/RTorrent/RPC.hs
--- a/Network/RTorrent/RPC.hs
+++ b/Network/RTorrent/RPC.hs
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@
     ) where
 
 import Control.Monad.Error (ErrorT(..), throwError, strMsg)
+import Control.Exception
 import Data.Monoid
 import qualified Data.ByteString as BS
 import qualified Data.ByteString.Lazy as LB
@@ -133,5 +134,9 @@
     -> a 
     -> IO (Either String (Ret a))
 callRTorrent host port command = 
-    runErrorT $ 
-        C.commandValue command =<< callRTorrentRaw host port (C.commandCall command)
+    (runErrorT $ do
+        ret <- callRTorrentRaw host port (C.commandCall command)
+        C.commandValue command ret) 
+        `catches` [ Handler (\e -> return . Left $ show (e :: IOException))
+                  , Handler (\e -> return . Left $ show (e :: PatternMatchFail))]
+    
diff --git a/Network/RTorrent/Torrent.hs b/Network/RTorrent/Torrent.hs
--- a/Network/RTorrent/Torrent.hs
+++ b/Network/RTorrent/Torrent.hs
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
   -- * Functions for handling torrents
   , start
   , close
+  , stop
+  , closeStop
   , erase
   , checkHash
   , getTorrent
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@
 import Network.XmlRpc.Internals
 
 import Network.RTorrent.Action.Internals
+import Network.RTorrent.Command.Internals
 import Network.RTorrent.Priority
 
 -- | A newtype wrapper for torrent identifiers.
@@ -112,6 +115,13 @@
 close :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction Int
 close = simpleAction "d.close" []
 
+-- | Stop a torrent. 
+stop :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction Int
+stop = simpleAction "d.stop" []
+
+closeStop :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction Int
+closeStop = fmap (\(a :*: b) -> a + b) . (close <+> stop)
+
 -- | Erase a torrent. 
 erase :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction Int
 erase = simpleAction "d.erase" []
@@ -128,16 +138,16 @@
 getTorrentId = simpleAction "d.hash" []
 
 getTorrentName :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction String
-getTorrentName = simpleAction "d.get_name" []
+getTorrentName = fmap decodeUtf8 . simpleAction "d.get_name" []
 
 -- | Get the absolute path to the torrent's directory or file.
 getTorrentPath :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction String
-getTorrentPath = simpleAction "d.get_base_path" []
+getTorrentPath = fmap decodeUtf8 . simpleAction "d.get_base_path" []
 
 -- | Get the absolute path to the directory in which the torrent's directory or
 -- file resides.
 getTorrentDir :: TorrentId -> TorrentAction String
-getTorrentDir = simpleAction "d.get_directory" []
+getTorrentDir = fmap decodeUtf8 . simpleAction "d.get_directory" []
 
 setTorrentDir :: String -> TorrentId -> TorrentAction Int
 setTorrentDir dir = simpleAction "d.set_directory" [PString dir]
diff --git a/rtorrent-rpc.cabal b/rtorrent-rpc.cabal
--- a/rtorrent-rpc.cabal
+++ b/rtorrent-rpc.cabal
@@ -1,30 +1,47 @@
 name:                rtorrent-rpc
-version:             0.2.0.0
+version:             0.2.1.0
 synopsis:            A library for communicating with RTorrent over its XML-RPC interface.
--- description:         
+description:         
+    A library for communicating with RTorrent over its XML-RPC interface.
 license:             MIT
 license-file:        LICENSE
 author:              Kai Lindholm
 maintainer:          megantti@gmail.com
 homepage:            https://github.com/megantti/rtorrent-rpc
--- copyright:           
+copyright:           (c) Kai Lindholm, 2014
 category:            Network
 build-type:          Simple
 -- extra-source-files:  
 cabal-version:       >=1.10
 
 library
-  exposed-modules:     Network.RTorrent, Network.RTorrent.RPC, Network.RTorrent.CommandList, 
-                       Network.RTorrent.Command, Network.RTorrent.Torrent, Network.RTorrent.File,
-                       Network.RTorrent.Action, Network.RTorrent.Priority, Network.RTorrent.Peer, 
-                       Network.RTorrent.Tracker, Network.RTorrent.Command.Internals,
+  exposed-modules:     Network.RTorrent
+                       Network.RTorrent.Action
                        Network.RTorrent.Action.Internals
+                       Network.RTorrent.Command
+                       Network.RTorrent.Command.Internals
+                       Network.RTorrent.CommandList 
+                       Network.RTorrent.File
+                       Network.RTorrent.Peer 
+                       Network.RTorrent.Priority
+                       Network.RTorrent.RPC
+                       Network.RTorrent.Torrent
+                       Network.RTorrent.Tracker
+
   other-modules:       Network.RTorrent.SCGI
   other-extensions:    TypeFamilies, OverloadedStrings, TypeOperators, ScopedTypeVariables, 
                        GADTs, FlexibleContexts, RankNTypes
-  build-depends:       base >=4.7 && <4.8, mtl >=2.1 && < 2.3, bytestring >=0.10 && <0.11, 
-                       network >=2.6, haxr >=3000.10 && <3000.11, blaze-builder >=0.3 && <0.4, 
-                       blaze-textual >=0.2 && <0.3, attoparsec >=0.12 && <0.13, deepseq >= 1.3.0.0, 
-                       split >=0.2.0.0
+  build-depends:       base >=4.7 && <4.8,
+                       mtl >=2.1 && <2.3,
+                       bytestring >=0.10 && <0.11 ,
+                       network >=2.6,
+                       haxr >=3000.10.3.1 && <3000.11,
+                       blaze-builder >=0.3 && <0.4,
+                       blaze-textual >=0.2 && <0.3,
+                       attoparsec >=0.12 && <0.13,
+                       deepseq >= 1.3.0.0,
+                       split >=0.2.0.0,
+                       utf8-string >= 0.3 && <0.4
   -- hs-source-dirs:      
   default-language:    Haskell2010
+  ghc-options:         -O2