diff --git a/ExternalObjectVar.c b/ExternalObjectVar.c
index 9c4c21f..a50fddb 100644
--- a/ExternalObjectVar.c
+++ b/ExternalObjectVar.c
@@ -256,19 +256,18 @@ static PyObject *ExternalObjectVar_GetAttributeValue(
 {
     dvoid *valueIndicator, *value;
     OCIInd scalarValueIndicator;
-    ub4 nameLength;
+    udt_StringBuffer buffer;
     sword status;
     OCIType *tdo;
-    char *name;
 
     // get the value for the attribute
-    name = PyString_AS_STRING(attribute->name);
-    nameLength = PyString_GET_SIZE(attribute->name);
+    if (StringBuffer_Fill(&buffer, attribute->name) < 0)
+        return NULL;
     status = OCIObjectGetAttr(self->objectType->environment->handle,
             self->objectType->environment->errorHandle, self->instance,
-            self->indicator, self->objectType->tdo, (const OraText**) &name,
-            &nameLength, 1, 0, 0, &scalarValueIndicator, &valueIndicator,
-            &value, &tdo);
+            self->indicator, self->objectType->tdo,
+            (const OraText**) &buffer.ptr, (ub4*) &buffer.size, 1, 0, 0,
+            &scalarValueIndicator, &valueIndicator, &value, &tdo);
     if (Environment_CheckForError(self->objectType->environment, status,
             "ExternalObjectVar_GetAttributeValue(): getting value") < 0)
         return NULL;
diff --git a/ObjectType.c b/ObjectType.c
index b5d6387..375d753 100644
--- a/ObjectType.c
+++ b/ObjectType.c
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ static int ObjectType_Initialize(
     if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
             "ObjectType_Initialize(): get schema name") < 0)
         return -1;
-    self->schema = PyString_FromStringAndSize(name, size);
+    self->schema = cxString_FromEncodedString(name, size);
     if (!self->schema)
         return -1;
 
@@ -305,7 +305,7 @@ static int ObjectType_Initialize(
     if (Environment_CheckForError(self->environment, status,
             "ObjectType_Initialize(): get name") < 0)
         return -1;
-    self->name = PyString_FromStringAndSize(name, size);
+    self->name = cxString_FromEncodedString(name, size);
     if (!self->name)
         return -1;
 
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ static int ObjectAttribute_Initialize(
     if (Environment_CheckForError(connection->environment, status,
             "ObjectAttribute_Initialize(): get name") < 0)
         return -1;
-    self->name = PyString_FromStringAndSize(name, size);
+    self->name = cxString_FromEncodedString(name, size);
     if (!self->name)
         return -1;
 
diff --git a/test/ObjectVar.py b/test/ObjectVar.py
index 0bebac1..49977e4 100644
--- a/test/ObjectVar.py
+++ b/test/ObjectVar.py
@@ -38,3 +38,16 @@ class TestObjectVar(BaseTestCase):
                 cx_Oracle.Timestamp(2007, 6, 21, 0, 0, 0),
                 cx_Oracle.Timestamp(2007, 12, 13, 7, 30, 45)), None)
 
+    def testObjectType(self):
+        "test object type data"
+        self.cursor.execute("""
+                select ObjectCol
+                from TestObjects
+                where ObjectCol is not null
+                  and rownum <= 1""")
+        objValue, = self.cursor.fetchone()
+        self.failUnlessEqual(objValue.type.schema,
+                self.connection.username.upper())
+        self.failUnlessEqual(objValue.type.name, "UDT_OBJECT")
+        self.failUnlessEqual(objValue.type.attributes[0].name, "NUMBERVALUE")
+
diff --git a/test/uObjectVar.py b/test/uObjectVar.py
index 4d50f10..6e709d0 100644
--- a/test/uObjectVar.py
+++ b/test/uObjectVar.py
@@ -38,3 +38,16 @@ class TestObjectVar(BaseTestCase):
                 cx_Oracle.Timestamp(2007, 6, 21, 0, 0, 0),
                 cx_Oracle.Timestamp(2007, 12, 13, 7, 30, 45)), None)
 
+    def testObjectType(self):
+        "test object type data"
+        self.cursor.execute(u"""
+                select ObjectCol
+                from TestObjects
+                where ObjectCol is not null
+                  and rownum <= 1""")
+        objValue, = self.cursor.fetchone()
+        self.failUnlessEqual(objValue.type.schema,
+                self.connection.username.upper())
+        self.failUnlessEqual(objValue.type.name, u"UDT_OBJECT")
+        self.failUnlessEqual(objValue.type.attributes[0].name, "NUMBERVALUE")
+