diff --git a/src/circuit/sloth.rs b/src/circuit/sloth.rs
index 5e463d1c..4a1f460a 100644
--- a/src/circuit/sloth.rs
+++ b/src/circuit/sloth.rs
@@ -77,10 +77,10 @@ mod tests {
         for _ in 0..10 {
             let key: Fr = rng.gen();
             let plaintext: Fr = rng.gen();
-            let ciphertext = sloth::encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
+            let ciphertext = sloth::encode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
 
             // Vanilla
-            let decrypted = sloth::decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
+            let decrypted = sloth::decode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
             let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Bls12>::new();
             let out = decode(cs.namespace(|| "sloth"), &key, &ciphertext, 10).unwrap();
 
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ mod tests {
             let key_bad: Fr = rng.gen();
             let plaintext: Fr = rng.gen();
 
-            let ciphertext = sloth::encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
+            let ciphertext = sloth::encode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
 
-            let decrypted = sloth::decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
+            let decrypted = sloth::decode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
             let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Bls12>::new();
             let out = decode(cs.namespace(|| "sloth"), &key_bad, &ciphertext, 10).unwrap();
 
@@ -117,9 +117,9 @@ mod tests {
             let key: Fr = rng.gen();
             let plaintext: Fr = rng.gen();
 
-            let ciphertext = sloth::encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
+            let ciphertext = sloth::encode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
 
-            let decrypted = sloth::decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
+            let decrypted = sloth::decode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
 
             let mut cs = TestConstraintSystem::<Bls12>::new();
             let out9 = decode(cs.namespace(|| "sloth 9"), &key, &ciphertext, 9).unwrap();
diff --git a/src/crypto/sloth.rs b/src/crypto/sloth.rs
index b0c73c0e..748717fd 100644
--- a/src/crypto/sloth.rs
+++ b/src/crypto/sloth.rs
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+use error::Result;
+use fr32::{bytes_into_frs, fr_into_bytes, Fr32, Fr32Vec};
 use pairing::{Engine, Field};
 
 /// The `v` constant for sloth.
@@ -12,8 +14,26 @@ const SLOTH_V: [u64; 4] = [
 /// The number five, as an array so we can use it in `pow`.
 const FIVE: [u64; 1] = [5];
 
+pub fn encode<'a, E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, mut plaintext: &[u8], rounds: usize) -> Result<Fr32Vec> {
+    let frs = bytes_into_frs::<E>(&mut plaintext)?;
+    Ok(frs
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|fr| encode_element::<E>(key, &fr, rounds))
+        .flat_map(|fr| fr_into_bytes::<E>(&fr))
+        .collect())
+}
+
+pub fn decode<'a, E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, mut ciphertext: &[u8], rounds: usize) -> Result<Vec<u8>> {
+    let frs = bytes_into_frs::<E>(&mut ciphertext)?;
+    Ok(frs
+        .into_iter()
+        .map(|fr| decode_element::<E>(key, &fr, rounds))
+        .flat_map(|fr| fr_into_bytes::<E>(&fr))
+        .collect())
+}
+
 /// Sloth based encoding.
-pub fn encode<E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, plaintext: &E::Fr, rounds: usize) -> E::Fr {
+pub fn encode_element<E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, plaintext: &E::Fr, rounds: usize) -> E::Fr {
     let mut ciphertext = *plaintext;
 
     for _ in 0..rounds {
@@ -25,7 +45,7 @@ pub fn encode<E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, plaintext: &E::Fr, rounds: usize) -> E::Fr
 }
 
 /// Sloth based decoding.
-pub fn decode<E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, ciphertext: &E::Fr, rounds: usize) -> E::Fr {
+pub fn decode_element<E: Engine>(key: &E::Fr, ciphertext: &E::Fr, rounds: usize) -> E::Fr {
     let mut plaintext = *ciphertext;
 
     for _ in 0..rounds {
@@ -54,19 +74,47 @@ mod tests {
     fn sloth_bls_12() {
         let key = Fr::from_str("11111111").unwrap();
         let plaintext = Fr::from_str("123456789").unwrap();
-        let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
-        let decrypted = decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
+        let ciphertext = encode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
+        let decrypted = decode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10);
+        assert_eq!(plaintext, decrypted);
+        assert_ne!(plaintext, ciphertext);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sloth_bls_12_bytes() {
+        let key = Fr::from_str("11111111").unwrap();
+        let plaintext = b"Exactly thirty-two bytes in all.".to_vec();
+        let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext[..], 10).unwrap();
+        let decrypted = decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10).unwrap();
         assert_eq!(plaintext, decrypted);
         assert_ne!(plaintext, ciphertext);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sloth_bls_12_bytes_bad() {
+        let key = Fr::from_str("11111111").unwrap();
+        let plaintext = b"Not quite the right number of bytes.".to_vec();
+        let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext[..], 10);
+        assert!(ciphertext.is_err());
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn sloth_bls_12_fake() {
         let key = Fr::from_str("11111111").unwrap();
         let key_fake = Fr::from_str("11111112").unwrap();
         let plaintext = Fr::from_str("123456789").unwrap();
-        let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
-        let decrypted = decode::<Bls12>(&key_fake, &ciphertext, 10);
+        let ciphertext = encode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
+        let decrypted = decode_element::<Bls12>(&key_fake, &ciphertext, 10);
+        assert_ne!(plaintext, decrypted);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_sloth_bls_12_fake_bytes() {
+        let key = Fr::from_str("11111111").unwrap();
+        let key_fake = Fr::from_str("22222222").unwrap();
+        let plaintext = b"Exactly thirty-two bytes in all.".to_vec();
+        let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10).unwrap();
+        let decrypted = decode::<Bls12>(&key_fake, &ciphertext, 10).unwrap();
         assert_ne!(plaintext, decrypted);
     }
 
@@ -75,12 +123,27 @@ mod tests {
             Fr::from_repr(FrRepr([a, b, c, d])).unwrap()
         }
     }
-
     proptest!{
         #[test]
         fn sloth_bls_roundtrip(key in arb_fr(), plaintext in arb_fr()) {
-            let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
-            assert_eq!(decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10), plaintext);
+            let ciphertext = encode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10);
+            assert_eq!(decode_element::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10), plaintext);
+        }
+    }
+    prop_compose! {
+        fn arb_fr32()(body in 0..0b11111111u8, end in 0..0b00111111u8 // Last byte must have two-bits padding in most-significant bit.
+         ) -> Fr32Vec {
+            [body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body,
+            body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, body, end,
+           ] .to_vec()
+        }
+    }
+
+    proptest!{
+        #[test]
+        fn sloth_bls_bytes_roundtrip(key in arb_fr(), ref plaintext in arb_fr32()) {
+            let ciphertext = encode::<Bls12>(&key, &plaintext, 10).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(&decode::<Bls12>(&key, &ciphertext, 10).unwrap(), plaintext);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/fr32.rs b/src/fr32.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2cdf6128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/fr32.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+use pairing::bls12_381::Bls12;
+use pairing::{Engine, PrimeField, PrimeFieldRepr};
+
+#[derive(Fail, Debug)]
+#[fail(display = "Bytes could not be converted to Fr")]
+pub struct BadFrBytesError;
+
+pub type Fr32 = [u8];
+pub type Fr32Vec = Vec<u8>;
+pub type Fr32Ary = [u8; 32];
+
+// Takes a slice of bytes and returns an Fr if byte slice is exactly 32 bytes and does not overflow.
+// Otherwise, returns a BadFrBytesError.
+pub fn bytes_into_fr<E: Engine>(bytes: &mut &Fr32) -> Result<E::Fr, BadFrBytesError> {
+    if bytes.len() != 32 {
+        return Err(BadFrBytesError);
+    }
+    let mut fr_repr = <<<E as Engine>::Fr as PrimeField>::Repr as Default>::default();
+    fr_repr.read_le(bytes).map_err(|_| BadFrBytesError)?;
+
+    E::Fr::from_repr(fr_repr).map_err(|_| BadFrBytesError)
+}
+
+// Takes an Fr and returns a vector of exactly 32 bytes guaranteed to contain a valid Fr.
+pub fn fr_into_bytes<E: Engine>(fr: &E::Fr) -> Fr32Vec {
+    let mut out = Vec::new();
+    fr.into_repr().write_le(&mut out).unwrap();
+    out
+}
+
+// Takes a slice of bytes and returns a vector of Fr -- or an error if either bytes is not a multiple of 32 bytes
+// or any 32-byte chunk overflows and does not contain a valid Fr.
+pub fn bytes_into_frs<E: Engine>(bytes: &mut &[u8]) -> Result<Vec<E::Fr>, BadFrBytesError> {
+    bytes
+        .chunks(32)
+        .map(|ref mut chunk| bytes_into_fr::<E>(chunk))
+        .collect()
+}
+
+// Takes a slice of Frs and returns a vector of bytes, guaranteed to have a size which is a multiple of 32,
+// with every 32-byte chunk representing a valid Fr.
+pub fn frs_into_bytes<E: Engine>(frs: &[E::Fr]) -> Fr32Vec {
+    frs.iter().flat_map(|fr| fr_into_bytes::<E>(fr)).collect()
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    fn bytes_fr_test<E: Engine>(bytes: Fr32Ary, expect_success: bool) {
+        let mut b = &bytes[..];
+        let fr_result = bytes_into_fr::<E>(&mut b);
+        if expect_success {
+            let f = fr_result.unwrap();
+            let b2 = fr_into_bytes::<E>(&f);
+
+            assert_eq!(bytes.to_vec(), b2);
+        } else {
+            assert!(fr_result.is_err(), "expected a decoding error")
+        }
+    }
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytes_into_fr_into_bytes() {
+        bytes_fr_test::<Bls12>(
+            [
+                0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22,
+                23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31,
+            ],
+            true,
+        );
+        bytes_fr_test::<Bls12>(
+            // Some bytes fail because they are not in the field.
+            [
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 115,
+            ],
+            false,
+        );
+        bytes_fr_test::<Bls12>(
+            // This is okay.
+            [
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 114,
+            ],
+            true,
+        );
+        bytes_fr_test::<Bls12>(
+            // So is this.
+            [
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 236, 115,
+            ],
+            true,
+        );
+        bytes_fr_test::<Bls12>(
+            // But not this.
+            [
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255,
+                255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 255, 237, 115,
+            ],
+            false,
+        );
+    }
+
+    fn bytes_into_frs_into_bytes_test<E: Engine>(bytes: &Fr32) {
+        let mut bytes = bytes.clone();
+        let frs = bytes_into_frs::<E>(&mut bytes).unwrap();
+        assert!(frs.len() == 3);
+        let bytes_back = frs_into_bytes::<E>(&frs);
+        assert!(bytes.to_vec() == bytes_back);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytes_into_frs_into_bytes() {
+        let bytes = b"012345678901234567890123456789--012345678901234567890123456789--012345678901234567890123456789--";
+        bytes_into_frs_into_bytes_test::<Bls12>(&bytes[..]);
+
+        let _short_bytes = b"012345678901234567890123456789--01234567890123456789";
+        // This will panic because _short_bytes is not a multiple of 32 bytes.
+        // bytes_into_frs_into_bytes_test::<Bls12>(&_short_bytes[..]);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index f3fd92e4..cf1272ed 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ pub mod crypto;
 pub mod drgporep;
 pub mod drgraph;
 pub mod error;
+pub mod fr32;
 pub mod hasher;
 pub mod layered_drgporep;
 pub mod merklepor;