diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 95997ae..c88848d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ Usage of easyjson:
     	generate marshaler/unmarshalers for all structs in a file
   -build_tags string
     	build tags to add to generated file
+  -byte
+        use simple bytes instead of Base64Bytes for slice of bytes
   -leave_temps
     	do not delete temporary files
   -no_std_marshalers
diff --git a/bootstrap/bootstrap.go b/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
index 134244b..9d1c2e3 100644
--- a/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
+++ b/bootstrap/bootstrap.go
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ type Generator struct {
 	StubsOnly  bool
 	LeaveTemps bool
 	NoFormat   bool
+	SimpleBytes bool
 }
 
 // writeStub outputs an initial stub for marshalers/unmarshalers so that the package
@@ -125,6 +126,9 @@ func (g *Generator) writeMain() (path string, err error) {
 	if g.DisallowUnknownFields {
 		fmt.Fprintln(f, "  g.DisallowUnknownFields()")
 	}
+	if g.SimpleBytes {
+		fmt.Fprintln(f, "  g.SimpleBytes()")
+	}
 
 	sort.Strings(g.Types)
 	for _, v := range g.Types {
diff --git a/easyjson/main.go b/easyjson/main.go
index d4035f7..26e95cb 100644
--- a/easyjson/main.go
+++ b/easyjson/main.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ var lowerCamelCase = flag.Bool("lower_camel_case", false, "use lowerCamelCase na
 var noStdMarshalers = flag.Bool("no_std_marshalers", false, "don't generate MarshalJSON/UnmarshalJSON funcs")
 var omitEmpty = flag.Bool("omit_empty", false, "omit empty fields by default")
 var allStructs = flag.Bool("all", false, "generate marshaler/unmarshalers for all structs in a file")
+var simpleBytes = flag.Bool("byte", false, "use simple bytes instead of Base64Bytes for slice of bytes")
 var leaveTemps = flag.Bool("leave_temps", false, "do not delete temporary files")
 var stubs = flag.Bool("stubs", false, "only generate stubs for marshaler/unmarshaler funcs")
 var noformat = flag.Bool("noformat", false, "do not run 'gofmt -w' on output file")
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ func generate(fname string) (err error) {
 		OutName:               outName,
 		StubsOnly:             *stubs,
 		NoFormat:              *noformat,
+		SimpleBytes:           *simpleBytes,
 	}
 
 	if err := g.Run(); err != nil {
diff --git a/gen/decoder.go b/gen/decoder.go
index 1f5919f..2a17cc7 100644
--- a/gen/decoder.go
+++ b/gen/decoder.go
@@ -129,7 +129,12 @@ func (g *Generator) genTypeDecoderNoCheck(t reflect.Type, out string, tags field
 			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"  in.Skip()")
 			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"  "+out+" = nil")
 			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"} else {")
-			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"  "+out+" = in.Bytes()")
+			if g.simpleBytes {
+				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"  "+out+" = []byte(in.String())")
+			} else {
+				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"  "+out+" = in.Bytes()")
+			}
+
 			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"}")
 
 		} else {
diff --git a/gen/encoder.go b/gen/encoder.go
index 6274d4f..c31f11b 100644
--- a/gen/encoder.go
+++ b/gen/encoder.go
@@ -140,7 +140,11 @@ func (g *Generator) genTypeEncoderNoCheck(t reflect.Type, in string, tags fieldT
 		vVar := g.uniqueVarName()
 
 		if t.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8 && elem.Name() == "uint8" {
-			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.Base64Bytes("+in+")")
+			if g.simpleBytes {
+				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.String(string("+in+"))")
+			} else {
+				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.Base64Bytes("+in+")")
+			}
 		} else {
 			if !assumeNonEmpty {
 				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"if "+in+" == nil && (out.Flags & jwriter.NilSliceAsEmpty) == 0 {")
@@ -169,7 +173,11 @@ func (g *Generator) genTypeEncoderNoCheck(t reflect.Type, in string, tags fieldT
 		iVar := g.uniqueVarName()
 
 		if t.Elem().Kind() == reflect.Uint8 && elem.Name() == "uint8" {
-			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.Base64Bytes("+in+"[:])")
+			if g.simpleBytes {
+				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.String(string("+in+"[:]))")
+			} else {
+				fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.Base64Bytes("+in+"[:])")
+			}
 		} else {
 			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"out.RawByte('[')")
 			fmt.Fprintln(g.out, ws+"for "+iVar+" := range "+in+" {")
diff --git a/gen/generator.go b/gen/generator.go
index 4a8f5a8..344e516 100644
--- a/gen/generator.go
+++ b/gen/generator.go
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ type Generator struct {
 	omitEmpty             bool
 	disallowUnknownFields bool
 	fieldNamer            FieldNamer
+	simpleBytes           bool
 
 	// package path to local alias map for tracking imports
 	imports map[string]string
@@ -121,6 +122,11 @@ func (g *Generator) OmitEmpty() {
 	g.omitEmpty = true
 }
 
+// SimpleBytes triggers generate output bytes as slice byte
+func (g *Generator) SimpleBytes() {
+	g.simpleBytes = true
+}
+
 // addTypes requests to generate encoding/decoding funcs for the given type.
 func (g *Generator) addType(t reflect.Type) {
 	if g.typesSeen[t] {