diff --git a/BasaltPresenter/Shared/basalt/pipe_operator.hpp b/BasaltPresenter/Shared/basalt/pipe_operator.hpp
index d1a83f1..3fc1961 100644
--- a/BasaltPresenter/Shared/basalt/pipe_operator.hpp
+++ b/BasaltPresenter/Shared/basalt/pipe_operator.hpp
@@ -44,29 +44,25 @@ namespace basalt::shared::pipe_operator {
             write(&buffer, sizeof(TPod));
         }
         void read_string(std::string& buffer) {
-            std::uint32_t raw_length = 0;
-            read_pod(raw_length);
-            auto length = static_cast<std::size_t>(raw_length);
+            std::size_t length = 0;
+            read_pod(length);
             buffer.resize(length);
             read(buffer.data(), length * sizeof(std::string::value_type));
         }
         void write_string(const std::string_view& buffer) {
             auto length = buffer.size();
-            auto raw_length = static_cast<std::uint32_t>(length);
-            write_pod(raw_length);
-            write(buffer.data(),length * sizeof(std::string_view::value_type));
+            write_pod(length);
+            write(buffer.data(), length * sizeof(std::string_view::value_type));
         }
         void read_bsstring(char_types::BSString& buffer) {
-            std::uint32_t raw_length = 0;
-            read_pod(raw_length);
-            auto length = static_cast<std::size_t>(raw_length);
+            std::size_t length = 0;
+            read_pod(length);
             buffer.resize(length);
             read(buffer.data(), length * sizeof(char_types::BSString::value_type));
         }
         void write_bsstring(const char_types::BSStringView& buffer) {
             auto length = buffer.size();
-            auto raw_length = static_cast<std::uint32_t>(length);
-            write_pod(raw_length);
+            write_pod(length);
             write(buffer.data(), length * sizeof(char_types::BSStringView::value_type));
         }
 
diff --git a/BasaltTrainer/pipe_operator.py b/BasaltTrainer/pipe_operator.py
index a778047..d84159e 100644
--- a/BasaltTrainer/pipe_operator.py
+++ b/BasaltTrainer/pipe_operator.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import os
 import sys
 import struct
-from typing import Optional, Any, ClassVar
+from typing import Optional, Any
 
 IS_WINDOWS: bool = sys.platform == "win32"
 IS_LITTLE_ENDIAN: bool = sys.byteorder == "little"
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ if IS_WINDOWS:
 else:
     import errno
 
+BSSTR_LEN_PACKER: struct.Struct = struct.Struct("N")
+BSCHAR_SIZE: int = struct.calcsize("H") if IS_WINDOWS else struct.calcsize("c")
+
 
 class PipeOperator:
     """
@@ -160,26 +163,24 @@ class PipeOperator:
     def write_pod(self, pattern: struct.Struct, *args) -> None:
         self.write(pattern.pack(*args))
 
-    STR_LEN_PACKER: ClassVar[struct.Struct] = struct.Struct("=I")
-
     def read_string(self) -> str:
-        (length,) = self.read_pod(PipeOperator.STR_LEN_PACKER)
+        (length,) = self.read_pod(BSSTR_LEN_PACKER)
         str_bytes = self.read(length)
         return str_bytes.decode("utf-8")
 
     def write_string(self, s: str) -> None:
         str_bytes = s.encode("utf-8")
-        self.write_pod(PipeOperator.STR_LEN_PACKER, len(str_bytes))
+        self.write_pod(BSSTR_LEN_PACKER, len(str_bytes))
         self.write(str_bytes)
 
     def read_bsstring(self) -> str:
-        (length,) = self.read_pod(PipeOperator.STR_LEN_PACKER)
-        str_bytes = self.read(length * 2)
+        (length,) = self.read_pod(BSSTR_LEN_PACKER)
+        str_bytes = self.read(length * BSCHAR_SIZE)
         return self.__decode_bsstring(str_bytes)
 
     def write_bsstring(self, s: str) -> None:
         str_bytes = self.__encode_bsstring(s)
-        self.write_pod(PipeOperator.STR_LEN_PACKER, len(str_bytes) // 2)
+        self.write_pod(BSSTR_LEN_PACKER, len(str_bytes) // BSCHAR_SIZE)
         self.write(str_bytes)
 
     def __encode_bsstring(self, s: str) -> bytes: