diff --git a/uncompyle6/load.py b/uncompyle6/load.py
index f11beaf2..24fd5bc9 100644
--- a/uncompyle6/load.py
+++ b/uncompyle6/load.py
@@ -88,15 +88,16 @@ def load_module(filename, code_objects={}):
         magic_int = magics.magic2int(magic)
         my_magic_int = magics.magic2int(imp.get_magic())
 
+        # Note: a higher magic number doesn't necessarily mean a later
+        # release.  At Python 3.0 the magic number decreased
+        # significantly. Hence the range below. Also note inclusion of
+        # the size info, occurred within a Python major/minor
+        # release. Hence the test on the magic value rather than
+        # PYTHON_VERSION, although PYTHON_VERSION would probably work.
+        if 3200 <= magic_int < 20121:
+            fp.read(4) # size mod 2**32
+
         if my_magic_int == magic_int:
-            # Note: a higher magic number necessarily mean a later
-            # release.  At Python 3.0 the magic number decreased
-            # significantly. Hence the range below. Also note
-            # inclusion of the size info, occurred within a
-            # Python magor/minor release. Hence the test on the
-            # magic value rather than PYTHON_VERSION
-            if 3200 <= magic_int < 20121:
-                fp.read(4) # size mod 2**32
             bytecode = fp.read()
             co = marshal.loads(bytecode)
         else:
diff --git a/uncompyle6/marsh.py b/uncompyle6/marsh.py
index 92256ffa..387a659d 100644
--- a/uncompyle6/marsh.py
+++ b/uncompyle6/marsh.py
@@ -43,7 +43,13 @@ def load_code(fp, magic_int, code_objects={}):
     internStrings = []
     seek_pos = fp.tell()
     # Do a sanity check. Is this a code type?
-    if fp.read(1).decode('utf-8') != 'c':
+    b =  ord(fp.read(1))
+
+    if (b & 0x80):
+        b = b & 0x7f
+
+    c = chr(b)
+    if c != 'c':
         raise TypeError("File %s doesn't smell like Python bytecode" % fp.name)
 
     fp.seek(seek_pos)
@@ -52,8 +58,11 @@ def load_code(fp, magic_int, code_objects={}):
 def load_code_internal(fp, magic_int, bytes_for_s=False, code_objects={}):
     global internStrings
 
-    b1 = fp.read(1)
-    marshalType = b1.decode('utf-8')
+    b1 = ord(fp.read(1))
+    if b1 & 0x80:
+        TypeError("Can't handle object references yet")
+
+    marshalType = chr(b1)
     if marshalType == 'c':
         Code = types.CodeType
 
@@ -114,6 +123,8 @@ def load_code_internal(fp, magic_int, bytes_for_s=False, code_objects={}):
         code_objects[str(code)] = code
         return code
 
+    elif marshalType == 'C':
+        raise KeyError("New-style code not finished yet")
     # const type
     elif marshalType == '.':
         return Ellipsis