diff --git a/src/lib/file.cpp b/src/lib/file.cpp
index 9ec7461..5406d28 100644
--- a/src/lib/file.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/file.cpp
@@ -58,35 +58,41 @@ void File::close(){
 }
 
 ErrorOr<uint8_t> File::readByte(){
-    this->fileStream.seekg(this->cursorPosition);
+    uint8_t* nextPointer = new uint8_t;
+    uint8_t nextByte;
+    bool failure = false;
+    try {
+        this->fileStream.seekg(this->cursorPosition);
 
-    char* byte = new char;
-    try{
-        this->fileStream.read(byte, 1);
-    }catch(std::exception& e){
-        return ErrorOr<uint8_t>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_READ_FAILED);
+        //FIXME: check that a byte is available for read
+        this->fileStream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(nextPointer), 1);
+        nextByte = *nextPointer;
+
+        this->cursorPosition++;
+
+    } catch (std::exception& e) {
+        failure = true;
     }
-
-    this->cursorPosition += 1;
-    return ErrorOr<uint8_t>((uint8_t) *byte);
+    delete nextPointer;
+    return failure? ErrorOr<uint8_t>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_READ_FAILED) : ErrorOr<uint8_t>(nextByte);
 }
 
 ErrorOr<std::vector<uint8_t>> File::read(uint64_t bytes){
-    this->fileStream.seekg(this->cursorPosition);
-
-    char* buffer = new char[bytes];
+    uint8_t* buffer = new uint8_t[bytes];
     std::vector<uint8_t> data;
-    try{
-        this->fileStream.read(buffer, bytes);
-        for(uint64_t i=0; i<bytes; i++){
-            data.push_back((uint8_t) buffer[i]);
-        }
-        delete[] buffer;
-    }catch(std::exception& e){
-        return ErrorOr<std::vector<uint8_t>>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_READ_FAILED);
+    bool failure = false;
+    try {
+        this->fileStream.seekg(this->cursorPosition);
+
+        //FIXME: check that enough data is available to read
+        this->fileStream.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(buffer), bytes);
+        data = std::vector<uint8_t>(buffer, buffer+bytes);
+        this->cursorPosition += bytes;
+    } catch (std::exception& e) {
+        failure = true;
     }
-    this->cursorPosition += bytes;
-    return ErrorOr<std::vector<uint8_t>>(data);
+    delete[] buffer;
+    return failure? ErrorOr<std::vector<uint8_t>>(true, ErrorCodes::FILE_READ_FAILED) : ErrorOr<std::vector<uint8_t>>(data);
 }
 
 ErrorOr<tiny_utf8::string> File::readString(uint64_t bytes){