diff --git a/lib/reader.ex b/lib/reader.ex
index e71e521..735c684 100644
--- a/lib/reader.ex
+++ b/lib/reader.ex
@@ -84,8 +84,7 @@ defmodule Eflatbuffers.Reader do
     case Map.get(members, index) do
       nil ->
         throw({:error, {:not_in_enum, index, members}})
-      value_atom ->
-        Atom.to_string(value_atom)
+      value_atom -> value_atom
     end
   end
 
@@ -173,7 +172,7 @@ defmodule Eflatbuffers.Reader do
     {_, enum_options} = Map.get(tables, options.name)
     {_, %{ default: default }} = enum_options.type
 
-    map_new = Map.put(map, name, Atom.to_string(Map.get(enum_options.members, default)))
+    map_new = Map.put(map, name, Map.get(enum_options.members, default))
     read_table_fields(fields, vtable, data_buffer_pointer, data, schema, map_new)
   end
   def read_table_fields([{name, { _type, options }} | fields],     << 0, 0, vtable :: binary >>, data_buffer_pointer, data, schema, map) do
diff --git a/lib/writer.ex b/lib/writer.ex
index 14a0526..f3f95af 100644
--- a/lib/writer.ex
+++ b/lib/writer.ex
@@ -77,17 +77,16 @@ defmodule Eflatbuffers.Writer do
     [ << vector_length :: little-size(32) >>, data_buffer_and_data(index_types, values, path, schema) ]
   end
 
-  def write({:enum, options = %{ name: enum_name }}, value, path, {tables, _} = schema) when is_binary(value) do
+  def write({:enum, options = %{ name: enum_name }}, value, path, {tables, _} = schema) when is_atom(value) do
     {:enum, enum_options} =  Map.get(tables, enum_name)
     members = enum_options.members
     {type, type_options}    = enum_options.type
     # if we got handed some defaults from outside,
     # we put them in here
     type_options = Map.merge(type_options, options)
-    value_atom = :erlang.binary_to_existing_atom(value, :utf8)
-    index = Map.get(members, value_atom)
+    index = Map.get(members, value)
     case index do
-      nil -> throw({:error, {:not_in_enum, value_atom, members}})
+      nil -> throw({:error, {:not_in_enum, value, members}})
       _   -> write({type, type_options}, index, path, schema)
     end
   end