diff --git a/nmap_dns.cc b/nmap_dns.cc
index 6ec162f0c..5e12c0a3f 100644
--- a/nmap_dns.cc
+++ b/nmap_dns.cc
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ static void write_evt_handler(nsock_pool nsp, nsock_event evt, void *req_v) {
 // the time for the timeout.
 static void put_dns_packet_on_wire(request *req) {
   const size_t maxlen = 512;
-  char packet[maxlen];
+  u8 packet[maxlen];
   size_t plen=0;
 
   struct timeval now, timeout;
@@ -536,7 +536,7 @@ static void put_dns_packet_on_wire(request *req) {
 
   req->tries++;
 
-  nsock_write(dnspool, req->curr_server->nsd, write_evt_handler, WRITE_TIMEOUT, req, packet, plen);
+  nsock_write(dnspool, req->curr_server->nsd, write_evt_handler, WRITE_TIMEOUT, req, reinterpret_cast<const char *>(packet), plen);
 }
 
 // Processes DNS packets that have timed out
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ static void read_evt_handler(nsock_pool nsp, nsock_event evt, void *) {
   buf = (unsigned char *) nse_readbuf(evt, &buflen);
 
   DNS::Packet p;
-  size_t readed_bytes = p.parseFromBuffer((char*)buf, buflen);
+  size_t readed_bytes = p.parseFromBuffer(buf, buflen);
   if(readed_bytes < DNS::DATA) return;
 
   // We should have 1+ queries:
@@ -1415,7 +1415,7 @@ bool DNS::Factory::ptrToIp(const std::string &ptr, sockaddr_storage &ip)
   sockaddr_storage_inet_pton(ip_str.c_str(), &ip);
   return true;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::buildSimpleRequest(const std::string &name, RECORD_TYPE rt, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::buildSimpleRequest(const std::string &name, RECORD_TYPE rt, u8 *buf, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t ret=0 , tmp=0;
   DNS_CHECK_ACCUMLATE(ret, tmp, putUnsignedShort(progressiveId++, buf, ID, maxlen)); // Postincrement inmportant here
@@ -1430,14 +1430,14 @@ size_t DNS::Factory::buildSimpleRequest(const std::string &name, RECORD_TYPE rt,
 
   return ret;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::buildReverseRequest(const sockaddr_storage &ip, char *buf, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::buildReverseRequest(const sockaddr_storage &ip, u8 *buf, size_t maxlen)
 {
   std::string name;
   if(ipToPtr(ip,name))
     return buildSimpleRequest(name, PTR, buf, maxlen);
   return 0;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::putUnsignedShort(u16 num, char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::putUnsignedShort(u16 num, u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t max_access = offset+1;
   if(buf && (maxlen > max_access))
@@ -1449,7 +1449,7 @@ size_t DNS::Factory::putUnsignedShort(u16 num, char *buf, size_t offset, size_t
 
   return 0;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::putDomainName(const std::string &name, char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::putDomainName(const std::string &name, u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t ret=0;
   if( !( buf && (maxlen > (offset + name.length() + 1))) ) return ret;
@@ -1477,31 +1477,31 @@ size_t DNS::Factory::putDomainName(const std::string &name, char *buf, size_t of
 
   return ret;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::parseUnsignedShort(u16 &num, const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::parseUnsignedShort(u16 &num, const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t max_access = offset+1;
   if(buf && (maxlen > max_access))
   {
-    const u8 * n = reinterpret_cast<const u8 *>(buf+offset);
+    const u8 * n = buf + offset;
     num = n[1] + (n[0]<<8);
     return 2;
   }
 
   return 0;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::parseUnsignedInt(u32 &num, const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::parseUnsignedInt(u32 &num, const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t max_access = offset+3;
   if(buf && (maxlen > max_access))
   {
-    const u8 * n = reinterpret_cast<const u8 *>(buf + offset);
+    const u8 * n = buf + offset;
     num = n[3] + (n[2]<<8) + (n[1]<<16) + (n[0]<<24);
     return 4;
   }
 
   return 0;
 }
-size_t DNS::Factory::parseDomainName(std::string &name, const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Factory::parseDomainName(std::string &name, const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t tmp, ret = 0;
 
@@ -1539,7 +1539,21 @@ size_t DNS::Factory::parseDomainName(std::string &name, const char *buf, size_t
   return ret;
 }
 
-size_t DNS::Query::parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::A_Record::parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+{
+  size_t tmp, ret = 0;
+  u32 num;
+  DNS_CHECK_ACCUMLATE(ret, tmp, Factory::parseUnsignedInt(num, buf, offset, maxlen));
+
+  memset(&value, 0, sizeof(value));
+  struct sockaddr_in * ip4addr = (sockaddr_in *) &value;
+  ip4addr->sin_family = AF_INET;
+  ip4addr->sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(num);
+
+  return ret;
+}
+
+size_t DNS::Query::parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t ret=0;
 
@@ -1554,7 +1568,7 @@ size_t DNS::Query::parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen
   return ret;
 }
 
-size_t DNS::Answer::parseFromBuffer(const char * buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Answer::parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
 {
   size_t ret=0;
 
@@ -1606,7 +1620,7 @@ DNS::Answer& DNS::Answer::operator=(const Answer &r)
   return *this;
 }
 
-size_t DNS::Packet::parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t maxlen)
+size_t DNS::Packet::parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t maxlen)
 {
   if( !buf || maxlen < DATA) return 0;
 
diff --git a/nmap_dns.h b/nmap_dns.h
index f5f673ab9..8912a898f 100644
--- a/nmap_dns.h
+++ b/nmap_dns.h
@@ -203,13 +203,13 @@ public:
   static u16 progressiveId;
   static bool ipToPtr(const sockaddr_storage &ip, std::string &ptr);
   static bool ptrToIp(const std::string &ptr, sockaddr_storage &ip);
-  static size_t buildSimpleRequest(const std::string &name, RECORD_TYPE rt, char *buf, size_t maxlen);
-  static size_t buildReverseRequest(const sockaddr_storage &ip, char *buf, size_t maxlen);
-  static size_t putUnsignedShort(u16 num, char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
-  static size_t putDomainName(const std::string &name, char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
-  static size_t parseUnsignedShort(u16 &num, const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
-  static size_t parseUnsignedInt(u32 &num, const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
-  static size_t parseDomainName(std::string &name, const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t buildSimpleRequest(const std::string &name, RECORD_TYPE rt, u8 *buf, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t buildReverseRequest(const sockaddr_storage &ip, u8 *buf, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t putUnsignedShort(u16 num, u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t putDomainName(const std::string &name, u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t parseUnsignedShort(u16 &num, const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t parseUnsignedInt(u32 &num, const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  static size_t parseDomainName(std::string &name, const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
 };
 
 class Record
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ class Record
 public:
   virtual Record * clone() = 0;
   virtual ~Record() {}
-  virtual size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen) = 0;
+  virtual size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen) = 0;
 };
 
 class A_Record : public Record
@@ -226,19 +226,7 @@ public:
   sockaddr_storage value;
   Record * clone() { return new A_Record(*this); }
   ~A_Record() {}
-  size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
-  {
-    size_t tmp, ret = 0;
-    u32 num;
-    DNS_CHECK_ACCUMLATE(ret, tmp, Factory::parseUnsignedInt(num, buf, offset, maxlen));
-
-    memset(&value, 0, sizeof(value));
-    struct sockaddr_in * ip4addr = (sockaddr_in *) &value;
-    ip4addr->sin_family = AF_INET;
-    ip4addr->sin_addr.s_addr = htonl(num);
-
-    return ret;
-  }
+  size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
 };
 
 class PTR_Record : public Record
@@ -247,7 +235,7 @@ public:
   std::string value;
   Record * clone() { return new PTR_Record(*this); }
   ~PTR_Record() {}
-  size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+  size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
   {
     return Factory::parseDomainName(value, buf, offset, maxlen);
   }
@@ -259,7 +247,7 @@ public:
   std::string value;
   Record * clone() { return new CNAME_Record(*this); }
   ~CNAME_Record() {}
-  size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
+  size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen)
   {
     return Factory::parseDomainName(value, buf, offset, maxlen);
   }
@@ -272,7 +260,7 @@ public:
   u16 record_type;
   u16 record_class;
 
-  size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
 };
 
 class Answer
@@ -292,7 +280,7 @@ public:
   Record * record;
 
   // Populate the object reading from buffer and returns "consumed" bytes
-  size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
+  size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t offset, size_t maxlen);
   Answer& operator=(const Answer &r);
 };
 
@@ -305,8 +293,8 @@ public:
   void addFlags(FLAGS fl){ flags |= fl; }
   void removeFlags(FLAGS fl){ flags &= ~fl; }
   void resetFlags() { flags = 0; }
-  size_t writeToBuffer(char *buf, size_t maxlen);
-  size_t parseFromBuffer(const char *buf, size_t maxlen);
+  size_t writeToBuffer(u8 *buf, size_t maxlen);
+  size_t parseFromBuffer(const u8 *buf, size_t maxlen);
 
   u16 id;
   u16 flags;
diff --git a/tests/nmap_dns_test.cc b/tests/nmap_dns_test.cc
index c30f2cf5e..91aa2b47c 100644
--- a/tests/nmap_dns_test.cc
+++ b/tests/nmap_dns_test.cc
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ int main()
   std::string target = "scanme.nmap.org";
   DNS::RECORD_TYPE rt = DNS::A;
   const size_t buflen = 1500;
-  char buf[buflen];
+  u8 buf[buflen];
   size_t reqlen = DNS::Factory::buildSimpleRequest(target, rt, buf, buflen);
   
   DNS::Packet p;
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ int main()
                        0x00, 0x04, // Record Lenght
                        0x2d, 0x21, 0x20, 0x9c }; // 45.33.32.156
 
-  plen = p.parseFromBuffer((const char*)answere_buf, 49);
+  plen = p.parseFromBuffer(answere_buf, answere_len);
   TEST_INCR(answere_len == plen, ret);
 
   q = &*p.queries.begin();
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ int main()
                                0x6f, 0x72, 0x67, // "org"
                                0x00 };  // Name terminator
 
-  plen = p.parseFromBuffer((const char*)ptr_answere, ptr_answere_len);
+  plen = p.parseFromBuffer(ptr_answere, ptr_answere_len);
   TEST_INCR(plen == ptr_answere_len, ret);
   TEST_INCR(p.id == 0x08f2, ret);
   TEST_INCR(p.flags == 0x8180, ret);