diff --git a/gpgmymail b/gpgmymail
index 41f6813..1d23a23 100755
--- a/gpgmymail
+++ b/gpgmymail
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ def decode_email(message: email.message.Message) -> email.message.Message:
     # this is a kinda hacky way to do this by manipulating the message as a
     # string but i couldn't get it to work any other way
     # decoding needed:
-    decoded_bytes = message.as_bytes()
+    # as_string() gives us str, encode() gives us bytes
+    decoded_bytes = message.as_string().encode()
     decoded_bytes = quopri.decodestring(decoded_bytes)
 
     # replace any instances of the Content-Transfer-Encoding header
@@ -81,12 +82,11 @@ def decode_email(message: email.message.Message) -> email.message.Message:
         for part in quopri_decoded_message.walk():
             if not part.is_multipart():
                 if part.get("Content-Transfer-Encoding") == "base64":
-                    new_part = part
-                    new_part.replace_header("Content-Transfer-Encoding", "7bit")
-                    new_part.set_payload(part.get_payload(decode=True))
+                    b64_str = part.get_payload()
+                    decoded_b64_str = part.get_payload(decode=True)
                     decoded_bytes = decoded_bytes.replace(
-                        part.as_bytes(),
-                        new_part.as_bytes()
+                        b64_str,
+                        decoded_b64_str
                     )
     else:
         # TODO