diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/MetaInfo.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/MetaInfo.java
index 829413717c..97deb7339f 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/MetaInfo.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/MetaInfo.java
@@ -615,31 +615,42 @@ public class MetaInfo
     if (_log.shouldLog(Log.WARN))
         _log.warn("Creating new infomap", new Exception());
     // otherwise we must create it
-    Map info = new HashMap();
-    info.put("name", name);
+    Map<String, BEValue> info = new HashMap<String, BEValue>();
+    info.put("name", new BEValue(DataHelper.getUTF8(name)));
     if (name_utf8 != null)
-        info.put("name.utf-8", name_utf8);
+        info.put("name.utf-8", new BEValue(DataHelper.getUTF8(name_utf8)));
     // BEP 27
     if (privateTorrent)
-        info.put("private", "1");
+        info.put("private", new BEValue(DataHelper.getUTF8("1")));
 
-    info.put("piece length", Integer.valueOf(piece_length));
-    info.put("pieces", piece_hashes);
+    info.put("piece length", new BEValue(Integer.valueOf(piece_length)));
+    info.put("pieces", new BEValue(piece_hashes));
     if (files == null)
-      info.put("length", Long.valueOf(length));
+      info.put("length", new BEValue(Long.valueOf(length)));
     else
       {
-        List l = new ArrayList();
+        List<BEValue> l = new ArrayList<BEValue>();
         for (int i = 0; i < files.size(); i++)
           {
-            Map file = new HashMap();
-            file.put("path", files.get(i));
-            if ( (files_utf8 != null) && (files_utf8.size() > i) )
-                file.put("path.utf-8", files_utf8.get(i));
-            file.put("length", lengths.get(i));
-            l.add(file);
+            Map<String, BEValue> file = new HashMap<String, BEValue>();
+            List<String> fi = files.get(i);
+            List<BEValue> befiles = new ArrayList<BEValue>(fi.size());
+            for (int j = 0; j < fi.size(); j++) {
+                befiles.add(new BEValue(DataHelper.getUTF8(fi.get(j))));
+            }
+            file.put("path", new BEValue(befiles));
+            if ( (files_utf8 != null) && (files_utf8.size() > i) ) {
+                List<String> fiu = files_utf8.get(i);
+                List<BEValue> beufiles = new ArrayList<BEValue>(fiu.size());
+                for (int j = 0; j < fiu.size(); j++) {
+                    beufiles.add(new BEValue(DataHelper.getUTF8(fiu.get(j))));
+                }
+                file.put("path.utf-8", new BEValue(beufiles));
+            }
+            file.put("length", new BEValue(lengths.get(i)));
+            l.add(new BEValue(file));
           }
-        info.put("files", l);
+        info.put("files", new BEValue(l));
       }
 
     // TODO if we add the ability for other keys in the first constructor
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BDecoder.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BDecoder.java
index db00813641..5384154d1b 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BDecoder.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BDecoder.java
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ public class BDecoder
                                           + (char)c + "'");
     indicator = 0;
 
-    Map result = new HashMap();
+    Map<String, BEValue> result = new HashMap<String, BEValue>();
     c = getNextIndicator();
     while (c != 'e')
       {
diff --git a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BEValue.java b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BEValue.java
index 4cae2881ae..eeee145d78 100644
--- a/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BEValue.java
+++ b/apps/i2psnark/java/src/org/klomp/snark/bencode/BEValue.java
@@ -49,12 +49,12 @@ public class BEValue
     this.value = value;
   }
 
-  public BEValue(List value)
+  public BEValue(List<BEValue> value)
   {
     this.value = value;
   }
 
-  public BEValue(Map value)
+  public BEValue(Map<String, BEValue> value)
   {
     this.value = value;
   }
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ public class BEValue
   {
     try
       {
-        return (List)value;
+        return (List<BEValue>)value;
       }
     catch (ClassCastException cce)
       {
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ public class BEValue
   {
     try
       {
-        return (Map)value;
+        return (Map<String, BEValue>)value;
       }
     catch (ClassCastException cce)
       {