diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/node/parse.h b/include/yaml-cpp/node/parse.h
index 4e4ce6b44..41f769ff2 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/node/parse.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/node/parse.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ YAML_CPP_API Node Load(const std::string& input);
  *
  * @throws {@link ParserException} if it is malformed.
  */
-YAML_CPP_API Node Load(const char* input);
+YAML_CPP_API Node Load(const char* input, size_t length);
 
 /**
  * Loads the input stream as a single YAML document.
diff --git a/include/yaml-cpp/parser.h b/include/yaml-cpp/parser.h
index 7e7ab0312..4973f97eb 100644
--- a/include/yaml-cpp/parser.h
+++ b/include/yaml-cpp/parser.h
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ class YAML_CPP_API Parser : private noncopyable {
    * live as long as the parser.
    */
   explicit Parser(std::istream& in);
-  explicit Parser(const std::string& in);
+  explicit Parser(const char* in, size_t length);
 
   ~Parser();
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class YAML_CPP_API Parser : private noncopyable {
    * erased.
    */
   void Load(std::istream& in);
-  void Load(const std::string& in);
+  void Load(const char* in, size_t length);
 
   /**
    * Handles the next document by calling events on the {@code eventHandler}.
diff --git a/src/parse.cpp b/src/parse.cpp
index 4ac9c152e..2e9ded116 100644
--- a/src/parse.cpp
+++ b/src/parse.cpp
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@
 
 namespace YAML {
 Node Load(const std::string& input) {
-  Parser parser(input);
+  return Load(input.data(), input.length());
+}
+
+Node Load(const char* input, size_t length) {
+  Parser parser(input, length);
   NodeBuilder builder;
   if (!parser.HandleNextDocument(builder)) {
     return Node();
diff --git a/src/parser.cpp b/src/parser.cpp
index 0a0f254d6..68428fa98 100644
--- a/src/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/parser.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ class EventHandler;
 Parser::Parser() {}
 
 Parser::Parser(std::istream& in) { Load(in); }
-Parser::Parser(const std::string& in) { Load(in); }
+Parser::Parser(const char* in, size_t length) { Load(in, length); }
 
 Parser::~Parser() {}
 
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ void Parser::Load(std::istream& in) {
   m_pDirectives.reset(new Directives);
 }
 
-void Parser::Load(const std::string& in) {
-  m_pScanner.reset(new Scanner(in));
+void Parser::Load(const char* in, size_t length) {
+  m_pScanner.reset(new Scanner(in, length));
   m_pDirectives.reset(new Directives);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/scanner.cpp b/src/scanner.cpp
index 7ea348d2b..da02f1e0d 100644
--- a/src/scanner.cpp
+++ b/src/scanner.cpp
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ Scanner::Scanner(std::istream& in)
   InitTokens();
 }
 
-Scanner::Scanner(const std::string& in)
-    : INPUT(in),
+Scanner::Scanner(const char* in, size_t length)
+    : INPUT(in, length),
       m_startedStream(false),
       m_endedStream(false),
       m_simpleKeyAllowed(false),
diff --git a/src/scanner.h b/src/scanner.h
index edd120292..85a89d0d5 100644
--- a/src/scanner.h
+++ b/src/scanner.h
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class RegEx;
 class Scanner {
  public:
   explicit Scanner(std::istream &in);
-  explicit Scanner(const std::string &in);
+  explicit Scanner(const char* in, size_t length);
   ~Scanner();
 
   /** Returns true if there are no more tokens to be read. */
diff --git a/src/stream.cpp b/src/stream.cpp
index d19253805..05cf9816d 100644
--- a/src/stream.cpp
+++ b/src/stream.cpp
@@ -244,25 +244,26 @@ Stream::CharacterSet Stream::determineCharachterSet(std::istream& input, int& sk
   return utf8;
 }
 
-Stream::Stream(const std::string& input)
+
+Stream::Stream(const char* input, size_t length)
     : m_input(nullptr),
       m_pPrefetched(new unsigned char[YAML_PREFETCH_SIZE]),
       m_nPrefetchedAvailable(0),
       m_nPrefetchedUsed(0) {
 
-    std::stringstream ss(input.substr(0, 5));
     int skip = 0;
+    std::stringstream ss(input);
     m_charSet = determineCharachterSet(ss, skip);
 
     if (m_charSet == utf8) {
         // Skip UTF-8 BOM
-        m_readaheadSize = input.size() - skip;
-        m_buffer = input.data() + skip;
+        m_readaheadSize = length - skip;
+        m_buffer = input + skip;
 
     } else {
         m_readaheadSize = 0;
 
-        m_input = new std::stringstream({input.begin() + skip, input.end()});
+        m_input = new std::stringstream(input + skip);
         m_ownInput = true;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/stream.h b/src/stream.h
index 1e36fc5f5..d2d817121 100644
--- a/src/stream.h
+++ b/src/stream.h
@@ -20,8 +20,9 @@ class Stream : private noncopyable {
  public:
   friend class StreamCharSource;
 
-  Stream(std::istream& input);
-  Stream(const std::string& input);
+  explicit Stream(std::istream& input);
+  explicit Stream(const std::string& input);
+  explicit Stream(const char* input, size_t length);
   ~Stream();
 
   operator bool() const {