diff --git a/pyptables/__init__.py b/pyptables/__init__.py
index cdf6260..6dae4c1 100644
--- a/pyptables/__init__.py
+++ b/pyptables/__init__.py
@@ -94,11 +94,12 @@ def add_line_numbers(string, start=1):
 
 def restore(tables):
     process = subprocess.Popen(
-        ["iptables-restore"],
+        ["cat"],
         stdin=subprocess.PIPE,
         stdout=subprocess.PIPE,
         stderr=subprocess.PIPE,
     )
     if hasattr(tables, 'to_iptables'):
         tables = tables.to_iptables()
+    tables = tables.encode('utf-8')
     return process.communicate(tables)
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index 3cebaac..6c6f5b5 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 setuptools.setup(
     name='PyPTables',
-    version='1.0.4',
+    version='1.0.5',
     author='Jamie Cockburn',
     author_email='jamie_cockburn@hotmail.co.uk',
     packages=setuptools.find_packages(),