diff --git a/sqlite.asd b/sqlite.asd
index 0e292f2..3efbc62 100644
--- a/sqlite.asd
+++ b/sqlite.asd
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@
                (:file "cache")
                (:file "sqlite" :depends-on ("sqlite-ffi" "cache")))
 
-  :depends-on (:iterate :cffi)
+  :depends-on (:iterate :cffi :babel)
 
   :in-order-to ((test-op (load-op sqlite-tests))))
 
+(register-system-packages "babel" '(#:babel-encodings))
+
 (defmethod perform ((o asdf:test-op) (c (eql (find-system :sqlite))))
   (funcall (intern "RUN-ALL-SQLITE-TESTS" :sqlite-tests)))
diff --git a/sqlite.lisp b/sqlite.lisp
index de0f97d..b3d525a 100644
--- a/sqlite.lisp
+++ b/sqlite.lisp
@@ -386,8 +386,9 @@ Supported types:
                         (double-float (sqlite-ffi:sqlite3-bind-double (handle statement) index value))
                         (real (sqlite-ffi:sqlite3-bind-double (handle statement) index (coerce value 'double-float)))
                         (string (sqlite-ffi:sqlite3-bind-text (handle statement) index value -1 (sqlite-ffi:destructor-transient)))
-                        ((vector (unsigned-byte 8)) (cffi:with-pointer-to-vector-data (ptr value)
-                                                      (sqlite-ffi:sqlite3-bind-blob (handle statement) index ptr (length value) (sqlite-ffi:destructor-transient))))
+                        ((vector (unsigned-byte 8)) (babel-encodings:with-checked-simple-vector ((value value) (start 0) (end nil))
+                                                      (cffi:with-pointer-to-vector-data (ptr value)
+                                                        (sqlite-ffi:sqlite3-bind-blob (handle statement) index (cffi:inc-pointer ptr start) (- end start) (sqlite-ffi:destructor-transient)))))
                         (vector (cffi:with-foreign-object (array :unsigned-char (length value))
                                   (loop
                                      for i from 0 below (length value)