diff --git a/lib/adapter.js b/lib/adapter.js
index c9d7f6528f..7ea3e9662c 100644
--- a/lib/adapter.js
+++ b/lib/adapter.js
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
  */
 
 var Emitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
+var parser = require('socket.io-parser');
 
 /**
  * Module exports.
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ function Adapter(nsp){
   this.nsp = nsp;
   this.rooms = {};
   this.sids = {};
+  this.encoder = new parser.Encoder();
 }
 
 /**
@@ -97,26 +99,30 @@ Adapter.prototype.broadcast = function(packet, opts){
   var rooms = opts.rooms || [];
   var except = opts.except || [];
   var ids = {};
+  var self = this;
   var socket;
 
-  if (rooms.length) {
-    for (var i = 0; i < rooms.length; i++) {
-      var room = this.rooms[rooms[i]];
-      if (!room) continue;
-      for (var id in room) {
-        if (ids[id] || ~except.indexOf(id)) continue;
-        socket = this.nsp.connected[id];
-        if (socket) {
-          socket.packet(packet);
-          ids[id] = true;
+  packet.nsp = this.nsp.name;
+  this.encoder.encode(packet, function(encodedPackets) {
+    if (rooms.length) {
+      for (var i = 0; i < rooms.length; i++) {
+        var room = self.rooms[rooms[i]];
+        if (!room) continue;
+        for (var id in room) {
+          if (ids[id] || ~except.indexOf(id)) continue;
+          socket = self.nsp.connected[id];
+          if (socket) {
+            socket.packet(encodedPackets, true);
+            ids[id] = true;
+          }
         }
       }
+    } else {
+      for (var id in self.sids) {
+        if (~except.indexOf(id)) continue;
+        socket = self.nsp.connected[id];
+        if (socket) socket.packet(encodedPackets, true);
+      }
     }
-  } else {
-    for (var id in this.sids) {
-      if (~except.indexOf(id)) continue;
-      socket = this.nsp.connected[id];
-      if (socket) socket.packet(packet);
-    }
-  }
+  });
 };
diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index 44c06d914b..7bec09530c 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -129,16 +129,25 @@ Client.prototype.close = function(){
  * @api private
  */
 
-Client.prototype.packet = function(packet){
+Client.prototype.packet = function(packet, preEncoded){
+  var self = this;
+
+  // this writes to the actual connection
+  function writeToEngine(encodedPackets) {
+    for (var i = 0; i < encodedPackets.length; i++) {
+      self.conn.write(encodedPackets[i]);
+    }
+  }
+
   if ('open' == this.conn.readyState) {
     debug('writing packet %j', packet);
-    var self = this;
-
-    this.encoder.encode(packet, function (encodedPackets) { // encode, then write results to engine
-      for (var i = 0; i < encodedPackets.length; i++) {
-        self.conn.write(encodedPackets[i]);
-      }
-    });
+    if(!preEncoded) { // not broadcasting, need to encode
+      this.encoder.encode(packet, function (encodedPackets) { // encode, then write results to engine
+        writeToEngine(encodedPackets);
+      });
+    } else { // a broadcast pre-encodes a packet
+      writeToEngine(packet);
+    }
   } else {
     debug('ignoring packet write %j', packet);
   }
diff --git a/lib/namespace.js b/lib/namespace.js
index 0f0504c923..94ca3d4b5d 100644
--- a/lib/namespace.js
+++ b/lib/namespace.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ var Socket = require('./socket');
 var Emitter = require('events').EventEmitter;
 var parser = require('socket.io-parser');
 var debug = require('debug')('socket.io:namespace');
+var hasBin = require('has-binary-data');
 
 /**
  * Module exports.
@@ -193,7 +194,10 @@ Namespace.prototype.emit = function(ev){
   } else {
     // set up packet object
     var args = Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);
-    var packet = { type: parser.EVENT, data: args };
+    var parserType = parser.EVENT; // default
+    if (hasBin(args)) { parserType = parser.BINARY_EVENT; } // binary
+
+    var packet = { type: parserType, data: args };
 
     if ('function' == typeof args[args.length - 1]) {
       throw new Error('Callbacks are not supported when broadcasting');
diff --git a/lib/socket.js b/lib/socket.js
index 16af914c29..9736bc4b56 100644
--- a/lib/socket.js
+++ b/lib/socket.js
@@ -180,9 +180,9 @@ Socket.prototype.write = function(){
  * @api private
  */
 
-Socket.prototype.packet = function(packet){
+Socket.prototype.packet = function(packet, preEncoded){
   packet.nsp = this.nsp.name;
-  this.client.packet(packet);
+  this.client.packet(packet, preEncoded);
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/test/socket.io.js b/test/socket.io.js
index cd5881edec..60c3f659e4 100644
--- a/test/socket.io.js
+++ b/test/socket.io.js
@@ -537,6 +537,39 @@ describe('socket.io', function(){
       });
     });
 
+    it('emits binary data to a namespace', function(done){
+      var srv = http();
+      var sio = io(srv);
+      var total = 2;
+
+      srv.listen(function(){
+        var socket1 = client(srv, { multiplex: false });
+        var socket2 = client(srv, { multiplex: false });
+        var socket3 = client(srv, '/test');
+        socket1.on('bin', function(a){
+          expect(Buffer.isBuffer(a)).to.be(true);
+          --total || done();
+        });
+        socket2.on('bin', function(a){
+          expect(Buffer.isBuffer(a)).to.be(true);
+          --total || done();
+        });
+        socket3.on('bin', function(){ done(new Error('not')); });
+
+        var sockets = 3;
+        sio.on('connection', function(socket){
+          --sockets || emit();
+        });
+        sio.of('/test', function(socket){
+          --sockets || emit();
+        });
+
+        function emit(){
+          sio.emit('bin', new Buffer(10));
+        }
+      });
+    });
+
     it('emits to the rest', function(done){
       var srv = http();
       var sio = io(srv);
@@ -677,6 +710,53 @@ describe('socket.io', function(){
       });
     });
 
+    it('broadcasts binary data to rooms', function(done){
+      var srv = http();
+      var sio = io(srv);
+      var total = 2;
+
+      srv.listen(function(){
+        var socket1 = client(srv, { multiplex: false });
+        var socket2 = client(srv, { multiplex: false });
+        var socket3 = client(srv, { multiplex: false });
+
+        socket1.emit('join', 'woot');
+        socket2.emit('join', 'test');
+        socket3.emit('join', 'test', function(){
+          socket3.emit('broadcast');
+        });
+
+        socket1.on('bin', function(data){
+          throw new Error('got bin in socket1');
+        });
+        socket2.on('bin', function(data){
+          expect(Buffer.isBuffer(data)).to.be(true);
+          --total || done();
+        });
+        socket2.on('bin2', function(data) {
+          throw new Error('socket2 got bin2');
+        });
+        socket3.on('bin', function(data) {
+          throw new Error('socket3 got bin');
+        });
+        socket3.on('bin2', function(data) {
+          expect(Buffer.isBuffer(data)).to.be(true);
+          --total || done();
+        });
+
+        sio.on('connection', function(socket){
+          socket.on('join', function(room, fn){
+            socket.join(room, fn);
+          });
+          socket.on('broadcast', function(){
+            socket.broadcast.to('test').emit('bin', new Buffer(5));
+            socket.emit('bin2', new Buffer(5));
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+
     it('keeps track of rooms', function(done){
       var srv = http();
       var sio = io(srv);