diff --git a/src/main/java/org/qortal/transform/transaction/ArbitraryTransactionTransformer.java b/src/main/java/org/qortal/transform/transaction/ArbitraryTransactionTransformer.java
index e1514b4b..c3190f03 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/qortal/transform/transaction/ArbitraryTransactionTransformer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/qortal/transform/transaction/ArbitraryTransactionTransformer.java
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ public class ArbitraryTransactionTransformer extends TransactionTransformer {
 		if (version >= 5) {
 			nonce = byteBuffer.getInt();
 
-			name = Serialization.deserializeSizedString(byteBuffer, Name.MAX_NAME_SIZE);
+			name = Serialization.deserializeSizedStringV2(byteBuffer, Name.MAX_NAME_SIZE);
 
-			identifier = Serialization.deserializeSizedString(byteBuffer, ArbitraryTransaction.MAX_IDENTIFIER_LENGTH);
+			identifier = Serialization.deserializeSizedStringV2(byteBuffer, ArbitraryTransaction.MAX_IDENTIFIER_LENGTH);
 
 			method =  ArbitraryTransactionData.Method.valueOf(byteBuffer.getInt());
 
@@ -203,9 +203,9 @@ public class ArbitraryTransactionTransformer extends TransactionTransformer {
 			if (arbitraryTransactionData.getVersion() >= 5) {
 				bytes.write(Ints.toByteArray(arbitraryTransactionData.getNonce()));
 
-				Serialization.serializeSizedString(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getName());
+				Serialization.serializeSizedStringV2(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getName());
 
-				Serialization.serializeSizedString(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getIdentifier());
+				Serialization.serializeSizedStringV2(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getIdentifier());
 
 				bytes.write(Ints.toByteArray(arbitraryTransactionData.getMethod().value));
 
@@ -274,9 +274,9 @@ public class ArbitraryTransactionTransformer extends TransactionTransformer {
 			if (arbitraryTransactionData.getVersion() >= 5) {
 				bytes.write(Ints.toByteArray(arbitraryTransactionData.getNonce()));
 
-				Serialization.serializeSizedString(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getName());
+				Serialization.serializeSizedStringV2(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getName());
 
-				Serialization.serializeSizedString(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getIdentifier());
+				Serialization.serializeSizedStringV2(bytes, arbitraryTransactionData.getIdentifier());
 
 				bytes.write(Ints.toByteArray(arbitraryTransactionData.getMethod().value));
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/qortal/utils/Serialization.java b/src/main/java/org/qortal/utils/Serialization.java
index 8c3c43ed..26888477 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/qortal/utils/Serialization.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/qortal/utils/Serialization.java
@@ -100,7 +100,50 @@ public class Serialization {
 		return bytes;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Original serializeSizedString() method used in various transaction types
+	 * @param bytes
+	 * @param string
+	 * @throws UnsupportedEncodingException
+	 * @throws IOException
+	 */
 	public static void serializeSizedString(ByteArrayOutputStream bytes, String string) throws UnsupportedEncodingException, IOException {
+		byte[] stringBytes = string.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+		bytes.write(Ints.toByteArray(stringBytes.length));
+		bytes.write(stringBytes);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Original deserializeSizedString() method used in various transaction types
+	 * @param byteBuffer
+	 * @param maxSize
+	 * @return
+	 * @throws TransformationException
+	 */
+	public static String deserializeSizedString(ByteBuffer byteBuffer, int maxSize) throws TransformationException {
+		int size = byteBuffer.getInt();
+		if (size > maxSize)
+			throw new TransformationException("Serialized string too long");
+
+		if (size > byteBuffer.remaining())
+			throw new TransformationException("Byte data too short for serialized string");
+
+		byte[] bytes = new byte[size];
+		byteBuffer.get(bytes);
+
+		return new String(bytes, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Alternate version of serializeSizedString() added for ARBITRARY transactions.
+	 * These two methods can ultimately be merged together once unit tests can
+	 * confirm that they process data identically.
+	 * @param bytes
+	 * @param string
+	 * @throws UnsupportedEncodingException
+	 * @throws IOException
+	 */
+	public static void serializeSizedStringV2(ByteArrayOutputStream bytes, String string) throws UnsupportedEncodingException, IOException {
 		byte[] stringBytes = null;
 		int stringBytesLength = 0;
 
@@ -114,7 +157,17 @@ public class Serialization {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public static String deserializeSizedString(ByteBuffer byteBuffer, int maxSize) throws TransformationException {
+	/**
+	 * Alternate version of serializeSizedString() added for ARBITRARY transactions.
+	 * The main difference is that blank strings are returned as null.
+	 * These two methods can ultimately be merged together once any differences are
+	 * solved, and unit tests can confirm that they process data identically.
+	 * @param byteBuffer
+	 * @param maxSize
+	 * @return
+	 * @throws TransformationException
+	 */
+	public static String deserializeSizedStringV2(ByteBuffer byteBuffer, int maxSize) throws TransformationException {
 		int size = byteBuffer.getInt();
 		if (size > maxSize)
 			throw new TransformationException("Serialized string too long");