--- expatreader.py.orig	2009-08-12 21:40:30.000000000 +0100
+++ expatreader.py	2009-08-12 21:52:14.000000000 +0100
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@
         elif name == property_xml_string:
             if self._parser:
                 if hasattr(self._parser, "GetInputContext"):
-                    return self._parser.GetInputContext()
+                    return self._parser.GetInputContext().decode (self._encoding)
                 else:
                     raise SAXNotRecognizedException(
                         "This version of expat does not support getting"
@@ -259,6 +259,12 @@
         self._parser.NotationDeclHandler = self.notation_decl
         self._parser.StartNamespaceDeclHandler = self.start_namespace_decl
         self._parser.EndNamespaceDeclHandler = self.end_namespace_decl
+        self._parser.XmlDeclHandler = self.xml_decl
+        
+        # Reset document specific information
+        self._encoding = "utf-8"
+        self._version = "1.0"
+        self._standalone = -1
 
         self._decl_handler_prop = None
         if self._lex_handler_prop:
@@ -297,6 +303,11 @@
         return self._source.getSystemId()
 
     # event handlers
+    def xml_decl (self, version, encoding, standalone):
+        self._version = version if version is not None else "1.0"
+        self._encoding = encoding if encoding is not None else "utf-8"
+        self._standalone = standalone if standalone is not None else -1
+        
     def start_element(self, name, attrs):
         self._cont_handler.startElement(name, AttributesImpl(attrs))