diff --git a/config/websocket.go b/config/websocket.go
index 21fe7afd..3c4fe3fe 100644
--- a/config/websocket.go
+++ b/config/websocket.go
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ type Websocket struct {
 	// MaxMessageSize max message size allowed from connection
 	// Default value is 1024
 	MaxMessageSize int64
+	// BinaryMessages set it to true in order to denotes binary data messages instead of utf-8 text
+	// see https://github.com/kataras/iris/issues/387#issuecomment-243006022 for more
+	// defaults to false
+	BinaryMessages bool
 	// Endpoint is the path which the websocket server will listen for clients/connections
 	// Default value is empty string, if you don't set it the Websocket server is disabled.
 	Endpoint string
@@ -52,6 +56,7 @@ func DefaultWebsocket() *Websocket {
 		PongTimeout:     DefaultPongTimeout,
 		PingPeriod:      DefaultPingPeriod,
 		MaxMessageSize:  DefaultMaxMessageSize,
+		BinaryMessages:  false,
 		ReadBufferSize:  4096,
 		WriteBufferSize: 4096,
 		Headers:         make(map[string]string, 0),
diff --git a/websocket.go b/websocket.go
index a6590321..a41fc4ed 100644
--- a/websocket.go
+++ b/websocket.go
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ type (
 
 	websocketConnection struct {
 		underline                *websocket.Conn
+		messageType              int
 		id                       string
 		send                     chan []byte
 		onDisconnectListeners    []WebsocketDisconnectFunc
@@ -367,9 +368,10 @@ var _ WebsocketConnection = &websocketConnection{}
 
 func newWebsocketConnection(websocketConn *websocket.Conn, s *websocketServer) *websocketConnection {
 	c := &websocketConnection{
-		id:        utils.RandomString(64),
-		underline: websocketConn,
-		send:      make(chan []byte, 256),
+		id:          utils.RandomString(64),
+		messageType: websocket.TextMessage,
+		underline:   websocketConn,
+		send:        make(chan []byte, 256),
 		onDisconnectListeners:    make([]WebsocketDisconnectFunc, 0),
 		onErrorListeners:         make([]WebsocketErrorFunc, 0),
 		onNativeMessageListeners: make([]WebsocketNativeMessageFunc, 0),
@@ -377,6 +379,11 @@ func newWebsocketConnection(websocketConn *websocket.Conn, s *websocketServer) *
 		websocketServer:          s,
 	}
 
+	// set the messageType to binary if configuration says to
+	if s.config.BinaryMessages {
+		c.messageType = websocket.BinaryMessage
+	}
+
 	c.self = newWebsocketEmmiter(c, c.id)
 	c.broadcast = newWebsocketEmmiter(c, NotMe)
 	c.all = newWebsocketEmmiter(c, All)
@@ -420,7 +427,8 @@ func (c *websocketConnection) writer() {
 			}
 
 			c.underline.SetWriteDeadline(time.Now().Add(c.websocketServer.config.WriteTimeout))
-			res, err := c.underline.NextWriter(websocket.TextMessage)
+
+			res, err := c.underline.NextWriter(c.messageType)
 			if err != nil {
 				return
 			}
@@ -435,10 +443,6 @@ func (c *websocketConnection) writer() {
 				return
 			}
 
-			// if err := c.write(websocket.TextMessage, msg); err != nil {
-			// 	return
-			// }
-
 		case <-ticker.C:
 			if err := c.write(websocket.PingMessage, []byte{}); err != nil {
 				return