diff --git a/bindings/python/dummy_data.py b/bindings/python/dummy_data.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9803163d7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bindings/python/dummy_data.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import libtorrent as lt
+
+import hashlib
+import random
+
+PIECE_LENGTH = 16384
+NAME = b"test.txt"
+LEN = PIECE_LENGTH * 9 + 1000
+# Use 7-bit data so we can test piece data as either bytes or str
+DATA = bytes(random.getrandbits(7) for _ in range(LEN))
+PIECES = [DATA[i:i + PIECE_LENGTH] for i in range(0, LEN, PIECE_LENGTH)]
+
+INFO_DICT = {
+        b"name": NAME,
+        b"piece length": PIECE_LENGTH,
+        b"length": len(DATA),
+        b"pieces": b"".join(hashlib.sha1(p).digest() for p in PIECES),
+    }
+
+DICT = {
+    b"info": INFO_DICT,
+}
+
+
+def get_infohash_bytes():
+    return hashlib.sha1(lt.bencode(INFO_DICT)).digest()
+
+
+def get_infohash():
+    return get_infohash_bytes().hex()
+
+
+def get_sha1_hash():
+    return lt.sha1_hash(get_infohash_bytes())
diff --git a/bindings/python/src/torrent_handle.cpp b/bindings/python/src/torrent_handle.cpp
index 386330312..3fb4fe5dc 100644
--- a/bindings/python/src/torrent_handle.cpp
+++ b/bindings/python/src/torrent_handle.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "boost_python.hpp"
 #include <boost/python/tuple.hpp>
 #include <boost/python/stl_iterator.hpp>
+#include "bytes.hpp"
 #include <libtorrent/torrent_handle.hpp>
 #include <libtorrent/torrent_info.hpp>
 #include <libtorrent/torrent_status.hpp>
@@ -405,10 +406,16 @@ std::shared_ptr<const torrent_info> get_torrent_info(torrent_handle const& h)
 
 #endif // TORRENT_ABI_VERSION
 
-void add_piece(torrent_handle& th, piece_index_t piece, char const *data
+void add_piece_str(torrent_handle& th, piece_index_t piece, char const *data
     , add_piece_flags_t const flags)
 {
-   th.add_piece(piece, data, flags);
+    th.add_piece(piece, data, flags);
+}
+
+void add_piece_bytes(torrent_handle& th, piece_index_t piece, bytes data
+    , add_piece_flags_t const flags)
+{
+    th.add_piece(piece, data.arr.c_str(), flags);
 }
 
 class dummy5 {};
@@ -492,7 +499,8 @@ void bind_torrent_handle()
         .def("queue_position_top", _(&torrent_handle::queue_position_top))
         .def("queue_position_bottom", _(&torrent_handle::queue_position_bottom))
 
-        .def("add_piece", add_piece)
+        .def("add_piece", add_piece_str)
+        .def("add_piece", add_piece_bytes)
         .def("read_piece", _(&torrent_handle::read_piece))
         .def("have_piece", _(&torrent_handle::have_piece))
         .def("set_piece_deadline", _(&torrent_handle::set_piece_deadline)
diff --git a/bindings/python/test.py b/bindings/python/test.py
index 74c34bffe..0e03434c3 100644
--- a/bindings/python/test.py
+++ b/bindings/python/test.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/usr/bin/env python
+#!/usr/bin/env python3
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
 
 
@@ -14,6 +14,9 @@ import subprocess as sub
 import sys
 import pickle
 import threading
+import tempfile
+
+import dummy_data
 
 # include terminal interface for travis parallel executions of scripts which use
 # terminal features: fix multiple stdin assignment at termios.tcgetattr
@@ -311,6 +314,45 @@ class test_torrent_handle(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(self.st.verified_pieces, [])
 
 
+class TestAddPiece(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.dir = tempfile.TemporaryDirectory()
+        self.session = lt.session(settings)
+        self.ti = lt.torrent_info(dummy_data.DICT)
+        self.atp = lt.add_torrent_params()
+        self.atp.ti = self.ti
+        self.atp.save_path = self.dir.name
+        self.handle = self.session.add_torrent(self.atp)
+
+    def wait_for(self, condition, msg="condition", timeout=5):
+        deadline = time.time() + timeout
+        while not condition():
+            self.assertLess(time.time(), deadline, msg="%s timed out" % msg)
+            time.sleep(0.1)
+
+    def wait_until_torrent_finished(self):
+        self.wait_for(lambda: self.handle.status().progress == 1.0, msg="progress")
+
+        def file_written():
+            with open(os.path.join(self.dir.name.encode(), dummy_data.NAME), mode="rb") as f:
+                return f.read() == dummy_data.DATA
+
+        self.wait_for(file_written, msg="file write")
+
+    def test_with_str(self):
+        for i, data in enumerate(dummy_data.PIECES):
+            self.handle.add_piece(i, data.decode(), 0)
+
+        self.wait_until_torrent_finished()
+
+    def test_with_bytes(self):
+        for i, data in enumerate(dummy_data.PIECES):
+            self.handle.add_piece(i, data, 0)
+
+        self.wait_until_torrent_finished()
+
+
 class test_torrent_info(unittest.TestCase):
 
     def test_bencoded_constructor(self):