diff --git a/Lib/hashlib.py b/Lib/hashlib.py
index af67114..1d0e647 100644
--- a/Lib/hashlib.py
+++ b/Lib/hashlib.py
@@ -6,9 +6,9 @@
 
 __doc__ = """hashlib module - A common interface to many hash functions.
 
-new(name, string='') - returns a new hash object implementing the
-                       given hash function; initializing the hash
-                       using the given string data.
+new(name, data=b'') - returns a new hash object implementing the
+                      given hash function; initializing the hash
+                      using the given binary data.
 
 Named constructor functions are also available, these are much faster
 than using new():
@@ -39,14 +39,14 @@
 
     >>> import hashlib
     >>> m = hashlib.md5()
-    >>> m.update("Nobody inspects")
-    >>> m.update(" the spammish repetition")
+    >>> m.update(b"Nobody inspects")
+    >>> m.update(b" the spammish repetition")
     >>> m.digest()
-    '\xbbd\x9c\x83\xdd\x1e\xa5\xc9\xd9\xde\xc9\xa1\x8d\xf0\xff\xe9'
+    b'\xbbd\x9c\x83\xdd\x1e\xa5\xc9\xd9\xde\xc9\xa1\x8d\xf0\xff\xe9'
 
 More condensed:
 
-    >>> hashlib.sha224("Nobody inspects the spammish repetition").hexdigest()
+    >>> hashlib.sha224(b"Nobody inspects the spammish repetition").hexdigest()
     'a4337bc45a8fc544c03f52dc550cd6e1e87021bc896588bd79e901e2'
 
 """
@@ -77,25 +77,25 @@
     raise ValueError, "unsupported hash type"
 
 
-def __py_new(name, string=''):
-    """new(name, string='') - Return a new hashing object using the named algorithm;
-    optionally initialized with a string.
+def __py_new(name, data=b''):
+    """new(name, data='') - Return a new hashing object using the named algorithm;
+    optionally initialized with data (which must be bytes).
     """
-    return __get_builtin_constructor(name)(string)
+    return __get_builtin_constructor(name)(data)
 
 
-def __hash_new(name, string=''):
-    """new(name, string='') - Return a new hashing object using the named algorithm;
-    optionally initialized with a string.
+def __hash_new(name, data=b''):
+    """new(name, data=b'') - Return a new hashing object using the named algorithm;
+    optionally initialized with data (which must be bytes).
     """
     try:
-        return _hashlib.new(name, string)
+        return _hashlib.new(name, data)
     except ValueError:
         # If the _hashlib module (OpenSSL) doesn't support the named
         # hash, try using our builtin implementations.
         # This allows for SHA224/256 and SHA384/512 support even though
         # the OpenSSL library prior to 0.9.8 doesn't provide them.
-        return __get_builtin_constructor(name)(string)
+        return __get_builtin_constructor(name)(data)
 
 
 try: