diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 86fa5e2..13f67bd 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -7,9 +7,11 @@
 
 2015-04-15  Paul Kehrer <paul.l.kehrer@gmail.com>
 
-	* OpenSSL/SSL.py, : Add ``get_protocol_version()`` to Connection
+	* OpenSSL/SSL.py, : Add ``get_protocol_version()`` and 
+	  ``get_protocol_version_name()`` to Connection
 	  Based on work from Rich Moore
-	* OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py: tests for ``get_protocol_version``
+	* OpenSSL/test/test_crypto.py: tests for ``get_protocol_version()``
+	  and ``get_protocol_version_name()``
 
 2015-04-15  Paul Kehrer <paul.l.kehrer@gmail.com>
 
diff --git a/OpenSSL/SSL.py b/OpenSSL/SSL.py
index aaaea87..85cf976 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/SSL.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/SSL.py
@@ -1883,16 +1883,16 @@
             return version.decode("utf-8")
 
 
-    def get_protocol_version(self):
+    def get_protocol_version_name(self):
         """
         Obtain the protocol version of the current connection.
 
         :returns: The TLS version of the current connection, for example
-            the value for TLS 1.2 would be ``TLSv1.2``.
+            the value for TLS 1.2 would be ``b'TLSv1.2'``.
         :rtype: :py:class:`unicode`
         """
-        version = _ffi.string(_lib.SSL_get_version(self._ssl))
-        return version.decode("utf-8")
+        version = _lib.SSL_get_version(self._ssl)
+        return version
 
 
     @_requires_npn
diff --git a/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py b/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py
index e118c15..01a76c1 100644
--- a/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py
+++ b/OpenSSL/test/test_ssl.py
@@ -2745,17 +2745,32 @@
         self.assertEqual(server_cipher_bits, client_cipher_bits)
 
 
+    def test_get_protocol_version_name(self):
+        """
+        :py:obj:`Connection.get_protocol_version_name()` returns a string
+        giving the protocol version of the current connection.
+        """
+        server, client = self._loopback()
+        client_protocol_version_name = client.get_protocol_version_name()
+        server_protocol_version_name = server.get_protocol_version_name()
+
+        self.assertIsInstance(server_protocol_version_name, bytes)
+        self.assertIsInstance(client_protocol_version_name, bytes)
+
+        self.assertEqual(server_protocol_version_name, client_protocol_version_name)
+
+
     def test_get_protocol_version(self):
         """
-        :py:obj:`Connection.get_protocol_version()` returns a string
+        :py:obj:`Connection.get_protocol_version()` returns an integer 
         giving the protocol version of the current connection.
         """
         server, client = self._loopback()
         client_protocol_version = client.get_protocol_version()
         server_protocol_version = server.get_protocol_version()
 
-        self.assertIsInstance(server_protocol_version, text_type)
-        self.assertIsInstance(client_protocol_version, text_type)
+        self.assertIsInstance(server_protocol_version, int)
+        self.assertIsInstance(client_protocol_version, int)
 
         self.assertEqual(server_protocol_version, client_protocol_version)
 
diff --git a/doc/api/ssl.rst b/doc/api/ssl.rst
index 2ab29fd..38f0d33 100644
--- a/doc/api/ssl.rst
+++ b/doc/api/ssl.rst
@@ -600,9 +600,18 @@
 
 .. py:method:: Connection.get_protocol_version()
 
-    Retrieve the version of the SSL or TLS protocol used by the Connection.  For
-    example, it will return ``TLSv1`` for connections made over TLS version 1, or 
-    ``Unknown`` for connections that were not successfully established.
+    Retrieve the version of the SSL or TLS protocol used by the Connection.
+    For example, it will return ``0x303`` for connections made over TLS
+    version 1.2, or ``Unknown`` for connections that were not successfully
+    established.
+
+
+.. py:method:: Connection.get_protocol_version_name()
+
+    Retrieve the version of the SSL or TLS protocol used by the Connection.
+    For example, it will return ``TLSv1`` in bytes for connections made over
+    TLS version 1, or ``Unknown`` for connections that were not successfully
+    established.
 
 
 .. py:method:: Connection.get_client_ca_list()