diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/presents/client/Communicator.as b/src/as/com/threerings/presents/client/Communicator.as
index b27f0b137..94583a9aa 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/presents/client/Communicator.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/presents/client/Communicator.as
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import flash.net.Socket;
 import flash.utils.ByteArray;
 import flash.utils.Endian;
 
-import com.threerings.util.Util;
+import com.threerings.util.StringUtil;
 
 import com.threerings.io.FrameAvailableEvent;
 import com.threerings.io.FrameReader;
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ public class Communicator
         // write the message (ends up in _outBuffer)
         _outStream.writeObject(msg);
 
-//        Log.debug("outBuffer: " + Util.bytesToString(_outBuffer));
+//        Log.debug("outBuffer: " + StringUtil.unhexlate(_outBuffer));
 
         // Frame it by writing the length, then the bytes.
         // We add 4 to the length, because the length is of the entire frame
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ public class Communicator
         // convert the frame data into a message from the server
         var frameData :ByteArray = event.getFrameData();
         //Log.debug("length of in frame: " + frameData.length);
-        //Log.debug("inBuffer: " + Util.bytesToString(frameData));
+        //Log.debug("inBuffer: " + StringUtil.unhexlate(frameData));
         _inStream.setSource(frameData);
         var msg :DownstreamMessage;
         try {
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/util/StringUtil.as b/src/as/com/threerings/util/StringUtil.as
index 96ef27b66..923337150 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/util/StringUtil.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/util/StringUtil.as
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package com.threerings.util {
 
+import flash.utils.ByteArray;
+
 import mx.utils.*;
 
 public class StringUtil
@@ -94,5 +96,49 @@ public class StringUtil
             return s.substring(0, maxLength - append.length) + append;
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Generates a string from the supplied bytes that is the hex encoded
+     * representation of those byts. Returns the empty String for a
+     * <code>null</code> or empty byte array.
+     */
+    public static function hexlate (bytes :ByteArray) :String
+    {
+        var str :String = "";
+        if (bytes != null) {
+            for (var ii :int = 0; ii < bytes.length; ii++) {
+                var b :int = bytes[ii];
+                str += HEX[b >> 4] + HEX[b & 0xF];
+            }
+        }
+        return str;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Turn a hexlated String back into a ByteArray.
+     */
+    public static function unhexlate (hex :String) :ByteArray
+    {
+        if (hex == null || (hex.length % 2 != 0)) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        hex = hex.toLowerCase();
+        var data :ByteArray = new ByteArray();
+        for (var ii :int = 0; ii < hex.length; ii += 2) {
+            var value :int = HEX.indexOf(hex.charAt(ii)) << 4;
+            value += HEX.indexOf(hex.charAt(ii + 1));
+
+            // TODO: verify
+            // values over 127 are wrapped around, restoring negative bytes
+            data[ii / 2] = value;
+        }
+
+        return data;
+    }
+
+    /** Hexidecimal digits. */
+    protected static const HEX :Array = [ "0", "1", "2", "3", "4",
+        "5", "6", "7", "8", "9", "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f" ];
 }
 }
diff --git a/src/as/com/threerings/util/Util.as b/src/as/com/threerings/util/Util.as
index abdb184fe..b22013c7f 100644
--- a/src/as/com/threerings/util/Util.as
+++ b/src/as/com/threerings/util/Util.as
@@ -6,25 +6,6 @@ import com.threerings.util.StringBuilder;
 
 public class Util
 {
-    public static function bytesToString (bytes :ByteArray) :String
-    {
-        var buf :StringBuilder = new StringBuilder();
-        for (var ii :int = 0; ii < bytes.length; ii++) {
-            var b :int = bytes[ii];
-            buf.append(HEX[b >> 4], HEX[b & 0xF]);
-        }
-        return buf.toString();
-    }
-
-    public static function toHex (value :uint) :String
-    {
-        var buf :StringBuilder = new StringBuilder("0x");
-        for (var ii :int = 7; ii >= 0; ii--) {
-            buf.append(HEX[(value >> (ii * 4)) & 0xF]);
-        }
-        return buf.toString();
-    }
-
     /**
      * A nicer test for equals that works if the objects implement Equalable
      */
@@ -44,8 +25,5 @@ public class Util
             throw new TypeError("value is not a " + clazz);
         }
     }
-
-    private static const HEX :Array = new Array("0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5",
-            "6", "7", "8", "9", "a", "b", "c", "d", "e", "f");
 }
 }