Index: src/string/charset/binary.c
===================================================================
--- src/string/charset/binary.c	(revision 47303)
+++ src/string/charset/binary.c	(working copy)
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@
 
 =item C<static STRING* to_charset(PARROT_INTERP, const STRING *src)>
 
-Converts the STRING C<src> to STRING C<dest> in binary mode. Throws
-an exception if a suitable conversion function is not found.
+Converts the STRING C<src> to STRING C<dest> in binary mode. 
+Just a byte image of the string content regardless its charset
+and encoding. The user is supposed to know what is doing.
 
 =cut
 
@@ -159,14 +160,16 @@
 to_charset(PARROT_INTERP, ARGIN(const STRING *src))
 {
     ASSERT_ARGS(to_charset)
-    charset_converter_t conversion_func =
-        Parrot_find_charset_converter(interp, src->charset, Parrot_binary_charset_ptr);
 
-    if (conversion_func)
-         return conversion_func(interp, src);
-
-    Parrot_ex_throw_from_c_args(interp, NULL, EXCEPTION_UNIMPLEMENTED,
-        "to_charset for binary not implemented");
+    const UINTVAL bytel = src->bufused;
+    STRING *r = Parrot_gc_new_string_header(interp, 0);
+    Parrot_gc_allocate_string_storage(interp, r, bytel);
+    r->strlen = bytel;
+    r->bufused = bytel;
+    r->charset = Parrot_binary_charset_ptr;
+    r->encoding = Parrot_fixed_8_encoding_ptr;
+    mem_sys_memcopy(r->strstart, src->strstart, bytel);
+    return r;
 }
 
 /*