diff --git a/src/main/java/redis/clients/util/JedisClusterCRC16.java b/src/main/java/redis/clients/util/JedisClusterCRC16.java
index 65ddacb..ebae55d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/redis/clients/util/JedisClusterCRC16.java
+++ b/src/main/java/redis/clients/util/JedisClusterCRC16.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class JedisClusterCRC16 {
     }
 
     public static int getCRC16(String key) {
-	return getCRC16(key.getBytes());
+	return getCRC16(SafeEncoder.encode(key));
     }
 
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/utils/JedisClusterCRC16Test.java b/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/utils/JedisClusterCRC16Test.java
index 7876d7e..87e2d65 100644
--- a/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/utils/JedisClusterCRC16Test.java
+++ b/src/test/java/redis/clients/jedis/tests/utils/JedisClusterCRC16Test.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import java.util.Map.Entry;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
 import redis.clients.util.JedisClusterCRC16;
+import redis.clients.util.SafeEncoder;
 
 public class JedisClusterCRC16Test {
 
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ public class JedisClusterCRC16Test {
 	    assertEquals(entry.getValue().intValue(), JedisClusterCRC16.getCRC16(entry.getKey()));
 	    
 	    // byte array version
-	    assertEquals(entry.getValue().intValue(), JedisClusterCRC16.getCRC16(entry.getKey().getBytes()));
+	    assertEquals(entry.getValue().intValue(), JedisClusterCRC16.getCRC16(SafeEncoder.encode(entry.getKey())));
 	}
     }