diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 78d7f67..74f1e4c 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,35 +1,35 @@
 language: node_js
-sudo: required
+sudo: false
 dist: trusty
 before_script:
   - node script/create-test-tables.js pg://postgres@127.0.0.1:5432/postgres
 env:
   - CC=clang CXX=clang++ npm_config_clang=1 PGUSER=postgres PGDATABASE=postgres
 
+node_js: "6"
 addons:
-  apt:
-    sources:
-      - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test
-    packages:
-      - g++-4.8
+  postgresql: "9.6"
 
 matrix:
   include:
     - node_js: "0.10"
       addons:
-        postgresql: "9.5"
+        postgresql: "9.6"
+      env: []
     - node_js: "0.12"
       addons:
-        postgresql: "9.5"
+        postgresql: "9.6"
+      env: []
     - node_js: "4"
       addons:
-        postgresql: "9.5"
+        postgresql: "9.6"
     - node_js: "5"
       addons:
-        postgresql: "9.5"
+        postgresql: "9.6"
     - node_js: "6"
       addons:
         postgresql: "9.1"
+      dist: precise
     - node_js: "6"
       addons:
         postgresql: "9.2"
@@ -41,4 +41,4 @@ matrix:
         postgresql: "9.4"
     - node_js: "6"
       addons:
-        postgresql: "9.5"        
+        postgresql: "9.5"
diff --git a/lib/client.js b/lib/client.js
index a17a251..7571f1d 100644
--- a/lib/client.js
+++ b/lib/client.js
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ Client.prototype.end = function(cb) {
 };
 
 Client.md5 = function(string) {
-  return crypto.createHash('md5').update(string).digest('hex');
+  return crypto.createHash('md5').update(string, 'utf-8').digest('hex');
 };
 
 // expose a Query constructor
diff --git a/lib/defaults.js b/lib/defaults.js
index a05c21f..b99e4a8 100644
--- a/lib/defaults.js
+++ b/lib/defaults.js
@@ -62,7 +62,13 @@ var defaults = module.exports = {
   parseInputDatesAsUTC: false
 };
 
+var pgTypes = require('pg-types');
+// save default parsers
+var parseBigInteger = pgTypes.getTypeParser(20, 'text');
+var parseBigIntegerArray = pgTypes.getTypeParser(1016, 'text');
+
 //parse int8 so you can get your count values as actual numbers
 module.exports.__defineSetter__("parseInt8", function(val) {
-  require('pg-types').setTypeParser(20, 'text', val ? parseInt : function(val) { return val; });
+  pgTypes.setTypeParser(20, 'text', val ? pgTypes.getTypeParser(23, 'text') : parseBigInteger);
+  pgTypes.setTypeParser(1016, 'text', val ? pgTypes.getTypeParser(1007, 'text') : parseBigIntegerArray);
 });
diff --git a/lib/query.js b/lib/query.js
index 9e474d1..36d52ba 100644
--- a/lib/query.js
+++ b/lib/query.js
@@ -65,11 +65,9 @@ Query.prototype.requiresPreparation = function() {
   if(this.rows) { return true; }
   //don't prepare empty text queries
   if(!this.text) { return false; }
-  //binary should be prepared to specify results should be in binary
-  //unless there are no parameters
-  if(this.binary && !this.values) { return false; }
   //prepare if there are values
-  return (this.values || 0).length > 0;
+  if(!this.values) { return false; }
+  return this.values.length > 0;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/lib/utils.js b/lib/utils.js
index b70be5b..861b7c5 100644
--- a/lib/utils.js
+++ b/lib/utils.js
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@
 
 var defaults = require('./defaults');
 
+function escapeElement(elementRepresentation) {
+  var escaped = elementRepresentation
+    .replace(/\\/g, '\\\\')
+    .replace(/"/g, '\\"');
+
+  return '"' + escaped + '"';
+}
+
 // convert a JS array to a postgres array literal
 // uses comma separator so won't work for types like box that use
 // a different array separator.
@@ -25,7 +33,7 @@ function arrayString(val) {
     }
     else
     {
-      result = result + JSON.stringify(prepareValue(val[i]));
+      result += escapeElement(prepareValue(val[i]));
     }
   }
   result = result + '}';
@@ -56,9 +64,6 @@ var prepareValue = function(val, seen) {
   if(typeof val === 'object') {
     return prepareObject(val, seen);
   }
-  if (typeof val === 'undefined') {
-    throw new Error('SQL queries with undefined where clause option');
-  }
   return val.toString();
 };
 
@@ -104,7 +109,7 @@ function dateToString(date) {
 }
 
 function dateToStringUTC(date) {
-  
+
   var ret = pad(date.getUTCFullYear(), 4) + '-' +
       pad(date.getUTCMonth() + 1, 2) + '-' +
       pad(date.getUTCDate(), 2) + 'T' +
@@ -112,7 +117,7 @@ function dateToStringUTC(date) {
       pad(date.getUTCMinutes(), 2) + ':' +
       pad(date.getUTCSeconds(), 2) + '.' +
       pad(date.getUTCMilliseconds(), 3);
-  
+
   return ret + "+00:00";
 }
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index afc5313..017e04c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "pg",
-  "version": "6.1.0",
+  "version": "6.1.2",
   "description": "PostgreSQL client - pure javascript & libpq with the same API",
   "keywords": [
     "postgres",
diff --git a/test/integration/client/array-tests.js b/test/integration/client/array-tests.js
index e01a252..2525b8a 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/array-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/array-tests.js
@@ -1,6 +1,36 @@
 var helper = require(__dirname + "/test-helper");
 var pg = helper.pg;
 
+test('serializing arrays', function() {
+  pg.connect(helper.config, assert.calls(function(err, client, done) {
+    assert.isNull(err);
+
+    test('nulls', function() {
+      client.query('SELECT $1::text[] as array', [[null]], assert.success(function(result) {
+        var array = result.rows[0].array;
+        assert.lengthIs(array, 1);
+        assert.isNull(array[0]);
+      }));
+    });
+
+    test('elements containing JSON-escaped characters', function() {
+      var param = '\\"\\"';
+
+      for (var i = 1; i <= 0x1f; i++) {
+        param += String.fromCharCode(i);
+      }
+
+      client.query('SELECT $1::text[] as array', [[param]], assert.success(function(result) {
+        var array = result.rows[0].array;
+        assert.lengthIs(array, 1);
+        assert.equal(array[0], param);
+      }));
+
+      done();
+    });
+  }));
+});
+
 test('parsing array results', function() {
   pg.connect(helper.config, assert.calls(function(err, client, done) {
     assert.isNull(err);
diff --git a/test/integration/client/parse-int-8-tests.js b/test/integration/client/parse-int-8-tests.js
index 7028e90..42228cb 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/parse-int-8-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/parse-int-8-tests.js
@@ -6,11 +6,18 @@ test('ability to turn on and off parser', function() {
   pg.connect(helper.config, assert.success(function(client, done) {
     pg.defaults.parseInt8 = true;
     client.query('CREATE TEMP TABLE asdf(id SERIAL PRIMARY KEY)');
-    client.query('SELECT COUNT(*) as "count" FROM asdf', assert.success(function(res) {
+    client.query('SELECT COUNT(*) as "count", \'{1,2,3}\'::bigint[] as array FROM asdf', assert.success(function(res) {
+      assert.strictEqual(0, res.rows[0].count);
+      assert.strictEqual(1, res.rows[0].array[0]);
+      assert.strictEqual(2, res.rows[0].array[1]);
+      assert.strictEqual(3, res.rows[0].array[2]);
       pg.defaults.parseInt8 = false;
-      client.query('SELECT COUNT(*) as "count" FROM asdf', assert.success(function(res) {
+      client.query('SELECT COUNT(*) as "count", \'{1,2,3}\'::bigint[] as array FROM asdf', assert.success(function(res) {
         done();
-        assert.strictEqual("0", res.rows[0].count);
+        assert.strictEqual('0', res.rows[0].count);
+        assert.strictEqual('1', res.rows[0].array[0]);
+        assert.strictEqual('2', res.rows[0].array[1]);
+        assert.strictEqual('3', res.rows[0].array[2]);
         pg.end();
       }));
     }));
diff --git a/test/integration/client/type-coercion-tests.js b/test/integration/client/type-coercion-tests.js
index 70eff30..d961c29 100644
--- a/test/integration/client/type-coercion-tests.js
+++ b/test/integration/client/type-coercion-tests.js
@@ -198,19 +198,3 @@ helper.pg.connect(helper.config, assert.calls(function(err, client, done) {
     done();
   })
 }))
-
-if(!helper.config.binary) {
-  test("postgres date type", function() {
-    var client = helper.client();
-    var testDate = new Date(2010, 9, 31);
-    client.on('error', function(err) {
-      console.log(err);
-      client.end();
-    });
-    client.query("SELECT $1::date", [testDate], assert.calls(function(err, result){
-      assert.isNull(err);
-      assert.strictEqual(result.rows[0].date.toString(), new Date(Date.UTC(2010, 9, 31)).toString());
-    }));
-    client.on('drain', client.end.bind(client));
-  });
-}
diff --git a/test/unit/client/md5-password-tests.js b/test/unit/client/md5-password-tests.js
index bd5ca46..3c54036 100644
--- a/test/unit/client/md5-password-tests.js
+++ b/test/unit/client/md5-password-tests.js
@@ -17,5 +17,8 @@ test('md5 authentication', function() {
                         .addCString(password).join(true,'p'));
     });
   });
-
+});
+
+test('md5 of utf-8 strings', function() {
+  assert.equal(Client.md5('😊'), '5deda34cd95f304948d2bc1b4a62c11e');
 });
diff --git a/test/unit/connection/inbound-parser-tests.js b/test/unit/connection/inbound-parser-tests.js
index 55d71d5..13e6fd9 100644
--- a/test/unit/connection/inbound-parser-tests.js
+++ b/test/unit/connection/inbound-parser-tests.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 require(__dirname+'/test-helper');
-return false;
 var Connection = require(__dirname + '/../../../lib/connection');
 var buffers = require(__dirname + '/../../test-buffers');
 var PARSE = function(buffer) {