diff --git a/src/std_utils.cc b/src/std_utils.cc
index 5102fdd..d32c8d3 100644
--- a/src/std_utils.cc
+++ b/src/std_utils.cc
@@ -158,32 +158,6 @@ namespace pEp {
             return ss.str();
         }
 
-        std::vector<char> file_read_bin(const std::string &filename)
-        {
-            std::vector<char> ret{};
-            if (pEp::Utils::path_exists(filename)) {
-                std::ifstream ifs(filename, std::ios_base::binary);
-                ifs.unsetf(std::ios_base::skipws);
-
-                if (ifs.bad()) {
-                    throw std::runtime_error("failed to read file: '" + filename + "'");
-                }
-                ret = { std::istream_iterator<char>(ifs), std::istream_iterator<char>() };
-            } else {
-                throw std::runtime_error("File does not exist: '" + filename + "'");
-            }
-            return ret;
-        }
-
-        void file_write_bin(const std::string &filename, std::vector<char> &data)
-        {
-            std::fstream f(filename, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary | std::ios_base::trunc);
-            f.write(data.data(), static_cast<std::streamsize>(data.size()));
-            if (f.bad()) {
-                throw std::runtime_error("failed to write file: '" + filename + "'");
-            }
-        }
-
 #ifndef WIN32
         void path_ensure_not_existing(const string &path)
         {
diff --git a/src/std_utils.hh b/src/std_utils.hh
index 301f063..c2033b6 100644
--- a/src/std_utils.hh
+++ b/src/std_utils.hh
@@ -41,8 +41,12 @@ namespace pEp {
         // file
         std::ofstream file_create(const std::string &filename);
         std::string file_read(const std::string &filename);
-        std::vector<char> file_read_bin(const std::string& filename);
-        void file_write_bin(const std::string& filename, std::vector<char>& data);
+
+        template<typename T = char>
+        std::vector<T> file_read_bin(const std::string& filename);
+
+        template<typename T = char>
+        void file_write_bin(const std::string& filename, std::vector<T>& data);
 
         // dir
 #ifndef WIN32
diff --git a/src/std_utils.hxx b/src/std_utils.hxx
index a54b160..a1db8dd 100644
--- a/src/std_utils.hxx
+++ b/src/std_utils.hxx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #define LIBPEPADAPTER_STD_UTILS_HXX
 
 #include <sstream>
+#include <fstream>
 
 namespace pEp {
     namespace Utils {
@@ -17,6 +18,35 @@ namespace pEp {
             }
             return ss.str();
         }
+
+        template<typename T>
+        std::vector<T> file_read_bin(const std::string &filename)
+        {
+            std::vector<T> ret{};
+            if (pEp::Utils::path_exists(filename)) {
+                std::ifstream ifs(filename, std::ios_base::binary);
+                ifs.unsetf(std::ios_base::skipws);
+
+                if (ifs.bad()) {
+                    throw std::runtime_error("failed to read file: '" + filename + "'");
+                }
+                ret = { std::istream_iterator<T>(ifs), std::istream_iterator<T>() };
+            } else {
+                throw std::runtime_error("File does not exist: '" + filename + "'");
+            }
+            return ret;
+        }
+
+        template<typename T>
+        void file_write_bin(const std::string &filename, std::vector<T> &data)
+        {
+            std::fstream f(filename, std::ios_base::out | std::ios_base::binary | std::ios_base::trunc);
+            f.write(data.data(), static_cast<std::streamsize>(data.size()));
+            if (f.bad()) {
+                throw std::runtime_error("failed to write file: '" + filename + "'");
+            }
+        }
+
     } // namespace Utils
 } // namespace pEp
 #endif // LIBPEPADAPTER_STD_UTILS_HXX
\ No newline at end of file