diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/byteBuffer.h b/pvDataApp/misc/byteBuffer.h
index 97c132f..7c05e40 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/byteBuffer.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/byteBuffer.h
@@ -534,7 +534,8 @@ public:
     // NOTE: size must be power of 2
     inline void align(int size)
     {
-        _position = (char*)((((uintptr_t)(const void *)_position) + size - 1) & ~((uintptr_t)(size - 1)));
+        const uintptr_t k = size - 1;
+        _position = (char*)((((uintptr_t)(const void *)_position) + k) & ~(k));
     }
     
     
diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/serialize.h b/pvDataApp/misc/serialize.h
index 37ef3e4..a0d5fc9 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/serialize.h
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/serialize.h
@@ -21,12 +21,14 @@ namespace epics { namespace pvData {
         virtual ~SerializableControl(){}
         virtual void flushSerializeBuffer() =0;
         virtual void ensureBuffer(int size) =0;
+        virtual void alignBuffer(int alignment) =0;
     };
 
     class DeserializableControl {
     public:
         virtual ~DeserializableControl(){}
         virtual void ensureData(int size) =0;
+        virtual void alignData(int alignment) =0;
     };
 
     class Serializable {
diff --git a/pvDataApp/misc/serializeHelper.cpp b/pvDataApp/misc/serializeHelper.cpp
index d29e18f..0a69b3a 100644
--- a/pvDataApp/misc/serializeHelper.cpp
+++ b/pvDataApp/misc/serializeHelper.cpp
@@ -61,10 +61,11 @@ namespace epics {
                 ByteBuffer* buffer, SerializableControl* flusher) {
             int len = value.length();
             SerializeHelper::writeSize(len, buffer, flusher);
+            if (len<=0) return;
             int i = 0;
             while(true) {
                 int maxToWrite = min(len-i, (int)buffer->getRemaining());
-                buffer->put(value.data(), i, maxToWrite); // UTF-8
+                buffer->put(value.data(), i, maxToWrite); // ASCII
                 i += maxToWrite;
                 if(i<len)
                     flusher->flushSerializeBuffer();
@@ -83,10 +84,11 @@ namespace epics {
             if(offset+count>(int)value.length()) count = value.length()-offset;
 
             SerializeHelper::writeSize(count, buffer, flusher);
+            if (count<=0) return;
             int i = 0;
             while(true) {
                 int maxToWrite = min(count-i, (int)buffer->getRemaining());
-                buffer->put(value.data(), offset+i, maxToWrite); // UTF-8
+                buffer->put(value.data(), offset+i, maxToWrite); // ASCII
                 i += maxToWrite;
                 if(i<count)
                     flusher->flushSerializeBuffer();
diff --git a/testApp/misc/testSerialization.cpp b/testApp/misc/testSerialization.cpp
index b329d29..d4309d2 100644
--- a/testApp/misc/testSerialization.cpp
+++ b/testApp/misc/testSerialization.cpp
@@ -38,45 +38,49 @@
 
 using namespace epics::pvData;
 
-namespace epics {
-    namespace pvData {
-
-        class SerializableControlImpl : public SerializableControl,
-                public NoDefaultMethods {
-        public:
-            virtual void flushSerializeBuffer() {
-            }
-
-            virtual void ensureBuffer(int size) {
-            }
-
-            SerializableControlImpl() {
-            }
-
-            virtual ~SerializableControlImpl() {
-            }
-        };
-
-        class DeserializableControlImpl : public DeserializableControl,
-                public NoDefaultMethods {
-        public:
-            virtual void ensureData(int size) {
-            }
-
-            DeserializableControlImpl() {
-            }
-
-            virtual ~DeserializableControlImpl() {
-            }
-        };
-
-    }
-}
-
 static SerializableControl* flusher;
 static DeserializableControl* control;
 static ByteBuffer* buffer;
 
+
+class SerializableControlImpl : public SerializableControl,
+        public NoDefaultMethods {
+public:
+    virtual void flushSerializeBuffer() {
+    }
+
+    virtual void ensureBuffer(int size) {
+    }
+
+    virtual void alignBuffer(int alignment) {
+        buffer->align(alignment);
+    }
+
+    SerializableControlImpl() {
+    }
+
+    virtual ~SerializableControlImpl() {
+    }
+};
+
+class DeserializableControlImpl : public DeserializableControl,
+        public NoDefaultMethods {
+public:
+    virtual void ensureData(int size) {
+    }
+
+    virtual void alignData(int alignment) {
+        buffer->align(alignment);
+    }
+
+    DeserializableControlImpl() {
+    }
+
+    virtual ~DeserializableControlImpl() {
+    }
+};
+
+
 void serializationTest(PVField* field) {
     buffer->clear();