diff --git a/js/build/embark.bundle.js b/js/build/embark.bundle.js
index 89b0d84e3..8e4941d6d 100644
--- a/js/build/embark.bundle.js
+++ b/js/build/embark.bundle.js
@@ -293,21 +293,21 @@ var EmbarkJS =
 
 	  // do fromAscii to each topics unless it's already a string
 	  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-	    topics = topics;
+	    _topics = [web3.fromAscii(topics)];
 	  } else {
 	    // TODO: replace with es6 + babel;
 	    var _topics = [];
 	    for (var i = 0; i < topics.length; i++) {
 	      _topics.push(web3.fromAscii(topics[i]));
 	    }
-	    topics = _topics;
 	  }
+	  topics = _topics;
 
 	  var payload = JSON.stringify(data);
 
 	  var message = {
 	    from: identity,
-	    topics: [web3.fromAscii(topics)],
+	    topics: topics,
 	    payload: web3.fromAscii(payload),
 	    ttl: ttl,
 	    priority: priority
@@ -320,15 +320,15 @@ var EmbarkJS =
 	  var topics = options.topic || options.topics;
 
 	  if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-	    topics = [web3.fromAscii(topics)];
+	    _topics = [topics];
 	  } else {
 	    // TODO: replace with es6 + babel;
 	    var _topics = [];
 	    for (var i = 0; i < topics.length; i++) {
-	      _topics.push(web3.fromAscii(topics[i]));
+	      _topics.push(topics[i]);
 	    }
-	    topics = _topics;
 	  }
+	  topics = _topics;
 
 	  var filterOptions = {
 	    topics: topics
@@ -355,7 +355,7 @@ var EmbarkJS =
 	      promise.error(err);
 	    } else {
 	      data = {
-	        topic: topics.map((t) => web3.toAscii(t)),
+	        topic: topics,
 	        data: payload,
 	        from: result.from,
 	        time: (new Date(result.sent * 1000))
diff --git a/js/embark.js b/js/embark.js
index 1dc08eb37..5b67f17ab 100644
--- a/js/embark.js
+++ b/js/embark.js
@@ -246,21 +246,21 @@ EmbarkJS.Messages.Whisper.sendMessage = function(options) {
 
   // do fromAscii to each topics unless it's already a string
   if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-    topics = topics;
+    _topics = [web3.fromAscii(topics)];
   } else {
     // TODO: replace with es6 + babel;
     var _topics = [];
     for (var i = 0; i < topics.length; i++) {
       _topics.push(web3.fromAscii(topics[i]));
     }
-    topics = _topics;
   }
+  topics = _topics;
 
   var payload = JSON.stringify(data);
 
   var message = {
     from: identity,
-    topics: [web3.fromAscii(topics)],
+    topics: topics,
     payload: web3.fromAscii(payload),
     ttl: ttl,
     priority: priority
@@ -273,15 +273,15 @@ EmbarkJS.Messages.Whisper.listenTo = function(options) {
   var topics = options.topic || options.topics;
 
   if (typeof topics === 'string') {
-    topics = [web3.fromAscii(topics)];
+    _topics = [topics];
   } else {
     // TODO: replace with es6 + babel;
     var _topics = [];
     for (var i = 0; i < topics.length; i++) {
-      _topics.push(web3.fromAscii(topics[i]));
+      _topics.push(topics[i]);
     }
-    topics = _topics;
   }
+  topics = _topics;
 
   var filterOptions = {
     topics: topics
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ EmbarkJS.Messages.Whisper.listenTo = function(options) {
       promise.error(err);
     } else {
       data = {
-        topic: topics.map((t) => web3.toAscii(t)),
+        topic: topics,
         data: payload,
         from: result.from,
         time: (new Date(result.sent * 1000))