diff --git a/pycriu/images/pb2dict.py b/pycriu/images/pb2dict.py
index 3887c9d20..815870b16 100644
--- a/pycriu/images/pb2dict.py
+++ b/pycriu/images/pb2dict.py
@@ -1,90 +1,108 @@
-import google
-import io
+from google.protobuf.descriptor import FieldDescriptor as FD
 
-# pb2dict and dict2pb are using protobuf text format to
-# convert protobuf msgs to/from dictionary.
+# pb2dict and dict2pb are methods to convert pb to/from dict.
+# Inspired by:
+#   protobuf-to-dict - https://github.com/benhodgson/protobuf-to-dict
+#   protobuf-json    - https://code.google.com/p/protobuf-json/
+#   protobuf source  - https://code.google.com/p/protobuf/
+# Both protobuf-to-dict/json do not fit here because of several reasons,
+# here are some of them:
+#   - both have a common bug in treating optional field with empty
+#     repeated inside.
+#   - protobuf-to-json is not avalible in pip or in any other python
+#     repo, so it is hard to distribute and we can't rely on it.
+#   - both do not treat enums in a way we would like to. They convert
+#     protobuf enum to int, but we need a string here, because it is
+#     much more informative. BTW, protobuf text_format converts pb
+#     enums to string value too. (i.e. "march : x86_64" is better then
+#     "march : 1").
+
+
+_basic_cast = {
+	FD.TYPE_DOUBLE		: float,
+	FD.TYPE_FLOAT		: float,
+	FD.TYPE_FIXED64		: float,
+	FD.TYPE_FIXED32		: float,
+	FD.TYPE_SFIXED64	: float,
+	FD.TYPE_SFIXED32	: float,
+
+	FD.TYPE_INT64		: long,
+	FD.TYPE_UINT64		: long,
+	FD.TYPE_SINT64		: long,
+
+	FD.TYPE_INT32		: int,
+	FD.TYPE_UINT32		: int,
+	FD.TYPE_SINT32		: int,
+
+	FD.TYPE_BOOL		: bool,
+
+	FD.TYPE_STRING		: unicode
+}
+
+def _pb2dict_cast(field, value):
+	if field.type == FD.TYPE_MESSAGE:
+		return pb2dict(value)
+	elif field.type == FD.TYPE_BYTES:
+		return value.encode('base64')
+	elif field.type == FD.TYPE_ENUM:
+		return field.enum_type.values_by_number.get(value, None).name
+	elif field.type in _basic_cast:
+		return _basic_cast[field.type](value)
+	else:
+		raise Exception("Field(%s) has unsupported type %d" % (field.name, field.type))
 
 def pb2dict(pb):
 	"""
 	Convert protobuf msg to dictionary.
 	Takes a protobuf message and returns a dict.
 	"""
-	pb_text = io.BytesIO('')
-	google.protobuf.text_format.PrintMessage(pb, pb_text)
-	pb_text.seek(0)
-	return _text2dict(pb_text)
-
-def _text2dict(pb_text):
-	"""
-	Convert protobuf text format msg to dict
-	Takes a protobuf message in text format and
-	returns a dict.
-	"""
 	d = {}
-	while True:
-		s = pb_text.readline()
-		s.strip()
-		if s == '' or '}' in s:
-			break
-
-		name, value = s.split()
-		if value == '{':
-			value = _text2dict(pb_text)
-		elif name.endswith(':'):
-			name = name[:-1]
+	for field, value in pb.ListFields():
+		if field.label == FD.LABEL_REPEATED:
+			d_val = []
+			for v in value:
+				d_val.append(_pb2dict_cast(field, v))
 		else:
-			raise Exception("Unknown format" + s)
-
-		if d.get(name):
-			if not isinstance(d[name], list):
-				d[name] = [d[name]]
-			d[name].append(value)
-		else:
-			d[name] = value
+			d_val = _pb2dict_cast(field, value)
 
+		d[field.name] = d_val
 	return d
 
+def _dict2pb_cast(field, value):
+	# Not considering TYPE_MESSAGE here, as repeated
+	# and non-repeated messages need special treatment
+	# in this case, and are hadled separately.
+	if field.type == FD.TYPE_BYTES:
+		return value.decode('base64')
+	elif field.type == FD.TYPE_ENUM:
+		return field.enum_type.values_by_name.get(value, None).number
+	else:
+		return _basic_cast[field.type](value)
+
 def dict2pb(d, pb):
 	"""
 	Convert dictionary to protobuf msg.
 	Takes dict and protobuf message to be merged into.
 	"""
-	pb_text = io.BytesIO('')
-	_dict2text(d, pb_text, 0)
-	pb_text.seek(0)
-	s = pb_text.read()
-	google.protobuf.text_format.Merge(s, pb)
-
-def _write_struct(name, text, indent, inside):
-	"""
-	Convert "inside" dict to protobuf text format
-	wrap it inside block named "name" and write
-	it to "text".
-	"""
-	text.write(indent*" " + name.encode() + " {\n")
-	_dict2text(inside, text, indent+2)
-	text.write(indent*" " + "}\n")
-
-def _write_field(name, value, text, indent):
-	"""
-	Write "name: value" to "text".
-	"""
-	text.write(indent*" " + name.encode() + ": " + value.encode() + "\n")
-
-def _dict2text(d, pb_text, indent):
-	"""
-	Convert dict to protobuf text format.
-	Takes dict, protobuf message in text format and a number
-	of spaces to be put before each field.
-	"""
-	for name, value in d.iteritems():
-		if isinstance(value, unicode):
-			_write_field(name, value, pb_text, indent)
-		elif isinstance(value, list):
-			for x in value:
-				if isinstance(x, dict):
-					_write_struct(name, pb_text, indent, x)
+	for field in pb.DESCRIPTOR.fields:
+		if field.name not in d:
+			continue
+		value = d[field.name]
+		if field.label == FD.LABEL_REPEATED:
+			pb_val = getattr(pb, field.name, None)
+			for v in value:
+				if field.type == FD.TYPE_MESSAGE:
+					dict2pb(v, pb_val.add())
 				else:
-					_write_field(name, x, pb_text, indent)
+					pb_val.append(_dict2pb_cast(field, v))
 		else:
-			_write_struct(name, pb_text, indent, value)
+			if field.type == FD.TYPE_MESSAGE:
+				# SetInParent method acts just like has_* = true in C,
+				# and helps to properly treat cases when we have optional
+				# field with empty repeated inside.
+				getattr(pb, field.name).SetInParent()
+
+				dict2pb(value, getattr(pb, field.name, None))
+			else:
+				setattr(pb, field.name, _dict2pb_cast(field, value))
+	return pb