diff --git a/pkg/consensus/payload.go b/pkg/consensus/payload.go
index f7ad50a07..80d73e2c7 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/payload.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/payload.go
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ func (p *Payload) DecodeBinaryUnsigned(r *io.BinReader) {
 	r.ReadLE(&p.validatorIndex)
 	r.ReadLE(&p.timestamp)
 
-	data := r.ReadBytes()
+	data := r.ReadVarBytes()
 	if r.Err != nil {
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go b/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go
index c6bb1b57a..4e6094f66 100644
--- a/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go
+++ b/pkg/consensus/recovery_message.go
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ func (p *changeViewCompact) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
 	r.ReadLE(&p.ValidatorIndex)
 	r.ReadLE(&p.OriginalViewNumber)
 	r.ReadLE(&p.Timestamp)
-	p.InvocationScript = r.ReadBytes()
+	p.InvocationScript = r.ReadVarBytes()
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ func (p *commitCompact) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
 	r.ReadLE(&p.ViewNumber)
 	r.ReadLE(&p.ValidatorIndex)
 	r.ReadBE(p.Signature[:])
-	p.InvocationScript = r.ReadBytes()
+	p.InvocationScript = r.ReadVarBytes()
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ func (p *commitCompact) EncodeBinary(w *io.BinWriter) {
 // DecodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
 func (p *preparationCompact) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
 	r.ReadLE(&p.ValidatorIndex)
-	p.InvocationScript = r.ReadBytes()
+	p.InvocationScript = r.ReadVarBytes()
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements io.Serializable interface.
diff --git a/pkg/core/contract_state.go b/pkg/core/contract_state.go
index 6d976b209..5af26e1a8 100644
--- a/pkg/core/contract_state.go
+++ b/pkg/core/contract_state.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func (a Contracts) commit(store storage.Store) error {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (cs *ContractState) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
-	cs.Script = br.ReadBytes()
+	cs.Script = br.ReadVarBytes()
 	br.ReadArray(&cs.ParamList)
 	br.ReadLE(&cs.ReturnType)
 	br.ReadLE(&cs.Properties)
diff --git a/pkg/core/storage_item.go b/pkg/core/storage_item.go
index 331104b46..b61b66a2d 100644
--- a/pkg/core/storage_item.go
+++ b/pkg/core/storage_item.go
@@ -59,6 +59,6 @@ func (si *StorageItem) EncodeBinary(w *io.BinWriter) {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (si *StorageItem) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
-	si.Value = r.ReadBytes()
+	si.Value = r.ReadVarBytes()
 	r.ReadLE(&si.IsConst)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/invocation.go b/pkg/core/transaction/invocation.go
index 6276a1a28..50ad3c78f 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/invocation.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/invocation.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func NewInvocationTX(script []byte, gas util.Fixed8) *Transaction {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (tx *InvocationTX) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
-	tx.Script = br.ReadBytes()
+	tx.Script = br.ReadVarBytes()
 	if tx.Version >= 1 {
 		br.ReadLE(&tx.Gas)
 	} else {
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/publish.go b/pkg/core/transaction/publish.go
index 131a4ac9a..fc76f3535 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/publish.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/publish.go
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ type PublishTX struct {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (tx *PublishTX) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
-	tx.Script = br.ReadBytes()
+	tx.Script = br.ReadVarBytes()
 
 	lenParams := br.ReadVarUint()
 	tx.ParamList = make([]smartcontract.ParamType, lenParams)
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/state_descriptor.go b/pkg/core/transaction/state_descriptor.go
index c5d3cc958..e38889373 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/state_descriptor.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/state_descriptor.go
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ type StateDescriptor struct {
 func (s *StateDescriptor) DecodeBinary(r *io.BinReader) {
 	r.ReadLE(&s.Type)
 
-	s.Key = r.ReadBytes()
-	s.Value = r.ReadBytes()
+	s.Key = r.ReadVarBytes()
+	s.Value = r.ReadVarBytes()
 	s.Field = r.ReadString()
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/core/transaction/witness.go b/pkg/core/transaction/witness.go
index bdbecb80d..6292ca981 100644
--- a/pkg/core/transaction/witness.go
+++ b/pkg/core/transaction/witness.go
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ type Witness struct {
 
 // DecodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
 func (w *Witness) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
-	w.InvocationScript = br.ReadBytes()
-	w.VerificationScript = br.ReadBytes()
+	w.InvocationScript = br.ReadVarBytes()
+	w.VerificationScript = br.ReadVarBytes()
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
diff --git a/pkg/io/binaryReader.go b/pkg/io/binaryReader.go
index 1283537b2..6bc67fd66 100644
--- a/pkg/io/binaryReader.go
+++ b/pkg/io/binaryReader.go
@@ -127,17 +127,17 @@ func (r *BinReader) ReadVarUint() uint64 {
 	return uint64(b)
 }
 
-// ReadBytes reads the next set of bytes from the underlying reader.
+// ReadVarBytes reads the next set of bytes from the underlying reader.
 // ReadVarUInt() is used to determine how large that slice is
-func (r *BinReader) ReadBytes() []byte {
+func (r *BinReader) ReadVarBytes() []byte {
 	n := r.ReadVarUint()
 	b := make([]byte, n)
 	r.ReadLE(b)
 	return b
 }
 
-// ReadString calls ReadBytes and casts the results as a string.
+// ReadString calls ReadVarBytes and casts the results as a string.
 func (r *BinReader) ReadString() string {
-	b := r.ReadBytes()
+	b := r.ReadVarBytes()
 	return string(b)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go b/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go
index 8c6d64c6e..7047357a8 100644
--- a/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go
+++ b/pkg/io/binaryrw_test.go
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ func TestReaderErrHandling(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, i, iorig)
 	val := br.ReadVarUint()
 	assert.Equal(t, val, uint64(0))
-	b := br.ReadBytes()
+	b := br.ReadVarBytes()
 	assert.Equal(t, b, []byte{})
 	s := br.ReadString()
 	assert.Equal(t, s, "")
diff --git a/pkg/network/payload/merkleblock.go b/pkg/network/payload/merkleblock.go
index 67142c2b4..410e2b749 100644
--- a/pkg/network/payload/merkleblock.go
+++ b/pkg/network/payload/merkleblock.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func (m *MerkleBlock) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 
 	m.TxCount = int(br.ReadVarUint())
 	br.ReadArray(&m.Hashes)
-	m.Flags = br.ReadBytes()
+	m.Flags = br.ReadVarBytes()
 }
 
 // EncodeBinary implements Serializable interface.
diff --git a/pkg/network/payload/version.go b/pkg/network/payload/version.go
index b221eef63..c8d62ab20 100644
--- a/pkg/network/payload/version.go
+++ b/pkg/network/payload/version.go
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func (p *Version) DecodeBinary(br *io.BinReader) {
 	br.ReadLE(&p.Timestamp)
 	br.ReadLE(&p.Port)
 	br.ReadLE(&p.Nonce)
-	p.UserAgent = br.ReadBytes()
+	p.UserAgent = br.ReadVarBytes()
 	br.ReadLE(&p.StartHeight)
 	br.ReadLE(&p.Relay)
 }
diff --git a/pkg/smartcontract/contract_test.go b/pkg/smartcontract/contract_test.go
index 3f9667e16..b6ba9b39f 100644
--- a/pkg/smartcontract/contract_test.go
+++ b/pkg/smartcontract/contract_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func TestCreateMultiSigRedeemScript(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, opcode.PUSH3, opcode.Opcode(b))
 
 	for i := 0; i < len(validators); i++ {
-		bb := br.ReadBytes()
+		bb := br.ReadVarBytes()
 		if br.Err != nil {
 			t.Fatal(err)
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/vm/serialization.go b/pkg/vm/serialization.go
index 8f155a8d6..79c7b7228 100644
--- a/pkg/vm/serialization.go
+++ b/pkg/vm/serialization.go
@@ -102,14 +102,14 @@ func DecodeBinaryStackItem(r *io.BinReader) StackItem {
 
 	switch stackItemType(t) {
 	case byteArrayT:
-		data := r.ReadBytes()
+		data := r.ReadVarBytes()
 		return NewByteArrayItem(data)
 	case booleanT:
 		var b bool
 		r.ReadLE(&b)
 		return NewBoolItem(b)
 	case integerT:
-		data := r.ReadBytes()
+		data := r.ReadVarBytes()
 		num := new(big.Int).SetBytes(util.ArrayReverse(data))
 		return &BigIntegerItem{
 			value: num,