--- a/MD5Stream.st	Fri Mar 22 14:44:14 2019 +0100
+++ b/MD5Stream.st	Sat Mar 23 15:18:05 2019 +0100
@@ -336,17 +336,25 @@
     INT objSize;
     int nInstBytes;
     char *extPtr;
+    OBJ _hashContext = __INST(hashContext);
 
-    if (__isByteArray(__INST(hashContext))
-       &&__byteArraySize(__INST(hashContext)) == sizeof(MD5_CTX)
+    // convert first, check later
+    len = __intVal(count);
+    offs = __intVal(start) - 1;
+
+    if (__isByteArray(_hashContext)
+       && __byteArraySize(_hashContext) == sizeof(MD5_CTX)
        && __bothSmallInteger(count, start)
     ) {
-        MD5_CTX *ctx = (MD5_CTX *)__ByteArrayInstPtr(__INST(hashContext))->ba_element;
+        MD5_CTX *ctx = (MD5_CTX *)__byteArrayVal(_hashContext);
 
-        len = __intVal(count);
-        offs = __intVal(start) - 1;
-
-        if (__isExternalBytesLike(anObject)) {
+        if (__isByteArrayLike(anObject)) {
+            extPtr = (char *)__byteArrayVal(anObject);
+            objSize = __byteArraySize(anObject);
+        } else if (__isStringLike(anObject)) { 
+            extPtr = (char *)__stringVal(anObject);
+            objSize = __stringSize(anObject);
+        } else if (__isExternalBytesLike(anObject)) {
             OBJ sz;
 
             nInstBytes = 0;
@@ -399,6 +407,8 @@
 %}.
 
     ^ self primitiveFailed
+
+    "Modified: / 23-03-2019 / 15:16:34 / Claus Gittinger"
 ! !
 
 !MD5Stream class methodsFor:'documentation'!