diff --git a/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_reader.py b/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_reader.py
index 92119640b..3dd004d66 100644
--- a/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_reader.py
+++ b/gguf-py/gguf/gguf_reader.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ from __future__ import annotations
 
 import logging
 import os
+import struct
 from collections import OrderedDict
 from typing import Any, Literal, NamedTuple, TypeVar, Union
 
@@ -92,7 +93,7 @@ class GGUFReader:
         offs = 0
 
         # Check for GGUF magic
-        if self._get(offs, np.uint32, override_order = '<')[0] != GGUF_MAGIC:
+        if struct.unpack("<I", self.data.read(4))[0] != GGUF_MAGIC:
             raise ValueError('GGUF magic invalid')
         offs += 4
 
@@ -170,9 +171,14 @@ class GGUFReader:
             self.fields[field.name] = field
         return 0 if skip_sum else sum(int(part.nbytes) for part in field.parts)
 
-    def _get_str(self, offset: int) -> tuple[npt.NDArray[np.uint64], npt.NDArray[np.uint8]]:
-        slen = self._get(offset, np.uint64)
-        return slen, self._get(offset + 8, np.uint8, slen[0])
+    def _get_str(self, offset: int, return_size=False) -> tuple[npt.NDArray[np.uint64], npt.NDArray[np.uint8]]:
+        self.data.seek(offset)
+        slen = struct.unpack('<Q', self.data.read(8))
+        sdata = struct.unpack('<'+'B'*slen[0], self.data.read(1*slen[0]))
+        output = (slen, sdata)
+        if return_size:
+            output += (8 + slen[0],)
+        return output
 
     def _get_field_parts(
         self, orig_offs: int, raw_type: int,
@@ -183,8 +189,8 @@ class GGUFReader:
         types.append(gtype)
         # Handle strings.
         if gtype == GGUFValueType.STRING:
-            sparts: list[npt.NDArray[Any]] = list(self._get_str(offs))
-            size = sum(int(part.nbytes) for part in sparts)
+            sparts: list[npt.NDArray[Any]] = list(self._get_str(offs, return_size=True))
+            size = sparts.pop(-1)
             return size, sparts, [1], types
         # Check if it's a simple scalar type.
         nptype = self.gguf_scalar_to_np.get(gtype)
@@ -216,23 +222,23 @@ class GGUFReader:
 
         # Get Tensor Name
         name_len, name_data = self._get_str(offs)
-        offs += int(name_len.nbytes + name_data.nbytes)
+        offs = self.data.tell()
 
         # Get Tensor Dimensions Count
         n_dims = self._get(offs, np.uint32)
-        offs += int(n_dims.nbytes)
+        offs = self.data.tell()
 
         # Get Tensor Dimension Array
         dims = self._get(offs, np.uint64, n_dims[0])
-        offs += int(dims.nbytes)
+        offs = self.data.tell()
 
         # Get Tensor Encoding Scheme Type
         raw_dtype = self._get(offs, np.uint32)
-        offs += int(raw_dtype.nbytes)
+        offs = self.data.tell()
 
         # Get Tensor Offset
         offset_tensor = self._get(offs, np.uint64)
-        offs += int(offset_tensor.nbytes)
+        offs = self.data.tell()
 
         return ReaderField(
             orig_offs,
@@ -245,9 +251,9 @@ class GGUFReader:
         for _ in range(count):
             orig_offs = offs
             kv_klen, kv_kdata = self._get_str(offs)
-            offs += int(kv_klen.nbytes + kv_kdata.nbytes)
+            offs = self.data.tell()
             raw_kv_type = self._get(offs, np.uint32)
-            offs += int(raw_kv_type.nbytes)
+            offs = self.data.tell()
             parts: list[npt.NDArray[Any]] = [kv_klen, kv_kdata, raw_kv_type]
             idxs_offs = len(parts)
             field_size, field_parts, field_idxs, field_types = self._get_field_parts(offs, raw_kv_type[0])
@@ -266,7 +272,7 @@ class GGUFReader:
         tensor_fields = []
         for _ in range(count):
             field = self._get_tensor_info_field(offs)
-            offs += sum(int(part.nbytes) for part in field.parts)
+            offs = self.data.tell()
             tensor_fields.append(field)
         return offs, tensor_fields