diff --git a/include/ipfs/unixfs/unixfs.h b/include/ipfs/unixfs/unixfs.h
index f279710..e1c737b 100644
--- a/include/ipfs/unixfs/unixfs.h
+++ b/include/ipfs/unixfs/unixfs.h
@@ -41,8 +41,8 @@ struct UnixFSBlockSizeNode {
 
 struct UnixFS {
 	enum UnixFSDataType data_type;
-	unsigned char* bytes; // an array of bytes
 	size_t bytes_size; // the size of the bytes array
+	unsigned char* bytes; // an array of bytes
 	size_t file_size; // the file size
 	struct UnixFSBlockSizeNode* block_size_head; // a linked list of block sizes
 };
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ size_t ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode_size(struct UnixFS* obj);
  * @param bytes_written how many bytes were written in the buffer
  * @returns true(1) on success
  */
-int ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode(struct UnixFS* incoming, unsigned char* outgoing, size_t max_buffer_size, size_t* bytes_written);
+int ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode(const struct UnixFS* incoming, unsigned char* outgoing, size_t max_buffer_size, size_t* bytes_written);
 
 /***
  * Decodes a protobuf array of bytes into a UnixFS object
diff --git a/test/storage/test_unixfs.h b/test/storage/test_unixfs.h
index cc81754..1ba5acf 100644
--- a/test/storage/test_unixfs.h
+++ b/test/storage/test_unixfs.h
@@ -36,3 +36,51 @@ int test_unixfs_encode_decode() {
 
 	return 1;
 }
+
+int test_unixfs_encode_smallfile() {
+	struct UnixFS* unixfs = NULL;
+	ipfs_unixfs_new(&unixfs);
+
+	unsigned char bytes[] = {
+			0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20,
+			0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x74, 0x65,
+			0x78, 0x74, 0x20, 0x77, 0x69,
+			0x74, 0x68, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x20,
+			0x48, 0x65, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x6f,
+			0x57, 0x65, 0x72, 0x6c, 0x64,
+			0x2e, 0x74, 0x78, 0x74, 0x0a };
+	unsigned char expected_results[] = {
+			0x08, 0x02, 0x12, 0x23,
+			0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20,
+			0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x74, 0x65,
+			0x78, 0x74, 0x20, 0x77, 0x69,
+			0x74, 0x68, 0x69, 0x6e, 0x20,
+			0x48, 0x65, 0x6c, 0x6c, 0x6f,
+			0x57, 0x65, 0x72, 0x6c, 0x64,
+			0x2e, 0x74, 0x78, 0x74, 0x0a,
+			0x18, 0x23
+	};
+
+	unixfs->bytes = (unsigned char*)malloc(35);
+	memcpy(unixfs->bytes, bytes, 35);
+	unixfs->bytes_size = 35;
+	unixfs->data_type = UNIXFS_FILE;
+	unixfs->file_size = 35;
+
+	size_t protobuf_size = 43;
+	unsigned char protobuf[protobuf_size];
+	size_t bytes_written;
+	ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode(unixfs, protobuf, protobuf_size, &bytes_written);
+
+	if (bytes_written != 41) {
+		printf("Length should be %lu, but is %lu\n", 41LU, bytes_written);
+	}
+
+	for(int i = 0; i < bytes_written; i++) {
+		if (expected_results[i] != protobuf[i]) {
+			printf("Byte at position %d should be %02x but is %02x\n", i, expected_results[i], protobuf[i]);
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 1;
+}
diff --git a/test/testit.c b/test/testit.c
index f96843d..9d66ced 100644
--- a/test/testit.c
+++ b/test/testit.c
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ const char* names[] = {
 		"test_merkledag_get_data",
 		"test_merkledag_add_node",
 		"test_merkledag_add_node_with_links",
-		"test_unixfs_encode_decode"
+		"test_unixfs_encode_decode",
+		"test_unixfs_encode_smallfile"
 };
 
 int (*funcs[])(void) = {
@@ -84,7 +85,8 @@ int (*funcs[])(void) = {
 		test_merkledag_get_data,
 		test_merkledag_add_node,
 		test_merkledag_add_node_with_links,
-		test_unixfs_encode_decode
+		test_unixfs_encode_decode,
+		test_unixfs_encode_smallfile
 };
 
 /**
diff --git a/unixfs/unixfs.c b/unixfs/unixfs.c
index c72d6b3..a31be6e 100644
--- a/unixfs/unixfs.c
+++ b/unixfs/unixfs.c
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ size_t ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode_size(struct UnixFS* obj) {
  * @param bytes_written how many bytes were written in the buffer
  * @returns true(1) on success
  */
-int ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode(struct UnixFS* incoming, unsigned char* outgoing, size_t max_buffer_size, size_t* bytes_written) {
+int ipfs_unixfs_protobuf_encode(const struct UnixFS* incoming, unsigned char* outgoing, size_t max_buffer_size, size_t* bytes_written) {
 	size_t bytes_used = 0;
 	*bytes_written = 0;
 	int retVal = 0;