diff --git a/libclamav/pdf.c b/libclamav/pdf.c
index b65db645d..9dc82bb27 100644
--- a/libclamav/pdf.c
+++ b/libclamav/pdf.c
@@ -3215,7 +3215,7 @@ static void Author_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct pdfnam
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.author))
-        pdf->stats.author = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Author", NULL, &pdf->stats.author_base64);
+        pdf->stats.author = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Author", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3231,7 +3231,7 @@ static void Creator_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct pdfna
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.creator))
-        pdf->stats.creator = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Creator", NULL, &pdf->stats.creator_base64);
+        pdf->stats.creator = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Creator", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3247,7 +3247,7 @@ static void ModificationDate_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, str
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.modificationdate))
-        pdf->stats.modificationdate = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/ModDate", NULL, &pdf->stats.modificationdate_base64);
+        pdf->stats.modificationdate = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/ModDate", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3263,7 +3263,7 @@ static void CreationDate_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.creationdate))
-        pdf->stats.creationdate = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/CreationDate", NULL, &pdf->stats.creationdate_base64);
+        pdf->stats.creationdate = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/CreationDate", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3279,7 +3279,7 @@ static void Producer_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct pdfn
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.producer))
-        pdf->stats.producer = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Producer", NULL, &pdf->stats.producer_base64);
+        pdf->stats.producer = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Producer", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3295,7 +3295,7 @@ static void Title_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct pdfname
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.title))
-        pdf->stats.title = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Title", NULL, &pdf->stats.title_base64);
+        pdf->stats.title = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Title", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3311,7 +3311,7 @@ static void Keywords_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct pdfn
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.keywords))
-        pdf->stats.keywords = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Keywords", NULL, &pdf->stats.keywords_base64);
+        pdf->stats.keywords = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Keywords", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3327,7 +3327,7 @@ static void Subject_cb(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, struct pdfna
         return;
 
     if (!(pdf->stats.subject))
-        pdf->stats.subject = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Subject", NULL, &pdf->stats.subject_base64);
+        pdf->stats.subject = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, obj->start + pdf->map, obj_size(pdf, obj, 1), "/Subject", NULL);
 }
 #endif
 
@@ -3511,46 +3511,22 @@ static void pdf_export_json(struct pdf_struct *pdf)
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (pdf->stats.author) {
+    if (pdf->stats.author)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "Author", pdf->stats.author);
-        if (pdf->stats.author_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "Author_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.creator) {
+    if (pdf->stats.creator)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "Creator", pdf->stats.creator);
-        if (pdf->stats.creator_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "Creator_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.producer) {
+    if (pdf->stats.producer)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "Producer", pdf->stats.producer);
-        if (pdf->stats.producer_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "Producer_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.modificationdate) {
+    if (pdf->stats.modificationdate)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "ModificationDate", pdf->stats.modificationdate);
-        if (pdf->stats.modificationdate_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "ModificationDate_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.creationdate) {
+    if (pdf->stats.creationdate)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "CreationDate", pdf->stats.creationdate);
-        if (pdf->stats.creationdate_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "CreationDate_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.title) {
+    if (pdf->stats.title)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "Title", pdf->stats.title);
-        if (pdf->stats.title_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "Title_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.subject) {
+    if (pdf->stats.subject)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "Subject", pdf->stats.subject);
-        if (pdf->stats.subject_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "Subject_base64", 1);
-    }
-    if (pdf->stats.keywords) {
+    if (pdf->stats.keywords)
         cli_jsonstr(pdfobj, "Keywords", pdf->stats.keywords);
-        if (pdf->stats.keywords_base64)
-            cli_jsonbool(pdfobj, "Keywords_base64", 1);
-    }
     if (pdf->stats.ninvalidobjs)
         cli_jsonint(pdfobj, "InvalidObjectCount", pdf->stats.ninvalidobjs);
     if (pdf->stats.njs)
diff --git a/libclamav/pdf.h b/libclamav/pdf.h
index 56a62e52e..3b5e71eaa 100644
--- a/libclamav/pdf.h
+++ b/libclamav/pdf.h
@@ -89,21 +89,13 @@ struct pdf_stats {
     int32_t nacroform;        /* Number of AcroForm objects */
     int32_t nxfa;             /* Number of XFA objects */
     char *author;             /* Author of the PDF */
-    int8_t author_base64;     /* Author string is base64 encoded */
     char *creator;            /* Application used to create the PDF */
-    int8_t creator_base64;    /* Author string is base64 encoded */
     char *producer;           /* Application used to produce the PDF */
-    int8_t producer_base64;   /* Application string is base64 encoded */
-    char *creationdate;         /* Date the PDF was created */
-    int8_t creationdate_base64; /* Date of creation string is base64 encoded */
-    char *modificationdate;         /* Date the PDF was modified */
-    int8_t modificationdate_base64; /* Date of modification string is base64 encoded */
+    char *creationdate;       /* Date the PDF was created */
+    char *modificationdate;   /* Date the PDF was modified */
     char *title;              /* Title of the PDF */
-    int8_t title_base64;      /* Title string is base64 encoded */
     char *subject;            /* Subject of the PDF */
-    int8_t subject_base64;    /* Subject string is base64 encoded */
     char *keywords;           /* Keywords of the PDF */
-    int8_t keywords_base64;   /* Keywords string is base64 encoded */
 };
 
 
@@ -152,7 +144,7 @@ int pdf_extract_obj(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, uint32_t flags)
 int pdf_findobj(struct pdf_struct *pdf);
 struct pdf_obj *find_obj(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, uint32_t objid);
 
-char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *objstart, size_t objsize, const char *str, char **endchar, int8_t *base64);
+char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *objstart, size_t objsize, const char *str, char **endchar);
 struct pdf_array *pdf_parse_array(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, size_t objsz, char *begin, char **endchar);
 struct pdf_dict *pdf_parse_dict(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, size_t objsz, char *begin, char **endchar);
 int is_object_reference(char *begin, char **endchar, uint32_t *id);
diff --git a/libclamav/pdfng.c b/libclamav/pdfng.c
index d0dca3724..1f546e3e1 100644
--- a/libclamav/pdfng.c
+++ b/libclamav/pdfng.c
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ char *pdf_convert_utf(char *begin, size_t sz)
 #endif
     free(buf);
     free(outbuf);
+
     return res;
 }
 
@@ -275,7 +276,7 @@ int is_object_reference(char *begin, char **endchar, uint32_t *id)
     return 0;
 }
 
-char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *objstart, size_t objsize, const char *str, char **endchar, int8_t *base64)
+char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *objstart, size_t objsize, const char *str, char **endchar)
 {
     const char *q = objstart;
     char *p1, *p2;
@@ -408,7 +409,7 @@ char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *
             switch (*p3) {
                 case '(':
                 case '<':
-                    res = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, p3, objsize2, NULL, NULL, NULL);
+                    res = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, p3, objsize2, NULL, NULL);
                     free(begin);
                     break;
                 default:
@@ -422,14 +423,8 @@ char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *
                     res = likelyutf ? pdf_convert_utf(p3, objsize2) : NULL;
 
                     if (!(res)) {
-                        if (base64) {
-                            res = (char*)cl_base64_encode(p1, len);
-                            if (res)
-                                *base64 = 1;
-                        } else {
-                            res = begin;
-                            res[objsize2] = '\0';
-                        }
+                        res = begin;
+                        res[objsize2] = '\0';
                     } else {
                         free(begin);
                     }
@@ -518,11 +513,6 @@ char *pdf_parse_string(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, const char *
     }
 
     res = pdf_convert_utf(p1, len);
-    if (!res && base64) {
-        res = (char*)cl_base64_encode(p1, len);
-        if (res)
-            *base64 = 1;
-    }
 
     if (res && endchar)
         *endchar = p2;
@@ -684,7 +674,7 @@ struct pdf_dict *pdf_parse_dict(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, siz
 
         switch (begin[0]) {
             case '(':
-                val = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, begin, objsz, NULL, &p1, NULL);
+                val = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, begin, objsz, NULL, &p1);
                 begin = p1+2;
                 break;
             case '[':
@@ -700,7 +690,7 @@ struct pdf_dict *pdf_parse_dict(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, siz
                     }
                 }
 
-                val = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, begin, objsz, NULL, &p1, NULL);
+                val = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, begin, objsz, NULL, &p1);
                 begin = p1+2;
                 break;
             default:
@@ -882,7 +872,7 @@ struct pdf_array *pdf_parse_array(struct pdf_struct *pdf, struct pdf_obj *obj, s
 
                 /* Not a dictionary. Intentially fall through. */
             case '(':
-                val = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, begin, objsz, NULL, &begin, NULL);
+                val = pdf_parse_string(pdf, obj, begin, objsz, NULL, &begin);
                 begin += 2;
                 break;
             case '[':