diff --git a/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketBasicPacketTest.swift b/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketBasicPacketTest.swift
index b4b112d..1161fe3 100644
--- a/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketBasicPacketTest.swift
+++ b/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketBasicPacketTest.swift
@@ -145,4 +145,20 @@ class SocketBasicPacketTest: XCTestCase {
         XCTAssertEqual(packet.packetString, expectedSendString)
         XCTAssertEqual(packet.binary, [data2, data])
     }
+    
+    func testBinaryStringPlaceholderInMessage() {
+        let engineString = "52-[\"test\",\"~~0\",{\"num\":0,\"_placeholder\":true},{\"num\":1,\"_placeholder\":true}]"
+        let socket = SocketIOClient(socketURL: NSURL())
+        socket.setTestable()
+        
+        if case let .Right(packet) = socket.parseString(engineString) {
+            var packet = packet
+            XCTAssertEqual(packet.event, "test")
+            packet.addData(data)
+            packet.addData(data2)
+            XCTAssertEqual(packet.args[0] as? String, "~~0")
+        } else {
+            XCTFail()
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketParserTest.swift b/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketParserTest.swift
index b205556..c8bea5c 100644
--- a/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketParserTest.swift
+++ b/SocketIO-MacTests/SocketParserTest.swift
@@ -18,9 +18,10 @@ class SocketParserTest: XCTestCase {
         "25[\"test\"]": ("/", ["test"], [], 5),
         "2[\"test\",\"~~0\"]": ("/", ["test", "~~0"], [], -1),
         "2/swift,[\"testArrayEmitReturn\",[\"test3\",\"test4\"]]": ("/swift", ["testArrayEmitReturn", ["test3", "test4"]], [], -1),
-        "51-/swift,[\"testMultipleItemsWithBufferEmitReturn\",[1,2],{\"test\":\"bob\"},25,\"polo\",{\"_placeholder\":true,\"num\":0}]": ("/swift", ["testMultipleItemsWithBufferEmitReturn", [1, 2], ["test": "bob"], 25, "polo", "~~0"], [], -1),
+        "51-/swift,[\"testMultipleItemsWithBufferEmitReturn\",[1,2],{\"test\":\"bob\"},25,\"polo\",{\"_placeholder\":true,\"num\":0}]": ("/swift", ["testMultipleItemsWithBufferEmitReturn", [1, 2], ["test": "bob"], 25, "polo", ["_placeholder": true, "num": 0]], [], -1),
         "3/swift,0[[\"test3\",\"test4\"]]": ("/swift", [["test3", "test4"]], [], 0),
-        "61-/swift,19[[1,2],{\"test\":\"bob\"},25,\"polo\",{\"_placeholder\":true,\"num\":0}]": ("/swift", [ [1, 2], ["test": "bob"], 25, "polo", "~~0"], [], 19),
+        "61-/swift,19[[1,2],{\"test\":\"bob\"},25,\"polo\",{\"_placeholder\":true,\"num\":0}]":
+            ("/swift", [ [1, 2], ["test": "bob"], 25, "polo", ["_placeholder": true, "num": 0]], [], 19),
         "4/swift,": ("/swift", [], [], -1),
         "0/swift": ("/swift", [], [], -1),
         "1/swift": ("/swift", [], [], -1),
@@ -123,8 +124,8 @@ class SocketParserTest: XCTestCase {
         if case let .Right(packet) = packet {
             XCTAssertEqual(packet.type, SocketPacket.PacketType(rawValue: Int(type) ?? -1)!)
             XCTAssertEqual(packet.nsp, validValues.0)
-            XCTAssertTrue((packet.data as NSArray).isEqualToArray(validValues.1))
-            XCTAssertTrue((packet.binary as NSArray).isEqualToArray(validValues.2))
+            XCTAssertTrue((packet.data as NSArray).isEqualToArray(validValues.1), "\(packet.data)")
+            XCTAssertTrue((packet.binary as NSArray).isEqualToArray(validValues.2), "\(packet.binary)")
             XCTAssertEqual(packet.id, validValues.3)
         } else {
             XCTFail()
diff --git a/Source/SocketPacket.swift b/Source/SocketPacket.swift
index 52de38a..0de5485 100644
--- a/Source/SocketPacket.swift
+++ b/Source/SocketPacket.swift
@@ -187,19 +187,21 @@ struct SocketPacket {
         data = data.map(_fillInPlaceholders)
     }
     
-    // Helper method that looks for placeholder strings
+    // Helper method that looks for placeholders
     // If object is a collection it will recurse
     // Returns the object if it is not a placeholder string or the corresponding
     // binary data
     private func _fillInPlaceholders(object: AnyObject) -> AnyObject {
         switch object {
-        case let string as String where string["~~(\\d)"].groups() != nil:
-            return binary[Int(string["~~(\\d)"].groups()![1])!]
         case let dict as NSDictionary:
-            return dict.reduce(NSMutableDictionary(), combine: {cur, keyValue in
-                cur[keyValue.0 as! NSCopying] = _fillInPlaceholders(keyValue.1)
-                return cur
-            })
+            if dict["_placeholder"] as? Bool ?? false {
+                return binary[dict["num"] as! Int]
+            } else {
+                return dict.reduce(NSMutableDictionary(), combine: {cur, keyValue in
+                    cur[keyValue.0 as! NSCopying] = _fillInPlaceholders(keyValue.1)
+                    return cur
+                })
+            }
         case let arr as [AnyObject]:
             return arr.map(_fillInPlaceholders)
         default:
diff --git a/Source/SocketParsable.swift b/Source/SocketParsable.swift
index c74b160..80b5fa5 100644
--- a/Source/SocketParsable.swift
+++ b/Source/SocketParsable.swift
@@ -111,12 +111,11 @@ extension SocketParsable {
         }
         
         let d = message[parser.currentIndex.advancedBy(1)..<message.endIndex]
-        let noPlaceholders = d["(\\{\"_placeholder\":true,\"num\":(\\d*)\\})"] <~ "\"~~$2\""
         
-        switch parseData(noPlaceholders) {
+        switch parseData(d) {
         case let .Left(err):
             // Errors aren't always enclosed in an array
-            if case let .Right(data) = parseData("\([noPlaceholders as AnyObject])") {
+            if case let .Right(data) = parseData("\([d as AnyObject])") {
                 return .Right(SocketPacket(type: type, data: data, id: Int(idString) ?? -1,
                     nsp: namespace, placeholders: placeholders))
             } else {