diff --git a/runes/package.lisp b/runes/package.lisp
index 7b8a4a4..1e4a3f1 100644
--- a/runes/package.lisp
+++ b/runes/package.lisp
@@ -72,8 +72,13 @@
            #:make-octet-stream-ystream
            #:make-rod-ystream
            #+rune-is-character #:make-character-stream-ystream
-           #+rune-is-integer #:make-string-ystream/utf8
-           #+rune-is-integer #:make-character-stream-ystream/utf8
+	   ;; These don't make too much sense on Unicode-enabled,
+	   ;; implementations but for those applications using them anyway,
+	   ;; I have commented out the reader conditionals now:
+           ;; #+rune-is-integer
+	   #:make-string-ystream/utf8
+           ;; #+rune-is-integer
+	   #:make-character-stream-ystream/utf8
 	   #:runes-to-utf8/adjustable-string))
 
 (defpackage :utf8-runes
diff --git a/runes/ystream.lisp b/runes/ystream.lisp
index a0641bd..a7ae87a 100644
--- a/runes/ystream.lisp
+++ b/runes/ystream.lisp
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@
 
 ;;;; CHARACTER-STREAM-YSTREAM/UTF8
 
-#+rune-is-integer
+;; #+rune-is-integer
 (progn
   (defstruct (character-stream-ystream/utf8
 	      (:constructor make-character-stream-ystream/utf8 (os-stream))
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@
 
 ;;;; STRING-YSTREAM/UTF8
 
-#+rune-is-integer
+;; #+rune-is-integer
 (progn
   (defstruct (string-ystream/utf8
 	      (:include character-stream-ystream/utf8
diff --git a/xml/package.lisp b/xml/package.lisp
index 15da41e..82cdb83 100644
--- a/xml/package.lisp
+++ b/xml/package.lisp
@@ -43,8 +43,11 @@
    #:make-rod-sink
    #+rune-is-character #:make-string-sink
    #+rune-is-character #:make-character-stream-sink
-   #-rune-is-character #:make-string-sink/utf8
-   #-rune-is-character #:make-character-stream-sink/utf8
+   ;; See comment in runes/package.lisp
+   ;; #-rune-is-character
+   #:make-string-sink/utf8
+   ;; #-rune-is-character
+   #:make-character-stream-sink/utf8
 
    #:with-xml-output
    #:with-element
diff --git a/xml/unparse.lisp b/xml/unparse.lisp
index a09a78e..4cfbb06 100644
--- a/xml/unparse.lisp
+++ b/xml/unparse.lisp
@@ -95,8 +95,8 @@
               :adjustable t
               :fill-pointer 0))
 
-;; total haesslich, aber die ystreams will ich im moment eigentlich nicht
-;; dokumentieren
+;; bisschen unschoen hier die ganze api zu duplizieren, aber die
+;; ystreams sind noch undokumentiert
 (macrolet ((define-maker (make-sink make-ystream &rest args)
 	     `(defun ,make-sink (,@args &rest initargs)
 		(apply #'make-instance
@@ -110,10 +110,10 @@
   #+rune-is-character
   (define-maker make-character-stream-sink make-character-stream-ystream stream)
 
-  #-rune-is-character
+  ;; #-rune-is-character
   (define-maker make-string-sink/utf8 make-string-ystream/utf8)
 
-  #-rune-is-character
+  ;; #-rune-is-character
   (define-maker make-character-stream-sink/utf8
       make-character-stream-ystream/utf8
     stream))
@@ -539,11 +539,22 @@
       (maybe-emit-start-tag)
       (sax:end-element *sink* nil nil qname))))
 
-(defun attribute (name value)
+(defun attribute-1 (name value)
   (push (sax:make-attribute :qname (rod name) :value (rod value))
         (cdr *current-element*))
   value)
 
+(defgeneric attribute (name value))
+
+(defmethod attribute (name (value string))
+  (attribute-1 name value))
+
+(defmethod attribute (name (value null))
+  (declare (ignore name)))
+
+(defmethod attribute (name (value integer))
+  (attribute-1 name (write-to-string value)))
+
 (defun cdata (data)
   (maybe-emit-start-tag)
   (sax:start-cdata *sink*)