diff --git a/.changeset/violet-clocks-listen.md b/.changeset/violet-clocks-listen.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee5c5c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/violet-clocks-listen.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@germ-network/atprototypes": patch
+---
+
+add JSONDecoder.atproto (dataDecodingStrategy .atprotoBase64) accepting the data model's unpadded base64, route XRPC response parsing through it, and emit $bytes unpadded
diff --git a/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/AtprotoJSONDecoder.swift b/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/AtprotoJSONDecoder.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..530d062
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/AtprotoJSONDecoder.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+//
+//  AtprotoJSONDecoder.swift
+//  AtprotoTypes
+//
+//  Created by Mark @ Germ on 7/15/26.
+//
+
+import Foundation
+
+extension JSONDecoder.DataDecodingStrategy {
+	//The atproto data model serializes bytes as base64 WITHOUT padding — the form
+	//spec-compliant PDSes emit when re-serializing a record from CBOR — which
+	//Foundation's default .base64 strategy rejects unless the byte length happens
+	//to align to a multiple of 3. Accepts both the unpadded (spec) and padded
+	//(records we previously wrote) forms.
+	public static var atprotoBase64: JSONDecoder.DataDecodingStrategy {
+		.custom { decoder in
+			let container = try decoder.singleValueContainer()
+			let encoded = try container.decode(String.self)
+			let remainder = encoded.count % 4
+			let padded =
+				remainder == 0
+				? encoded
+				: encoded + String(repeating: "=", count: 4 - remainder)
+			guard let bytes = Data(base64Encoded: padded) else {
+				throw DecodingError.dataCorruptedError(
+					in: container,
+					debugDescription: "Invalid base64 in bytes field"
+				)
+			}
+			return bytes
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+extension JSONDecoder {
+	//A decoder configured for atproto data-model JSON. XRPC response parsing
+	//reads through this; anything else decoding data-model JSON (records,
+	//lexicon bytes) should too.
+	public static var atproto: JSONDecoder {
+		let decoder = JSONDecoder()
+		decoder.dataDecodingStrategy = .atprotoBase64
+		return decoder
+	}
+}
diff --git a/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/Bytes.swift b/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/Bytes.swift
index 6f1ff4f..21528b4 100644
--- a/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/Bytes.swift
+++ b/Sources/AtprotoTypes/Primitives/Bytes.swift
@@ -18,5 +18,18 @@ extension Atproto.Primitive {
 		public enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
 			case bytes = "$bytes"
 		}
+
+		//Decoding stays synthesized: whether unpadded base64 is accepted is the
+		//DECODER's choice — use JSONDecoder.atproto (or .dataDecodingStrategy =
+		//.atprotoBase64) when reading data-model JSON; a default JSONDecoder keeps
+		//Foundation's strict padded-only behavior.
+		//
+		//Encoding emits the data model's canonical form: base64 without padding.
+		public func encode(to encoder: any Encoder) throws {
+			var container = encoder.container(keyedBy: CodingKeys.self)
+			var encoded = bytes.base64EncodedString()
+			while encoded.hasSuffix("=") { encoded.removeLast() }
+			try container.encode(encoded, forKey: .bytes)
+		}
 	}
 }
diff --git a/Sources/AtprotoTypes/XRPC/ResponseParsing.swift b/Sources/AtprotoTypes/XRPC/ResponseParsing.swift
index a14e837..fd5a624 100644
--- a/Sources/AtprotoTypes/XRPC/ResponseParsing.swift
+++ b/Sources/AtprotoTypes/XRPC/ResponseParsing.swift
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ extension Atproto.XRPC.ResponseParsing {
 			case .ok:
 				return .ok(try parseSuccess(body: fullResponse.data))
 			case .badRequest:
-				let errorObject = try JSONDecoder()
+				let errorObject = try JSONDecoder.atproto
 					.decode(
 						Atproto.XRPC.ErrorResponse.self,
 						from: fullResponse.data
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ extension Atproto.XRPC.ResponseParsing {
 					)
 				}
 			case let status where Self.recognizedStatuses.contains(status):
-				let errorObject = try JSONDecoder()
+				let errorObject = try JSONDecoder.atproto
 					.decode(
 						Atproto.XRPC.ErrorResponse.self,
 						from: fullResponse.data
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ extension Atproto.XRPC.ResponseParsing {
 			let result = body.isEmpty ? nil : body
 			return try (result as? Output).tryUnwrap
 		default:
-			return try JSONDecoder()
+			return try JSONDecoder.atproto
 				.decode(Output.self, from: body)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/Tests/AtprotoTypesTests/BytesTests.swift b/Tests/AtprotoTypesTests/BytesTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..70c2a3b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/AtprotoTypesTests/BytesTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+//
+//  BytesTests.swift
+//  AtprotoTypes
+//
+//  Created by Mark @ Germ on 7/15/26.
+//
+
+import AtprotoTypes
+import Foundation
+import Testing
+
+struct BytesTests {
+	//The atproto data model's bytes are base64 without padding. A spec-compliant
+	//PDS (bsky's own included) re-serializes records that way, so lengths that
+	//aren't a multiple of 3 bytes arrive needing padding Foundation won't infer.
+	//33 bytes encodes to exactly 44 chars (no padding — the case that always
+	//worked); 34 bytes needs "==" (the case the default strategy rejects).
+	@Test("The atproto decoder accepts unpadded and padded base64", arguments: [32, 33, 34])
+	func atprotoDecoderAcceptsBothPaddings(count: Int) throws {
+		let value = Atproto.Primitive.Bytes(bytes: Data(repeating: 0xA5, count: count))
+
+		let padded = value.bytes.base64EncodedString()
+		var unpadded = padded
+		while unpadded.hasSuffix("=") { unpadded.removeLast() }
+
+		for encoded in [padded, unpadded] {
+			let json = "{\"$bytes\": \"\(encoded)\"}"
+			let decoded = try JSONDecoder.atproto.decode(
+				Atproto.Primitive.Bytes.self,
+				from: json.utf8Data
+			)
+			#expect(decoded == value)
+		}
+	}
+
+	//the tolerance is a decoder option, not a property of Bytes: a default
+	//JSONDecoder keeps Foundation's strict padded-only behavior
+	@Test func defaultDecoderStaysStrict() throws {
+		//34 bytes -> unpadded base64 length isn't a multiple of 4
+		var unpadded = Data(repeating: 0xA5, count: 34).base64EncodedString()
+		while unpadded.hasSuffix("=") { unpadded.removeLast() }
+		let json = "{\"$bytes\": \"\(unpadded)\"}"
+		#expect(throws: DecodingError.self) {
+			let _ = try JSONDecoder().decode(
+				Atproto.Primitive.Bytes.self,
+				from: json.utf8Data
+			)
+		}
+	}
+
+	@Test("Encodes without padding and round-trips through the atproto decoder")
+	func encodeUnpadded() throws {
+		//34 bytes -> padded base64 would end in "=="
+		let value = Atproto.Primitive.Bytes(bytes: Data(repeating: 0x5A, count: 34))
+
+		let encoded = try JSONEncoder().encode(value)
+		let json = try #require(String(data: encoded, encoding: .utf8))
+		#expect(!json.contains("="))
+
+		let decoded = try JSONDecoder.atproto.decode(
+			Atproto.Primitive.Bytes.self,
+			from: encoded
+		)
+		#expect(decoded == value)
+	}
+
+	@Test("Rejects invalid base64")
+	func rejectsInvalidBase64() throws {
+		let json = "{\"$bytes\": \"not*base64!\"}"
+		#expect(throws: DecodingError.self) {
+			let _ = try JSONDecoder.atproto.decode(
+				Atproto.Primitive.Bytes.self,
+				from: json.utf8Data
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}