diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/string.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/string.rs
index c0731b2e20..7c7d69cf4e 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/string.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/conversions/into/string.rs
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ fn string_helper(
         // Just set the type - that should be good enough. There is no guarantee that the data
         // within a string stream is actually valid UTF-8. But refuse to do it if it was already set
         // to binary
-        if stream.type_() != ByteStreamType::Binary {
+        if stream.type_().is_string_coercible() {
             Ok(PipelineData::ByteStream(
                 stream.with_type(ByteStreamType::String),
                 metadata,
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs
index f625847a3f..97c5159b97 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/first.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use nu_engine::command_prelude::*;
+use std::io::Read;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct First;
@@ -171,10 +172,9 @@ fn first_helper(
             }
         }
         PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, metadata) => {
-            if stream.type_() == ByteStreamType::Binary {
+            if stream.type_().is_binary_coercible() {
                 let span = stream.span();
                 if let Some(mut reader) = stream.reader() {
-                    use std::io::Read;
                     if return_single_element {
                         // Take a single byte
                         let mut byte = [0u8];
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/last.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/last.rs
index 510e6457a8..efb300db01 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/last.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/last.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 use nu_engine::command_prelude::*;
-
-use std::collections::VecDeque;
+use std::{collections::VecDeque, io::Read};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Last;
@@ -161,10 +160,9 @@ impl Command for Last {
                 }
             }
             PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, ..) => {
-                if stream.type_() == ByteStreamType::Binary {
+                if stream.type_().is_binary_coercible() {
                     let span = stream.span();
                     if let Some(mut reader) = stream.reader() {
-                        use std::io::Read;
                         // Have to be a bit tricky here, but just consume into a VecDeque that we
                         // shrink to fit each time
                         const TAKE: u64 = 8192;
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/skip/skip_.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/skip/skip_.rs
index df53cfacba..d293a743da 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/skip/skip_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/skip/skip_.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use nu_engine::command_prelude::*;
+use std::io::{self, Read};
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Skip;
@@ -94,12 +95,11 @@ impl Command for Skip {
         let input_span = input.span().unwrap_or(call.head);
         match input {
             PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, metadata) => {
-                if stream.type_() == ByteStreamType::Binary {
+                if stream.type_().is_binary_coercible() {
                     let span = stream.span();
                     if let Some(mut reader) = stream.reader() {
-                        use std::io::Read;
                         // Copy the number of skipped bytes into the sink before proceeding
-                        std::io::copy(&mut (&mut reader).take(n as u64), &mut std::io::sink())
+                        io::copy(&mut (&mut reader).take(n as u64), &mut io::sink())
                             .err_span(span)?;
                         Ok(PipelineData::ByteStream(
                             ByteStream::read(reader, call.head, None, ByteStreamType::Binary),
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/take/take_.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/take/take_.rs
index d4bf455c4a..7ebe22f914 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/filters/take/take_.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/filters/take/take_.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 use nu_engine::command_prelude::*;
+use std::io::Read;
 
 #[derive(Clone)]
 pub struct Take;
@@ -79,9 +80,8 @@ impl Command for Take {
                 metadata,
             )),
             PipelineData::ByteStream(stream, metadata) => {
-                if stream.type_() == ByteStreamType::Binary {
+                if stream.type_().is_binary_coercible() {
                     if let Some(reader) = stream.reader() {
-                        use std::io::Read;
                         // Just take 'rows' bytes off the stream, mimicking the binary behavior
                         Ok(PipelineData::ByteStream(
                             ByteStream::read(
diff --git a/crates/nu-protocol/src/pipeline/byte_stream.rs b/crates/nu-protocol/src/pipeline/byte_stream.rs
index 35ce39ed31..babd195a9e 100644
--- a/crates/nu-protocol/src/pipeline/byte_stream.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-protocol/src/pipeline/byte_stream.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,16 @@ impl ByteStreamType {
             ByteStreamType::Unknown => "byte stream",
         }
     }
+
+    /// Returns true if the type is `Binary` or `Unknown`
+    pub fn is_binary_coercible(self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, ByteStreamType::Binary | ByteStreamType::Unknown)
+    }
+
+    /// Returns true if the type is `String` or `Unknown`
+    pub fn is_string_coercible(self) -> bool {
+        matches!(self, ByteStreamType::String | ByteStreamType::Unknown)
+    }
 }
 
 impl From<ByteStreamType> for Type {
@@ -483,7 +493,7 @@ impl ByteStream {
     /// data would have been valid UTF-8.
     pub fn into_string(self) -> Result<String, ShellError> {
         let span = self.span;
-        if self.type_ != ByteStreamType::Binary {
+        if self.type_.is_string_coercible() {
             let trim = self.stream.is_external();
             let bytes = self.into_bytes()?;
             let mut string = String::from_utf8(bytes).map_err(|err| ShellError::NonUtf8Custom {