diff --git a/hgext/fastannotate/formatter.py b/hgext/fastannotate/formatter.py
--- a/hgext/fastannotate/formatter.py
+++ b/hgext/fastannotate/formatter.py
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
                         result += ': ' + self.ui.label('-' + lines[i],
                                                        'diff.deleted')
 
-            if result[-1] != '\n':
+            if result[-1:] != '\n':
                 result += '\n'
 
         self.ui.write(result)
diff --git a/hgext/fastannotate/protocol.py b/hgext/fastannotate/protocol.py
--- a/hgext/fastannotate/protocol.py
+++ b/hgext/fastannotate/protocol.py
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
     state = 0 # 0: vfspath, 1: size
     vfspath = size = ''
     while i < l:
-        ch = payload[i]
+        ch = payload[i:i + 1]
         if ch == '\0':
             if state == 1:
                 result[vfspath] = buffer(payload, i + 1, int(size))