diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py b/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
index 4307afb2..244b2f0c 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/binlogstream.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import pymysql
 import struct
 
+from pkg_resources import parse_version
 from pymysql.constants.COMMAND import COM_BINLOG_DUMP, COM_REGISTER_SLAVE
 from pymysql.cursors import DictCursor
 from pymysql.util import int2byte
@@ -259,7 +260,7 @@ def _register_slave(self):
 
         packet = self.report_slave.encoded(self.__server_id)
 
-        if pymysql.__version__ < "0.6":
+        if parse_version(pymysql.__version__) < parse_version("0.6"):
             self._stream_connection.wfile.write(packet)
             self._stream_connection.wfile.flush()
             self._stream_connection.read_packet()
@@ -407,7 +408,7 @@ def __connect_to_stream(self):
             # encoded_data
             prelude += gtid_set.encoded()
 
-        if pymysql.__version__ < "0.6":
+        if parse_version(pymysql.__version__) < parse_version("0.6"):
             self._stream_connection.wfile.write(prelude)
             self._stream_connection.wfile.flush()
         else:
@@ -424,7 +425,7 @@ def fetchone(self):
                 self.__connect_to_ctl()
 
             try:
-                if pymysql.__version__ < "0.6":
+                if parse_version(pymysql.__version__) < parse_version("0.6"):
                     pkt = self._stream_connection.read_packet()
                 else:
                     pkt = self._stream_connection._read_packet()
diff --git a/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py b/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
index fcf4419c..88612e20 100644
--- a/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
+++ b/pymysqlreplication/row_event.py
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import json
 
 from pymysql.util import byte2int
-from pymysql.charset import charset_to_encoding
+from pymysql.charset import charset_by_name
 
 from .event import BinLogEvent
 from .exceptions import TableMetadataUnavailableError
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ def __read_fsp(self, column):
     def __read_string(self, size, column):
         string = self.packet.read_length_coded_pascal_string(size)
         if column.character_set_name is not None:
-            string = string.decode(charset_to_encoding(column.character_set_name))
+            string = string.decode(charset_by_name(column.character_set_name).encoding)
         return string
 
     def __read_bit(self, column):