diff --git a/cassandra/buffer.pxd b/cassandra/buffer.pxd
index f431d311..cfe93e01 100644
--- a/cassandra/buffer.pxd
+++ b/cassandra/buffer.pxd
@@ -1,8 +1,32 @@
+"""
+Simple buffer data structure that provides a view on existing memory
+(e.g. from a bytes object). This memory must stay alive while the
+buffer is in use.
+"""
+
+from cpython.bytes cimport PyBytes_AS_STRING
+    # char* PyBytes_AS_STRING(object string)
+    # Macro form of PyBytes_AsString() but without error
+    # checking. Only string objects are supported; no Unicode objects
+    # should be passed.
+
+from cassandra.buffer cimport Buffer
+
 cdef struct Buffer:
     char *ptr
     Py_ssize_t size
 
-cdef inline Buffer from_bytes(bytes byts)
-cdef inline bytes to_bytes(Buffer *buf)
-cdef inline char *buf_ptr(Buffer *buf)
-cdef inline Buffer from_ptr_and_size(char *ptr, Py_ssize_t size)
\ No newline at end of file
+cdef inline Buffer from_bytes(bytes byts):
+    return from_ptr_and_size(PyBytes_AS_STRING(byts), len(byts))
+
+cdef inline bytes to_bytes(Buffer *buf):
+    return buf.ptr[:buf.size]
+
+cdef inline char *buf_ptr(Buffer *buf):
+    return buf.ptr
+
+cdef inline Buffer from_ptr_and_size(char *ptr, Py_ssize_t size):
+    cdef Buffer res
+    res.ptr = ptr
+    res.size = size
+    return res
diff --git a/cassandra/buffer.pyx b/cassandra/buffer.pyx
deleted file mode 100644
index 570a7496..00000000
--- a/cassandra/buffer.pyx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-"""
-Simple buffer data structure. This buffer can be included:
-
-    include "buffer.pyx"
-
-or imported:
-
-    from cassanda cimport buffer
-
-but this prevents inlining of the functions below.
-"""
-
-from cpython.bytes cimport PyBytes_AS_STRING
-    # char* PyBytes_AS_STRING(object string)
-    # Macro form of PyBytes_AsString() but without error
-    # checking. Only string objects are supported; no Unicode objects
-    # should be passed.
-
-from cassandra.buffer cimport Buffer
-
-cdef struct Buffer:
-    char *ptr
-    Py_ssize_t size
-
-cdef inline Buffer from_bytes(bytes byts):
-    return from_ptr_and_size(PyBytes_AS_STRING(byts), len(byts))
-
-cdef inline bytes to_bytes(Buffer *buf):
-    return buf.ptr[:buf.size]
-
-cdef inline char *buf_ptr(Buffer *buf):
-    return buf.ptr
-
-cdef inline Buffer from_ptr_and_size(char *ptr, Py_ssize_t size):
-    cdef Buffer res
-    res.ptr = ptr
-    res.size = size
-    return res
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/cassandra/cython_protocol_handler.pyx b/cassandra/cython_protocol_handler.pyx
index af91c4d7..629ce887 100644
--- a/cassandra/cython_protocol_handler.pyx
+++ b/cassandra/cython_protocol_handler.pyx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ include "ioutils.pyx"
 
 
 def make_recv_results_rows(ColumnParser colparser):
-    def recv_results_rows(cls, f, protocol_version, user_type_map):
+    def recv_results_rows(cls, f, int protocol_version, user_type_map):
         """
         Parse protocol data given as a BytesIO f into a set of columns (e.g. list of tuples)
         This is used as the recv_results_rows method of (Fast)ResultMessage
diff --git a/cassandra/cython_utils.pyx b/cassandra/cython_utils.pyx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fe4fbab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cassandra/cython_utils.pyx
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+"""
+Duplicate module of util.py, with some accelerated functions
+used for deserialization.
+"""
+
+# from __future__ import with_statement
+
+from cpython.datetime cimport timedelta_new
+    # cdef inline object timedelta_new(int days, int seconds, int useconds)
+    # Create timedelta object using DateTime CAPI factory function.
+    # Note, there are no range checks for any of the arguments.
+
+import calendar
+import datetime
+import random
+import six
+import uuid
+import sys
+
+DATETIME_EPOC = datetime.datetime(1970, 1, 1)
+
+assert sys.byteorder in ('little', 'big')
+is_little_endian = sys.byteorder == 'little'
+
+cdef datetime_from_timestamp(timestamp):
+    return DATETIME_EPOC + timedelta_new(0, timestamp, 0)
+
diff --git a/cassandra/deserializers.pxd b/cassandra/deserializers.pxd
index 333479f3..882d19d1 100644
--- a/cassandra/deserializers.pxd
+++ b/cassandra/deserializers.pxd
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@
 from cassandra.buffer cimport Buffer
 
 cdef class Deserializer:
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version)
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version)
     # cdef deserialize(self, CString byts, protocol_version)
diff --git a/cassandra/deserializers.pyx b/cassandra/deserializers.pyx
index 2bf91553..680e14a2 100644
--- a/cassandra/deserializers.pyx
+++ b/cassandra/deserializers.pyx
@@ -1,69 +1,246 @@
 # -- cython: profile=True
 
+from libc.stdint cimport int32_t, uint16_t
+
 include 'marshal.pyx'
-include 'buffer.pyx'
+include 'cython_utils.pyx'
+from cassandra.buffer cimport Buffer, to_bytes
 
 from cython.view cimport array as cython_array
+
+import socket
+import inspect
 from decimal import Decimal
 from uuid import UUID
 
-import inspect
+from cassandra import util
+
 
 cdef class Deserializer:
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         raise NotImplementedError
 
 
 cdef class DesLongType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return int64_unpack(buf.ptr)
 
 
 # TODO: Use libmpdec: http://www.bytereef.org/mpdecimal/index.html
 cdef class DesDecimalType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         scale = int32_unpack(buf.ptr)
         unscaled = varint_unpack(buf.ptr + 4)
         return Decimal('%de%d' % (unscaled, -scale))
 
 
 cdef class DesUUIDType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return UUID(bytes=to_bytes(buf))
 
 
 cdef class DesBooleanType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return bool(int8_unpack(buf.ptr))
 
 
 cdef class DesByteType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return int8_unpack(buf.ptr)
 
 
 cdef class DesAsciiType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         if six.PY2:
             return to_bytes(buf)
         return to_bytes(buf).decode('ascii')
 
 
 cdef class DesFloatType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return float_unpack(buf.ptr)
 
 
 cdef class DesDoubleType(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return double_unpack(buf.ptr)
 
 
 cdef class DesInt32Type(Deserializer):
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return int32_unpack(buf.ptr)
 
 
+cdef class DesIntegerType(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        return varint_unpack(to_bytes(buf))
+
+
+cdef class DesInetAddressType(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        cdef bytes byts = to_bytes(buf)
+
+        # TODO: optimize inet_ntop, inet_ntoa
+        if len(buf.size) == 16:
+            return util.inet_ntop(socket.AF_INET6, byts)
+        else:
+            # util.inet_pton could also handle, but this is faster
+            # since we've already determined the AF
+            return socket.inet_ntoa(byts)
+
+
+cdef class DesCounterColumnType(DesLongType):
+    pass
+
+
+cdef class DesDateType(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        timestamp = int64_unpack(buf.ptr) / 1000.0
+        return datetime_from_timestamp(timestamp)
+
+
+cdef class TimestampType(DesDateType):
+    pass
+
+
+cdef class TimeUUIDType(DesDateType):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        return UUID(bytes=to_bytes(buf))
+
+
+# Values of the 'date'` type are encoded as 32-bit unsigned integers
+# representing a number of days with epoch (January 1st, 1970) at the center of the
+# range (2^31).
+EPOCH_OFFSET_DAYS = 2 ** 31
+
+cdef class DesSimpleDateType(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        days = uint32_unpack(buf.ptr) - EPOCH_OFFSET_DAYS
+        return util.Date(days)
+
+
+cdef class DesShortType(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        return int16_unpack(buf.ptr)
+
+
+cdef class DesTimeType(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        return util.Time(int64_unpack(to_bytes(buf)))
+
+
+cdef class DesUTF8Type(Deserializer):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        return to_bytes(buf).decode('utf8')
+
+
+cdef class DesVarcharType(DesUTF8Type):
+    pass
+
+
+cdef class _DesParameterizedType(Deserializer):
+
+    cdef object cqltype
+    cdef object adapter
+    cdef object subtypes
+    cdef Deserializer[::1] deserializers
+
+    def __init__(self, cqltype):
+        assert cqltype.subtypes and len(cqltype.subtypes) == 1
+        self.cqltype = cqltype
+        self.adapter = cqltype.adapter
+        self.subtypes = cqltype.subtypes
+        self.deserializers = make_deserializers(cqltype.subtypes)
+
+
+cdef class _DesSimpleParameterizedType(_DesParameterizedType):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+        cdef uint16_t v2_and_below = 0
+        cdef int32_t v3_and_above = 0
+
+        if protocol_version >= 3:
+            result = _deserialize_parameterized[int32_t](
+                v3_and_above, self.deserializers[0], buf, protocol_version)
+        else:
+            result = _deserialize_parameterized[uint16_t](
+                v2_and_below, self.deserializers[0], buf, protocol_version)
+        return self.adapter(result)
+
+
+ctypedef fused itemlen_t:
+    uint16_t # protocol <= v2
+    int32_t  # protocol >= v3
+
+
+cdef itemlen_t _unpack(itemlen_t dummy, const char *buf):
+    cdef itemlen_t result
+    if itemlen_t is uint16_t:
+        result = uint16_unpack(buf)
+    else:
+        result = int32_unpack(buf)
+    return result
+
+cdef list _deserialize_parameterized(
+        itemlen_t dummy, Deserializer deserializer,
+        Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+    cdef itemlen_t itemlen
+    cdef Buffer sub_buf
+
+    cdef itemlen_t numelements = _unpack[itemlen_t](dummy, buf.ptr)
+    cdef itemlen_t p = sizeof(itemlen_t)
+    cdef list result = []
+
+    for _ in range(numelements):
+        itemlen = _unpack[itemlen_t](dummy, buf.ptr + p)
+        p += sizeof(itemlen_t)
+        sub_buf.ptr = buf.ptr + p
+        sub_buf.size = itemlen
+        p += itemlen
+        result.append(deserializer.deserialize(&sub_buf, protocol_version))
+
+    return result
+
+# cdef deserialize_v3_and_above(
+#         Deserializer deserializer, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+#     cdef Py_ssize_t itemlen
+#     cdef Buffer sub_buf
+#
+#     cdef Py_ssize_t numelements = int32_unpack(buf.ptr)
+#     cdef Py_ssize_t p = 4
+#     cdef list result = []
+#
+#     for _ in range(numelements):
+#         itemlen = int32_unpack(buf.ptr + p)
+#         p += 4
+#         sub_buf.ptr = buf.ptr + p
+#         sub_buf.size = itemlen
+#         p += itemlen
+#         result.append(deserializer.deserialize(&sub_buf, protocol_version))
+#
+#     return result
+#
+#
+# cdef deserialize_v2_and_below(
+#         Deserializer deserializer, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
+#     cdef Py_ssize_t itemlen
+#     cdef Buffer sub_buf
+#
+#     cdef Py_ssize_t numelements = uint16_unpack(buf.ptr)
+#     cdef Py_ssize_t p = 2
+#     cdef list result = []
+#
+#     for _ in range(numelements):
+#         itemlen = uint16_unpack(buf.ptr + p)
+#         p += 2
+#         sub_buf.ptr = buf.ptr + p
+#         sub_buf.size = itemlen
+#         p += itemlen
+#         result.append(deserializer.deserialize(&sub_buf, protocol_version))
+#
+#     return result
+
+
+
 cdef class GenericDeserializer(Deserializer):
     """
     Wrap a generic datatype for deserialization
@@ -74,7 +251,7 @@ cdef class GenericDeserializer(Deserializer):
     def __init__(self, cqltype):
         self.cqltype = cqltype
 
-    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, protocol_version):
+    cdef deserialize(self, Buffer *buf, int protocol_version):
         return self.cqltype.deserialize(to_bytes(buf), protocol_version)
 
 #--------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/cassandra/ioutils.pyx b/cassandra/ioutils.pyx
index 0f8c3e3e..0d6da6e4 100644
--- a/cassandra/ioutils.pyx
+++ b/cassandra/ioutils.pyx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 include 'marshal.pyx'
-include 'buffer.pyx'
+from cassandra.buffer cimport Buffer
 
 from libc.stdint cimport int32_t
 from cassandra.bytesio cimport BytesIOReader
diff --git a/cassandra/marshal.pyx b/cassandra/marshal.pyx
index 9e1c8ca5..336ee1c7 100644
--- a/cassandra/marshal.pyx
+++ b/cassandra/marshal.pyx
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ from libc.stdint cimport (int8_t, int16_t, int32_t, int64_t,
 cdef bint is_little_endian
 from cassandra.util import is_little_endian
 
+cdef bint PY3 = six.PY3
+
 # cdef extern from "marshal.h":
 #     cdef str c_string_to_python(char *p, Py_ssize_t len)
 
@@ -165,21 +167,30 @@ v3_header_pack = v3_header_struct.pack
 v3_header_unpack = v3_header_struct.unpack
 
 
-if six.PY3:
-    def varint_unpack(term):
-        val = int(''.join("%02x" % i for i in term), 16)
-        if (term[0] & 128) != 0:
-            # There is a bug in Cython (0.20 - 0.22), where if we do
-            # '1 << (len(term) * 8)' Cython generates '1' directly into the
-            # C code, causing integer overflows. Treat it as an object for now
-            val -= (<object> 1L) << (len(term) * 8)
-        return val
-else:
-    def varint_unpack(term):  # noqa
-        val = int(term.encode('hex'), 16)
-        if (ord(term[0]) & 128) != 0:
-            val = val - (1 << (len(term) * 8))
-        return val
+cpdef varint_unpack(term):
+    """Unpack a variable-sized integer"""
+    if PY3:
+        return varint_unpack_py3(term)
+    else:
+        return varint_unpack_py2(term)
+
+# TODO: Optimize these two functions
+def varint_unpack_py3(term):
+    cdef int64_t one = 1L
+    val = int(''.join("%02x" % i for i in term), 16)
+    if (term[0] & 128) != 0:
+        # There is a bug in Cython (0.20 - 0.22), where if we do
+        # '1 << (len(term) * 8)' Cython generates '1' directly into the
+        # C code, causing integer overflows
+        val -= one << (len(term) * 8)
+    return val
+
+def varint_unpack_py2(term):  # noqa
+    cdef int64_t one = 1L
+    val = int(term.encode('hex'), 16)
+    if (ord(term[0]) & 128) != 0:
+        val = val - (one << (len(term) * 8))
+    return val
 
 
 def bitlength(n):
diff --git a/cassandra/parsing.pxd b/cassandra/parsing.pxd
index 13bc8411..9daecad9 100644
--- a/cassandra/parsing.pxd
+++ b/cassandra/parsing.pxd
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ cdef class ParseDesc:
     cdef public object colnames
     cdef public object coltypes
     cdef Deserializer[::1] deserializers
-    cdef public object protocol_version
+    cdef public int protocol_version
     cdef Py_ssize_t rowsize
 
 cdef class ColumnParser: