diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 0b87fb5..4cd8f2b 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ const withIs = require('class-is')
  */
 class Block {
   constructor (data, cid) {
-    if (!data || !Buffer.isBuffer(data)) {
-      throw new Error('first argument  must be a buffer')
+    if (!data || !ArrayBuffer.isView(data)) {
+      throw new Error('first argument  must be a buffer or typed array')
+    } else if (!Buffer.isBuffer(data)) {
+      data = Buffer.from(data.buffer, data.byteOffset, data.byteLength)
     }
 
     if (!cid || !CID.isCID(cid)) {
diff --git a/test/index.spec.js b/test/index.spec.js
index 63de2bc..2fc6ae0 100644
--- a/test/index.spec.js
+++ b/test/index.spec.js
@@ -27,6 +27,15 @@ describe('block', () => {
     expect(Block.isBlock(b)).to.eql(true)
   })
 
+  it('create with Uint8Array', () => {
+    const b = new Block(
+      new Uint8Array([104, 101, 108, 108, 111]),
+      new CID('QmdfTbBqBPQ7VNxZEYEj14VmRuZBkqFbiwReogJgS1zR1n')
+    )
+
+    expect(Block.isBlock(b)).to.eql(true)
+  })
+
   it('block stays immutable', () => {
     const b = new Block(Buffer.from('hello'), new CID('QmdfTbBqBPQ7VNxZEYEj14VmRuZBkqFbiwReogJgS1zR1n'))