diff --git a/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.cc b/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.cc
index 4eb7d53cf..583fe6810 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.cc
+++ b/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.cc
@@ -64,9 +64,14 @@ int FifoReader::work(int noutput_items,
             // ishort == int16_t
             items_retrieved = read_interleaved<int16_t>(noutput_items, output_items);
         }
+    else if (sample_type_ == "ibyte")  // Does this also work with cbyte?
+        {
+            // ibyte == int8_t
+            items_retrieved = read_interleaved<int8_t>(noutput_items, output_items);
+        }
     else if (sample_type_ == "gr_complex")
         {
-            LOG(WARNING) << sample_type_ << " is not yet tested. Please consider removing this warning if tested successfully";
+            // gr_complex == complex<float>
             items_retrieved = read_gr_complex(noutput_items, output_items);
         }
     else
@@ -80,6 +85,7 @@ int FifoReader::work(int noutput_items,
     return this->WORK_CALLED_PRODUCE;
 }
 
+
 // read gr_complex items from fifo
 // this fct has duplicate code with the templated read_interleaved fct in header
 size_t FifoReader::read_gr_complex(int noutput_items, gr_vector_void_star &output_items)
diff --git a/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.h b/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.h
index 9e289ebf5..276970191 100644
--- a/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.h
+++ b/src/algorithms/signal_source/gnuradio_blocks/fifo_reader.h
@@ -51,8 +51,11 @@ private:
     FifoReader(const std::string &file_name, const std::string &sample_type);
 
     size_t read_gr_complex(int noutput_items, gr_vector_void_star &output_items);
+
     //! function to read data out of FIFO which is stored as interleaved I/Q stream.
     //! template argument determines sample_type
+    // Note: template definition necessary in header file
+    // See also: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/495021/why-can-templates-only-be-implemented-in-the-header-file
     template <typename Type>
     size_t read_interleaved(int noutput_items, gr_vector_void_star &output_items)
     {
@@ -61,15 +64,13 @@ private:
             {
                 // TODO: try if performance increases if we copy larger chunks to vector.
                 // how to read from stream: https://en.cppreference.com/w/cpp/io/basic_ifstream
-                std::array<char, 4> buffer;  // gr_complex is 32bit = 4*char
-                fifo_.read(reinterpret_cast<char *>(&buffer[0]), buffer.size());
+                std::array<char, 2 * sizeof(Type)> buffer;
+                fifo_.read(reinterpret_cast<char *>(buffer.data()), buffer.size());
                 if (fifo_.good())
                     {
-                        Type real;
-                        Type imag;
-                        memcpy(&real, &buffer[0], sizeof(real));
-                        memcpy(&imag, &buffer[2], sizeof(imag));
-                        static_cast<gr_complex *>(output_items.at(0))[n] = gr_complex(real, imag);
+                        auto real = reinterpret_cast<Type const *>(&buffer[0]);
+                        auto imag = reinterpret_cast<Type const *>(&buffer[sizeof(Type)]);
+                        static_cast<gr_complex *>(output_items[0])[n] = gr_complex(*real, *imag);
                         items_retrieved++;
                     }
                 else if (fifo_.eof())