diff --git a/src/LaravelAge.php b/src/LaravelAge.php
index 19b0594..b79ab19 100755
--- a/src/LaravelAge.php
+++ b/src/LaravelAge.php
@@ -9,14 +9,14 @@ class LaravelAge
     public function __construct(private ?PrivateKey $privateKey = null, private ?PublicKey $publicKey = null)
     {
         /* If no keys are provided, use the one from .env or create a pair. */
-        if (! isset($privateKey) && ! isset($publicKey)) {
+        if (!isset($privateKey) && !isset($publicKey)) {
             /** @phpstan-ignore-next-line */
             $this->privateKey = new PrivateKey(config('laravel-age.identity'));
             $this->publicKey = $this->privateKey->getPublicKey();
         }
 
         /* If only the private key is provided, generate the public key. */
-        if (isset($privateKey) && ! isset($publicKey)) {
+        if (isset($privateKey) && !isset($publicKey)) {
             $this->publicKey = $privateKey->getPublicKey();
         }
     }
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public static function generateKeypair(): LaravelAge
 
     public function getPublicKey(): PublicKey
     {
-        if (! isset($this->publicKey)) {
+        if (!isset($this->publicKey)) {
             throw new Exception('Public key not set!');
         }
 
@@ -39,28 +39,37 @@ public function getPublicKey(): PublicKey
 
     public function getPrivateKey(): PrivateKey
     {
-        if (! isset($this->privateKey)) {
+        if (!isset($this->privateKey)) {
             throw new Exception('Private key not set!');
         }
 
         return $this->privateKey;
     }
 
-    public function encrypt(string $message): string
+    /**
+     * Encrypt a message using the public key.
+     * Returns the base64 encoded encrypted message.
+     */
+    public function encrypt(string $message, bool $base64 = true): string
     {
-        if (! isset($this->publicKey)) {
+        if (!isset($this->publicKey)) {
             throw new Exception('Public key not set!');
         }
 
-        return $this->publicKey->encrypt($message);
+        return $this->publicKey->encrypt($message, $base64);
     }
 
-    public function decrypt(string $message): string
+
+    /**
+     * Decrypt a base64 encoded message using the private key.
+     * Returns the decrypted message.
+     */
+    public function decrypt(string $message, bool $base64 = true): string
     {
-        if (! isset($this->privateKey)) {
+        if (!isset($this->privateKey)) {
             throw new Exception('Private key not set!');
         }
 
-        return $this->privateKey->decrypt($message);
+        return $this->privateKey->decrypt($message, $base64);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/PrivateKey.php b/src/PrivateKey.php
index ede2b0a..0890985 100644
--- a/src/PrivateKey.php
+++ b/src/PrivateKey.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ class PrivateKey
 
     public function __construct(string $privateKey = '')
     {
-        if (! $privateKey) {
+        if (!$privateKey) {
             $result = Process::pipe([
                 'age-keygen',
                 'grep -E "^AGE-SECRET-KEY-[A-Za-z0-9]{59}$"',
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ public function __construct(string $privateKey = '')
 
         $privateKey = str($privateKey)->trim();
 
-        if (! $privateKey->startsWith('AGE-SECRET-KEY-') || $privateKey->length() !== 74) {
+        if (!$privateKey->startsWith('AGE-SECRET-KEY-') || $privateKey->length() !== 74) {
             throw new Exception('Invalid private key provided!');
         }
 
@@ -51,10 +51,14 @@ public function getPublicKey(): PublicKey
         return new PublicKey($result->output());
     }
 
-    public function decrypt(string $message): string
+    /**
+     * Decrypt a base64 encoded message using the private key.
+     * Returns the decrypted message.
+     */
+    public function decrypt(string $message, bool $base64): string
     {
         $ulid = Str::ulid();
-        Storage::put($ulid, base64_decode($message));
+        Storage::put($ulid, $base64 ? base64_decode($message) : $message);
 
         $path = Storage::path($ulid);
         $result = Process::input($this->encode())->run("age -d -i - {$path}");
diff --git a/src/PublicKey.php b/src/PublicKey.php
index 4352c21..76c97f8 100644
--- a/src/PublicKey.php
+++ b/src/PublicKey.php
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ public function __construct(string $publicKey)
     {
         $publicKey = str($publicKey)->trim();
 
-        if (! $publicKey->startsWith('age') || $publicKey->length() !== 62) {
+        if (!$publicKey->startsWith('age') || $publicKey->length() !== 62) {
             throw new Exception('Invalid public key provided!');
         }
 
@@ -25,7 +25,11 @@ public function encode(): string
         return str($this->publicKey)->trim();
     }
 
-    public function encrypt(string $message): string
+    /**
+     * Encrypt a message using the public key.
+     * Returns the base64 encoded encrypted message.
+     */
+    public function encrypt(string $message, bool $base64): string
     {
         $result = Process::input($message)->run("age -r {$this->encode()}");
 
@@ -33,6 +37,6 @@ public function encrypt(string $message): string
             throw new Exception('Failed to encrypt message!');
         }
 
-        return base64_encode($result->output());
+        return $base64 ? base64_encode($result->output()) : $result->output();
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/LaravelAgeTest.php b/tests/LaravelAgeTest.php
index e264199..eb33a26 100644
--- a/tests/LaravelAgeTest.php
+++ b/tests/LaravelAgeTest.php
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     expect($age->encrypt('message'))->toBeString();
 });
 
-it('can decrypt with an provided private key', function () {
+it('can decrypt with an provided private key (using base64)', function () {
     $encodeKey = 'AGE-SECRET-KEY-1TKGRTQP4H79MTNHVDRSA3L0CS7MFSMW0DQX80CWP0JDUFL97RRJSPK9777';
     $privateKey = new PrivateKey($encodeKey);
     $age = new LaravelAge(privateKey: $privateKey);
@@ -72,6 +72,18 @@
     expect($decrypted)->toBe($message);
 });
 
+it('can decrypt with an provided private key (without using base64)', function () {
+    $encodeKey = 'AGE-SECRET-KEY-1TKGRTQP4H79MTNHVDRSA3L0CS7MFSMW0DQX80CWP0JDUFL97RRJSPK9777';
+    $privateKey = new PrivateKey($encodeKey);
+    $age = new LaravelAge(privateKey: $privateKey);
+
+    $message = 'Hello, World!';
+    $encrypted = $age->encrypt($message, false);
+    $decrypted = $age->decrypt($encrypted, false);
+
+    expect($decrypted)->toBe($message);
+});
+
 it('cannot decrypt with an provided public key', function () {
     $encodeKey = 'age1xqrfpqxz55ersvu6mmhwzcctqk27ppnatms7p9zruclrm8tt4y0q3apxuc';
     $publicKey = new PublicKey($encodeKey);
@@ -82,6 +94,26 @@
     $decrypted = $age->decrypt($encrypted);
 })->throws(Exception::class);
 
+it('cannot decrypt with an provided private key (using base64 only to encrypt)', function () {
+    $encodeKey = 'age1xqrfpqxz55ersvu6mmhwzcctqk27ppnatms7p9zruclrm8tt4y0q3apxuc';
+    $publicKey = new PublicKey($encodeKey);
+    $age = new LaravelAge(publicKey: $publicKey);
+
+    $message = 'Hello, World!';
+    $encrypted = $age->encrypt($message);
+    $decrypted = $age->decrypt($encrypted, false);
+})->throws(Exception::class);
+
+it('cannot decrypt with an provided private key (using base64 only to decrypt)', function () {
+    $encodeKey = 'age1xqrfpqxz55ersvu6mmhwzcctqk27ppnatms7p9zruclrm8tt4y0q3apxuc';
+    $publicKey = new PublicKey($encodeKey);
+    $age = new LaravelAge(publicKey: $publicKey);
+
+    $message = 'Hello, World!';
+    $encrypted = $age->encrypt($message, false);
+    $decrypted = $age->decrypt($encrypted);
+})->throws(Exception::class);
+
 it('runs usage code from readme', function () {
     $message = 'Hello World!';