diff --git a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
index 6d0257b..9fcd9e5 100644
--- a/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
+++ b/java/src/com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary.java
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 
 package com.android.inputmethod.latin;
 
+import java.io.InputStream;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.nio.ByteOrder;
+import java.nio.channels.Channels;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 
 import android.content.Context;
@@ -27,6 +32,7 @@
  */
 public class BinaryDictionary extends Dictionary {
 
+    private static final String TAG = "BinaryDictionary";
     public static final int MAX_WORD_LENGTH = 48;
     private static final int MAX_ALTERNATIVES = 16;
     private static final int MAX_WORDS = 16;
@@ -35,16 +41,19 @@
     private static final boolean ENABLE_MISSED_CHARACTERS = true;
 
     private int mNativeDict;
-    private int mDictLength; // This value is set from native code, don't change the name!!!!
+    private int mDictLength;
     private int[] mInputCodes = new int[MAX_WORD_LENGTH * MAX_ALTERNATIVES];
     private char[] mOutputChars = new char[MAX_WORD_LENGTH * MAX_WORDS];
     private int[] mFrequencies = new int[MAX_WORDS];
+    // Keep a reference to the native dict direct buffer in Java to avoid
+    // unexpected deallocation of the direct buffer.
+    private ByteBuffer mNativeDictDirectBuffer;
 
     static {
         try {
             System.loadLibrary("jni_latinime2");
         } catch (UnsatisfiedLinkError ule) {
-            Log.e("BinaryDictionary", "Could not load native library jni_latinime");
+            Log.e("BinaryDictionary", "Could not load native library jni_latinime2");
         }
     }
 
@@ -59,8 +68,7 @@
         }
     }
 
-    private native int openNative(AssetManager am, String resourcePath, int typedLetterMultiplier,
-            int fullWordMultiplier);
+    private native int openNative(ByteBuffer bb, int typedLetterMultiplier, int fullWordMultiplier);
     private native void closeNative(int dict);
     private native boolean isValidWordNative(int nativeData, char[] word, int wordLength);
     private native int getSuggestionsNative(int dict, int[] inputCodes, int codesSize, 
@@ -69,9 +77,28 @@
             int[] nextLettersFrequencies, int nextLettersSize);
 
     private final void loadDictionary(Context context, int resId) {
-        AssetManager am = context.getResources().getAssets();
-        String assetName = context.getResources().getString(resId);
-        mNativeDict = openNative(am, assetName, TYPED_LETTER_MULTIPLIER, FULL_WORD_FREQ_MULTIPLIER);
+        InputStream is = context.getResources().openRawResource(resId);
+        try {
+            int avail = is.available();
+            ByteBuffer mNativeDictDirectBuffer =
+                    ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(avail).order(ByteOrder.nativeOrder());
+            int got = Channels.newChannel(is).read(mNativeDictDirectBuffer);
+            if (got != avail) {
+                Log.e(TAG, "Read " + got + " bytes, expected " + avail);
+            } else {
+                mNativeDict = openNative(mNativeDictDirectBuffer,
+                        TYPED_LETTER_MULTIPLIER, FULL_WORD_FREQ_MULTIPLIER);
+                mDictLength = avail;
+            }
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            Log.w(TAG, "No available size for binary dictionary");
+        } finally {
+            try {
+                is.close();
+            } catch (IOException e) {
+                Log.w(TAG, "Failed to close input stream");
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/native/Android.mk b/native/Android.mk
index 260ca30..5755109 100644
--- a/native/Android.mk
+++ b/native/Android.mk
@@ -11,15 +11,8 @@
 LOCAL_C_INCLUDES += \
 	$(JNI_H_INCLUDE)
 
-LOCAL_LDLIBS := -lm
-
 LOCAL_PRELINK_MODULE := false
 
-LOCAL_SHARED_LIBRARIES := \
-    libandroid_runtime \
-    libcutils \
-    libutils
-
 LOCAL_MODULE := libjni_latinime2
 
 LOCAL_MODULE_TAGS := optional
diff --git a/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp b/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp
index d068f3f..bb45cb5 100644
--- a/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp
+++ b/native/jni/com_android_inputmethod_latin_BinaryDictionary.cpp
@@ -15,31 +15,18 @@
 ** limitations under the License.
 */
 
-#define LOG_TAG "BinaryDictionary"
-#include "utils/Log.h"
-
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 
-#include <nativehelper/jni.h>
-#include "utils/AssetManager.h"
-#include "utils/Asset.h"
-
+#include <jni.h>
 #include "dictionary.h"
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 using namespace latinime;
 
-using namespace android;
-
-static jfieldID sDescriptorField;
-static jfieldID sAssetManagerNativeField;
-static jmethodID sAddWordMethod;
-static jfieldID sDictLength;
-
 //
 // helper function to throw an exception
 //
@@ -54,35 +41,15 @@
 }
 
 static jint latinime_BinaryDictionary_open
-        (JNIEnv *env, jobject object, jobject assetManager, jstring resourceString,
+        (JNIEnv *env, jobject object, jobject dictDirectBuffer,
          jint typedLetterMultiplier, jint fullWordMultiplier)
 {
-    // Get the native file descriptor from the FileDescriptor object
-    AssetManager *am = (AssetManager*) env->GetIntField(assetManager, sAssetManagerNativeField);
-    if (!am) {
-        LOGE("DICT: Couldn't get AssetManager native peer\n");
-        return 0;
-    }
-    const char *resourcePath = env->GetStringUTFChars(resourceString, NULL);
-
-    Asset *dictAsset = am->openNonAsset(resourcePath, Asset::ACCESS_BUFFER);
-    if (dictAsset == NULL) {
-        LOGE("DICT: Couldn't get asset %s\n", resourcePath);
-        env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(resourceString, resourcePath);
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    void *dict = (void*) dictAsset->getBuffer(false);
+    void *dict = env->GetDirectBufferAddress(dictDirectBuffer);
     if (dict == NULL) {
-        LOGE("DICT: Dictionary buffer is null\n");
-        env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(resourceString, resourcePath);
+        fprintf(stderr, "DICT: Dictionary buffer is null\n");
         return 0;
     }
     Dictionary *dictionary = new Dictionary(dict, typedLetterMultiplier, fullWordMultiplier);
-    dictionary->setAsset(dictAsset);
-    env->SetIntField(object, sDictLength, (jint) dictAsset->getLength());
-
-    env->ReleaseStringUTFChars(resourceString, resourcePath);
     return (jint) dictionary;
 }
 
@@ -131,14 +98,13 @@
         (JNIEnv *env, jobject object, jint dict)
 {
     Dictionary *dictionary = (Dictionary*) dict;
-    ((Asset*) dictionary->getAsset())->close();
     delete (Dictionary*) dict;
 }
 
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 static JNINativeMethod gMethods[] = {
-    {"openNative",           "(Landroid/content/res/AssetManager;Ljava/lang/String;II)I",
+    {"openNative",           "(Ljava/nio/ByteBuffer;II)I",
                                           (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_open},
     {"closeNative",          "(I)V",            (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_close},
     {"getSuggestionsNative", "(I[II[C[IIIII[II)I",  (void*)latinime_BinaryDictionary_getSuggestions},
@@ -167,30 +133,6 @@
 static int registerNatives(JNIEnv *env)
 {
     const char* const kClassPathName = "com/android/inputmethod/latin/BinaryDictionary";
-    jclass clazz;
-
-    clazz = env->FindClass("java/io/FileDescriptor");
-    if (clazz == NULL) {
-        LOGE("Can't find %s", "java/io/FileDescriptor");
-        return -1;
-    }
-    sDescriptorField = env->GetFieldID(clazz, "descriptor", "I");
-
-    clazz = env->FindClass("android/content/res/AssetManager");
-    if (clazz == NULL) {
-        LOGE("Can't find %s", "java/io/FileDescriptor");
-        return -1;
-    }
-    sAssetManagerNativeField = env->GetFieldID(clazz, "mObject", "I");
-
-    // Get the field pointer for the dictionary length
-    clazz = env->FindClass(kClassPathName);
-    if (clazz == NULL) {
-        LOGE("Can't find %s", kClassPathName);
-        return -1;
-    }
-    sDictLength = env->GetFieldID(clazz, "mDictLength", "I");
-
     return registerNativeMethods(env,
             kClassPathName, gMethods, sizeof(gMethods) / sizeof(gMethods[0]));
 }
diff --git a/native/src/dictionary.cpp b/native/src/dictionary.cpp
index 3f196a9..e75beb5 100644
--- a/native/src/dictionary.cpp
+++ b/native/src/dictionary.cpp
@@ -19,14 +19,8 @@
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <sys/mman.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#include <cutils/log.h>
-
-//#define USE_ASSET_MANAGER
-
-#ifdef USE_ASSET_MANAGER
-#include <utils/AssetManager.h>
-#include <utils/Asset.h>
-#endif
+//#include <cutils/log.h>
+#define LOGI
 
 #include "dictionary.h"
 #include "basechars.h"