diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index afbd843..8868581 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -783,7 +783,7 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "pyroncalc"
-version = "0.5.5"
+version = "0.5.6"
 dependencies = [
  "bitcode",
  "ironcalc",
diff --git a/bindings/python/Cargo.toml b/bindings/python/Cargo.toml
index 6ed1a03..a7e3e77 100644
--- a/bindings/python/Cargo.toml
+++ b/bindings/python/Cargo.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [package]
 name = "pyroncalc"
-version = "0.5.5"
+version = "0.5.6"
 edition = "2021"
 
 
diff --git a/bindings/python/pyproject.toml b/bindings/python/pyproject.toml
index ab5edf9..b86b237 100644
--- a/bindings/python/pyproject.toml
+++ b/bindings/python/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "ironcalc"
-version = "0.5.5"
+version = "0.5.6"
 description = "Create, edit and evaluate Excel spreadsheets"
 requires-python = ">=3.10"
 keywords = [
diff --git a/bindings/python/src/lib.rs b/bindings/python/src/lib.rs
index bcd1db6..bb15d03 100644
--- a/bindings/python/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bindings/python/src/lib.rs
@@ -353,6 +353,16 @@ pub fn create_user_model_from_icalc(file_name: &str) -> PyResult<PyUserModel> {
     Ok(PyUserModel { model })
 }
 
+#[pyfunction]
+pub fn create_user_model_from_bytes(bytes: &[u8]) -> PyResult<PyUserModel> {
+    let workbook: Workbook =
+        bitcode::decode(bytes).map_err(|e| WorkbookError::new_err(e.to_string()))?;
+    let model =
+        Model::from_workbook(workbook).map_err(|e| WorkbookError::new_err(e.to_string()))?;
+    let user_model = UserModel::from_model(model);
+    Ok(PyUserModel { model: user_model })
+}
+
 #[pyfunction]
 #[allow(clippy::panic)]
 pub fn test_panic() {
@@ -373,6 +383,7 @@ fn ironcalc(m: &Bound<'_, PyModule>) -> PyResult<()> {
 
     // User model functions
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(create_user_model, m)?)?;
+    m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(create_user_model_from_bytes, m)?)?;
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(create_user_model_from_xlsx, m)?)?;
     m.add_function(wrap_pyfunction!(create_user_model_from_icalc, m)?)?;