diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d23106d225..815c502cab 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
     install_requires=[
         "toolz>=0.9.0,<1.0.0;implementation_name=='pypy'",
         "cytoolz>=0.9.0,<1.0.0;implementation_name=='cpython'",
-        "eth-abi>=1.1.1,<2",
+        "eth-abi>=2.0.0a1,<3.0.0",
         "eth-account>=0.2.1,<0.4.0",
         "eth-utils>=1.0.1,<2.0.0",
         "hexbytes>=0.1.0,<1.0.0",
diff --git a/tests/core/contracts/test_contract_call_interface.py b/tests/core/contracts/test_contract_call_interface.py
index 8a567f3253..b90964d6de 100644
--- a/tests/core/contracts/test_contract_call_interface.py
+++ b/tests/core/contracts/test_contract_call_interface.py
@@ -184,10 +184,9 @@ def test_call_get_string_value(string_contract, call):
     assert result == "Caqalai"
 
 
-def test_call_read_string_variable(string_contract, call):
-    result = call(contract=string_contract,
-                  contract_function='constValue')
-    assert result == b"\x00\x01\x02\x03\x04\x05\x06\x07\x08\x09\x0a\x0b\x0c\x0d\x0e\x0f\x10\x11\x12\x13\x14\x15\x16\x17\x18\x19\x1a\x1b\x1c\x1d\x1e\x1f\x20\x21\x22\x23\x24\x25\x26\x27\x28\x29\x2a\x2b\x2c\x2d\x2e\x2f\x30\x31\x32\x33\x34\x35\x36\x37\x38\x39\x3a\x3b\x3c\x3d\x3e\x3f\x40\x41\x42\x43\x44\x45\x46\x47\x48\x49\x4a\x4b\x4c\x4d\x4e\x4f\x50\x51\x52\x53\x54\x55\x56\x57\x58\x59\x5a\x5b\x5c\x5d\x5e\x5f\x60\x61\x62\x63\x64\x65\x66\x67\x68\x69\x6a\x6b\x6c\x6d\x6e\x6f\x70\x71\x72\x73\x74\x75\x76\x77\x78\x79\x7a\x7b\x7c\x7d\x7e\x7f\x80\x81\x82\x83\x84\x85\x86\x87\x88\x89\x8a\x8b\x8c\x8d\x8e\x8f\x90\x91\x92\x93\x94\x95\x96\x97\x98\x99\x9a\x9b\x9c\x9d\x9e\x9f\xa0\xa1\xa2\xa3\xa4\xa5\xa6\xa7\xa8\xa9\xaa\xab\xac\xad\xae\xaf\xb0\xb1\xb2\xb3\xb4\xb5\xb6\xb7\xb8\xb9\xba\xbb\xbc\xbd\xbe\xbf\xc0\xc1\xc2\xc3\xc4\xc5\xc6\xc7\xc8\xc9\xca\xcb\xcc\xcd\xce\xcf\xd0\xd1\xd2\xd3\xd4\xd5\xd6\xd7\xd8\xd9\xda\xdb\xdc\xdd\xde\xdf\xe0\xe1\xe2\xe3\xe4\xe5\xe6\xe7\xe8\xe9\xea\xeb\xec\xed\xee\xef\xf0\xf1\xf2\xf3\xf4\xf5\xf6\xf7\xf8\xf9\xfa\xfb\xfc\xfd\xfe\xff".decode(errors='backslashreplace')  # noqa: E501
+def test_call_read_unencodable_string_variable(string_contract, call):
+    with pytest.raises(BadFunctionCallOutput):
+        call(contract=string_contract, contract_function='constValue')
 
 
 def test_call_get_bytes32_array(arrays_contract, call):
diff --git a/web3/utils/normalizers.py b/web3/utils/normalizers.py
index 7e7d266076..fc6ff0b554 100644
--- a/web3/utils/normalizers.py
+++ b/web3/utils/normalizers.py
@@ -1,5 +1,3 @@
-
-import codecs
 import functools
 import json
 
@@ -61,12 +59,6 @@ def addresses_checksummed(abi_type, data):
         return abi_type, to_checksum_address(data)
 
 
-@implicitly_identity
-def decode_abi_strings(abi_type, data):
-    if abi_type == 'string':
-        return abi_type, codecs.decode(data, 'utf8', 'backslashreplace')
-
-
 #
 # Argument Normalizers
 #
@@ -141,7 +133,6 @@ def abi_ens_resolver(w3, abi_type, val):
 
 BASE_RETURN_NORMALIZERS = [
     addresses_checksummed,
-    decode_abi_strings,
 ]