diff --git a/e2e/tests-dfx/assetscanister.bash b/e2e/tests-dfx/assetscanister.bash
index 2a5aaf6083..6656c6849b 100644
--- a/e2e/tests-dfx/assetscanister.bash
+++ b/e2e/tests-dfx/assetscanister.bash
@@ -884,13 +884,12 @@ check_permission_failure() {
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend get '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";accept_encodings=vec{"identity"}})'
 
-  assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend get_chunk '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt vec { 243; 191; 114; 177; 83; 18; 144; 121; 131; 38; 109; 183; 89; 244; 120; 136; 53; 187; 14; 74; 8; 112; 86; 100; 115; 8; 179; 155; 69; 78; 95; 160; }})'
+  assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend get_chunk '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt blob "\f3\bf\72\b1\53\12\90\79\83\26\6d\b7\59\f4\78\88\35\bb\0e\4a\08\70\56\64\73\08\b3\9b\45\4e\5f\a0" })'
   assert_command_fail dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend get_chunk '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0})'
   assert_match 'sha256 required'
-  assert_command_fail dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend get_chunk '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt vec { 88; 87; 86; }})'
+  assert_command_fail dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend get_chunk '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt blob "XWV" })'
   assert_match 'sha256 mismatch'
 
-  assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend http_request_streaming_callback '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt vec { 243; 191; 114; 177; 83; 18; 144; 121; 131; 38; 109; 183; 89; 244; 120; 136; 53; 187; 14; 74; 8; 112; 86; 100; 115; 8; 179; 155; 69; 78; 95; 160; }})'
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend http_request_streaming_callback '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt blob "\f3\bf\72\b1\53\12\90\79\83\26\6d\b7\59\f4\78\88\35\bb\0e\4a\08\70\56\64\73\08\b3\9b\45\4e\5f\a0"})'
   assert_command_fail dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend http_request_streaming_callback '(record{key="/text-with-newlines.txt";content_encoding="identity";index=0;sha256=opt vec { 88; 87; 86; }})'
   assert_match 'sha256 mismatch'
@@ -906,14 +905,14 @@ check_permission_failure() {
   dfx canister install e2e_project_frontend
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("/binary/noise.txt")' --output idl
-  assert_eq '(blob "\b8\01 \80\0aw12 \00xy\0aKL\0b\0ajk")'
+  assert_eq '(blob "\b8\01\20\80\0a\77\31\32\20\00\78\79\0a\4b\4c\0b\0a\6a\6b")'
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("/text-with-newlines.txt")' --output idl
   assert_eq '(blob "cherries\0ait\27s cherry season\0aCHERRIES")'
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --update e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="AA"; content_type="text/plain"; content_encoding="identity"; content=blob "hello, world!"})'
   assert_eq '()'
-  assert_command dfx canister call --update e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=vec { 88; 87; 86; }})'
+  assert_command dfx canister call --update e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=blob"XWV"})'
   assert_eq '()'
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("B")' --output idl
diff --git a/e2e/tests-dfx/basic-project.bash b/e2e/tests-dfx/basic-project.bash
index 6dd4ab76f8..8e77ee3ec9 100644
--- a/e2e/tests-dfx/basic-project.bash
+++ b/e2e/tests-dfx/basic-project.bash
@@ -47,7 +47,9 @@ teardown() {
   assert_eq \
 '(
   variant {
-    17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "DIDL\00\01q\11Hello, Blueberry!" }
+    17_724 = record {
+      153_986_224 = blob "\44\49\44\4c\00\01\71\11\48\65\6c\6c\6f\2c\20\42\6c\75\65\62\65\72\72\79\21";
+    }
   },
 )'
 }
@@ -100,7 +102,12 @@ teardown() {
   # Call using the wallet's call forwarding
   assert_command dfx canister call hello_backend read --async --wallet="$(dfx identity get-wallet)"
   assert_command dfx canister request-status "$stdout" "$(dfx identity get-wallet)"
-  assert_eq '(variant { 17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "DIDL\00\01}\b9\0a" } })'
+  assert_eq \
+'(
+  variant {
+    17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "\44\49\44\4c\00\01\7d\b9\0a" }
+  },
+)'
 
 }
 
diff --git a/e2e/tests-dfx/build_granular.bash b/e2e/tests-dfx/build_granular.bash
index d60b824b53..3b50ec9d94 100644
--- a/e2e/tests-dfx/build_granular.bash
+++ b/e2e/tests-dfx/build_granular.bash
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ teardown() {
   dfx canister install e2e_project_frontend
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("/binary/noise.txt")' --output idl
-  assert_eq '(blob "\b8\01 \80\0aw12 \00xy\0aKL\0b\0ajk")'
+  assert_eq '(blob "\b8\01\20\80\0a\77\31\32\20\00\78\79\0a\4b\4c\0b\0a\6a\6b")'
 
   assert_command dfx canister call --query e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("/text-with-newlines.txt")' --output idl
   assert_eq '(blob "cherries\0ait\27s cherry season\0aCHERRIES")'
diff --git a/e2e/tests-dfx/identity.bash b/e2e/tests-dfx/identity.bash
index a39681152f..4550368a5a 100644
--- a/e2e/tests-dfx/identity.bash
+++ b/e2e/tests-dfx/identity.bash
@@ -146,13 +146,13 @@ teardown() {
   assert_eq '(false)'
 
   # these all fail (other identities are not initializer; cannot store assets):
-  assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=vec { 88; 87; 86; }})' --identity bob
-  assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=vec { 88; 87; 86; }})' --identity default
-  assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=vec { 88; 87; 86; }})'
+  assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=blob"XWV"})' --identity bob
+  assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=blob"XWV"})' --identity default
+  assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=blob"XWV"})'
   assert_command_fail dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("B")'
 
   # but alice, the initializer, can store assets:
-  assert_command dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=vec { 88; 87; 86; }})' --identity alice
+  assert_command dfx canister call e2e_project_frontend store '(record{key="B"; content_type="application/octet-stream"; content_encoding="identity"; content=blob"XWV"})' --identity alice
   assert_eq '()'
   assert_command dfx canister call --output idl e2e_project_frontend retrieve '("B")'
   assert_eq '(blob "XWV")'
diff --git a/e2e/tests-dfx/wallet.bash b/e2e/tests-dfx/wallet.bash
index b2c134f758..66bd979f98 100644
--- a/e2e/tests-dfx/wallet.bash
+++ b/e2e/tests-dfx/wallet.bash
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ teardown() {
 
   assert_command dfx canister call "$WALLET" wallet_call \
     "(record { canister = principal \"$(dfx canister id e2e_project_backend)\"; method_name = \"amInitializer\"; args = blob \"DIDL\00\00\"; cycles = (0:nat64)})"
-  assert_eq '(variant { 17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "DIDL\00\01~\01" } })'  # True in DIDL.
+  assert_eq '(variant { 17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "\44\49\44\4c\00\01\7e\01" } })'  # True in DIDL.
 }
 
 @test "forward user call through wallet: deploy" {
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ teardown() {
   assert_command dfx canister call e2e_project_backend amInitializer
   assert_command dfx canister call "$WALLET" wallet_call \
     "(record { canister = principal \"$(dfx canister id e2e_project_backend)\"; method_name = \"amInitializer\"; args = blob \"DIDL\00\00\"; cycles = (0:nat64)})"
-  assert_eq '(variant { 17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "DIDL\00\01~\01" } })'  # True in DIDL.
+  assert_eq '(variant { 17_724 = record { 153_986_224 = blob "\44\49\44\4c\00\01\7e\01" } })'  # True in DIDL.
 }
 
 @test "a 64-bit wallet can still be called in the 128-bit context" {