diff --git a/nacl/hash.py b/nacl/hash.py
index 9ebe0cfca3e4a63ed23f560a97b38b7b3a4329e7..1f1e3ab3d9c89d186c13bc4370f047e8dfd1cb24 100644
--- a/nacl/hash.py
+++ b/nacl/hash.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ def sha256(message, binary=False):
 
     if binary:
         return digest
-    return binascii.hexlify(digest).decode("ascii")
+    return binascii.hexlify(digest)
 
 
 def sha512(message, binary=False):
@@ -23,4 +23,4 @@ def sha512(message, binary=False):
 
     if binary:
         return digest
-    return binascii.hexlify(digest).decode("ascii")
+    return binascii.hexlify(digest)
diff --git a/tests/test_hash.py b/tests/test_hash.py
index 92d7f0ecb1725ab70d8e7616ac08daed92cbb75b..700c3bd041240d93d34158b6be9fa6a902cf1e1d 100644
--- a/tests/test_hash.py
+++ b/tests/test_hash.py
@@ -5,11 +5,11 @@ import pytest
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(("inp", "expected"), [
     (
         b"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.",
-        "ef537f25c895bfa782526529a9b63d97aa631564d5d789c2b765448c8635fb6c",
+        b"ef537f25c895bfa782526529a9b63d97aa631564d5d789c2b765448c8635fb6c",
     ),
     (
         b"",
-        "e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855",
+        b"e3b0c44298fc1c149afbf4c8996fb92427ae41e4649b934ca495991b7852b855",
     )
 ])
 def test_sha256_hex(inp, expected):
@@ -33,11 +33,11 @@ def test_sha256_binary(inp, expected):
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(("inp", "expected"), [
     (
         b"The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.",
-        "91ea1245f20d46ae9a037a989f54f1f790f0a47607eeb8a14d12890cea77a1bbc6c7ed9cf205e67b7f2b8fd4c7dfd3a7a8617e45f3c463d481c7e586c39ac1ed",
+        b"91ea1245f20d46ae9a037a989f54f1f790f0a47607eeb8a14d12890cea77a1bbc6c7ed9cf205e67b7f2b8fd4c7dfd3a7a8617e45f3c463d481c7e586c39ac1ed",
     ),
     (
         b"",
-        "cf83e1357eefb8bdf1542850d66d8007d620e4050b5715dc83f4a921d36ce9ce47d0d13c5d85f2b0ff8318d2877eec2f63b931bd47417a81a538327af927da3e",
+        b"cf83e1357eefb8bdf1542850d66d8007d620e4050b5715dc83f4a921d36ce9ce47d0d13c5d85f2b0ff8318d2877eec2f63b931bd47417a81a538327af927da3e",
     )
 ])
 def test_sha512_hex(inp, expected):