diff --git a/pyk/src/pyk/kllvm/convert.py b/pyk/src/pyk/kllvm/convert.py
index a705ab8f170..0b68505dc96 100644
--- a/pyk/src/pyk/kllvm/convert.py
+++ b/pyk/src/pyk/kllvm/convert.py
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ def sentence_to_llvm(sentence: Sentence) -> kllvm.Declaration:
 def pattern_to_llvm(pattern: Pattern) -> kllvm.Pattern:
     match pattern:
         case String(value):
-            return kllvm.StringPattern(value)
+            return kllvm.StringPattern(value.encode('latin-1'))
         case VarPattern(name, sort):
             return kllvm.VariablePattern(name, sort_to_llvm(sort))
         case App(symbol, sorts, args):
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ def llvm_to_sentence(decl: kllvm.Declaration) -> Sentence:
 def llvm_to_pattern(pattern: kllvm.Pattern) -> Pattern:
     match pattern:
         case kllvm.StringPattern():  # type: ignore
-            return String(pattern.contents)
+            return String(pattern.contents.decode('latin-1'))
         case kllvm.VariablePattern():  # type: ignore
             if pattern.name and pattern.name[0] == '@':
                 return SVar(pattern.name, llvm_to_sort(pattern.sort))
diff --git a/pyk/src/tests/integration/test_string.py b/pyk/src/tests/integration/test_string.py
index 2847e05ab7c..7af3a737b75 100644
--- a/pyk/src/tests/integration/test_string.py
+++ b/pyk/src/tests/integration/test_string.py
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@
     '🙂',
 )
 
+BINDINGS_TEST_DATA: Final = (
+    'hello',
+    '\n',
+    '\x01',
+    '£',
+)
+
 KOMPILE_DEFINITION = """
     module STRING-REWRITE
         imports STRING-SYNTAX
@@ -213,7 +220,7 @@ def test_krun(backend: str, definition_dir: Path, text: str) -> None:
     assert actual == expected
 
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('text', TEST_DATA, ids=TEST_DATA)
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('text', BINDINGS_TEST_DATA, ids=BINDINGS_TEST_DATA)
 def test_bindings(runtime: Runtime, text: str) -> None:
     from pyk.kllvm.convert import llvm_to_pattern, pattern_to_llvm