diff --git a/chia/util/struct_stream.py b/chia/util/struct_stream.py
index 5ac9436470..726eba0efc 100644
--- a/chia/util/struct_stream.py
+++ b/chia/util/struct_stream.py
@@ -87,6 +87,5 @@ class StructStream(int):
     def stream_to_bytes(self) -> bytes:
         return super().to_bytes(length=self.SIZE, byteorder="big", signed=self.SIGNED)
 
-    # this is meant to avoid mixing up construcing a bytes object of a specific
-    # size (i.e. bytes(int)) vs. serializing the integer to bytes (i.e. bytes(uint32))
-    __bytes__ = None
+    def __bytes__(self) -> bytes:
+        return self.stream_to_bytes()
diff --git a/tests/util/test_struct_stream.py b/tests/util/test_struct_stream.py
index f07a46d3e6..37ce670ab7 100644
--- a/tests/util/test_struct_stream.py
+++ b/tests/util/test_struct_stream.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+import enum
 import io
 import struct
 from dataclasses import dataclass
@@ -27,6 +28,13 @@ def dataclass_parameters(instances: Iterable[object]) -> List[ParameterSet]:
     return [dataclass_parameter(instance) for instance in instances]
 
 
+class StreamAndBytesMatchMode(enum.Enum):
+    minimum = "minimum"
+    middle_low = "middle low"
+    middle_high = "middle high"
+    maximum = "maximum"
+
+
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
 class BadName:
     name: str
@@ -288,3 +296,19 @@ class TestStructStream:
 
     def test_parse_metadata_from_name_correct_minimum(self, good: Good) -> None:
         assert good.cls.MINIMUM == good.minimum
+
+    @pytest.mark.parametrize("mode", list(StreamAndBytesMatchMode), ids=lambda mode: mode.value)
+    def test_stream_to_bytes_and_bytes_match_minimum(self, good: Good, mode: StreamAndBytesMatchMode) -> None:
+        if mode == StreamAndBytesMatchMode.minimum:
+            value = good.minimum
+        elif mode == StreamAndBytesMatchMode.middle_low:
+            value = int(good.minimum + ((good.maximum - good.minimum) * 0.3))
+        elif mode == StreamAndBytesMatchMode.middle_high:
+            value = int(good.minimum + ((good.maximum - good.minimum) * 0.7))
+        elif mode == StreamAndBytesMatchMode.maximum:
+            value = good.maximum
+        else:
+            raise Exception(f"unhandled parametrization: {mode!r}")
+
+        instance = good.cls(value)
+        assert bytes(instance) == instance.stream_to_bytes()