diff --git a/tests/nvme_copy_test.py b/tests/nvme_copy_test.py
index 18dcae14db..f7c8661bc2 100644
--- a/tests/nvme_copy_test.py
+++ b/tests/nvme_copy_test.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 
 """
 
+import base64
+
 from nvme_test import TestNVMe
 
 
@@ -44,12 +46,12 @@ def setUp(self):
             self.assertEqual(err, 0, "ERROR : nvme get-feature failed")
             self.host_behavior_data = result.stdout
             # enable cross-namespace copy formats
-            if self.host_behavior_data[4] & cross_namespace_copy:
+            if int.from_bytes(base64.b64decode(self.host_behavior_data[4])) & cross_namespace_copy:
                 # skip if already enabled
                 print("Cross-namespace copy already enabled, skipping set-features")
                 self.host_behavior_data = None
             else:
-                data = self.host_behavior_data[:4] + cross_namespace_copy.to_bytes(2, 'little') + self.host_behavior_data[6:]
+                data = self.host_behavior_data[:4] + str(cross_namespace_copy.to_bytes(2, 'little')) + self.host_behavior_data[6:]
                 set_features_cmd = f"{self.nvme_bin} set-feature " + \
                     f"{self.ctrl} --feature-id=0x16 --data-len=512"
                 result = self.run_cmd(set_features_cmd, stdin_data=data)