diff --git a/src/cvc/core/state_exec/intrinsics.cpp b/src/cvc/core/state_exec/intrinsics.cpp
index fd09ca15..4f860926 100644
--- a/src/cvc/core/state_exec/intrinsics.cpp
+++ b/src/cvc/core/state_exec/intrinsics.cpp
@@ -238,6 +238,13 @@ value_t intrinsic_state_data_get(intrinsics_context *ctx, std::span<const value_
   // other C++ type parked on the node) still comes back as a data_object.
   if (auto *v = boost::any_cast<value_t>(&d))
     return deep_copy(*v);
+  // A RAW std::string blob on the data channel reads back as the DSL `bytes` type (opaque octets),
+  // NOT an opaque data_object. That raw representation is what state-data-set stores for a `bytes`
+  // value, what the `?data` URI channel writes (uri_state.cpp), and what the §13.9 HTTP cache parks
+  // on a node — so a byte blob stays coherent across the resolver and state_exec (types.h: `bytes`
+  // is opaque octets backed by std::string, the sanctioned home for HTTP octet-stream bodies).
+  if (const std::string *s = boost::any_cast<std::string>(&d))
+    return make_bytes(*s);
   auto obj = std::make_shared<data_object>();
   obj->payload = d;
   obj->type_name = d.type().name();
@@ -258,8 +265,15 @@ value_t intrinsic_state_data_set(intrinsics_context *ctx, std::span<const value_
       std::holds_alternative<generator_ptr>(args[1].v))
     throw std::runtime_error(
         "state-data-set: cannot store a callable (function/closure/generator) as data");
-  // Store the value_t as boost::any
-  (*ctx->root)(path).data(boost::any(args[1]));
+  // A `bytes` value (opaque octets) is stored as a RAW std::string on the data channel — the SAME
+  // representation the `?data` URI channel (uri_state.cpp) and the §13.9 HTTP cache use — so a byte
+  // blob written from the DSL is readable via state://…?data and a blob parked by the cache reads
+  // back as `bytes` here (state-data-get, above). Every other value_t is stored as-is, so
+  // structured data (lists/dicts/scalars/text strings) round-trips via the value_t path.
+  if (const bytes_value *b = std::get_if<bytes_value>(&args[1].v))
+    (*ctx->root)(path).data(boost::any(b->data));
+  else
+    (*ctx->root)(path).data(boost::any(args[1]));
   return nil_value;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/cvc/tests/state_exec_intrinsics_test.cpp b/src/cvc/tests/state_exec_intrinsics_test.cpp
index 2ed87f09..af878e03 100644
--- a/src/cvc/tests/state_exec_intrinsics_test.cpp
+++ b/src/cvc/tests/state_exec_intrinsics_test.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /// @file state_exec_intrinsics_test.cpp
 /// @brief Tests for Phase 5: Intrinsics, Resource Policy, Stdlib.
 
+#include <boost/any.hpp>
 #include <cmath>
 #include <cvc/core/app.h>
 #include <cvc/core/state.h>
@@ -253,6 +254,51 @@ TEST_F(StateTreeIntrinsicsTest, StateDataGetNonexistent) {
   EXPECT_TRUE(result.is_nil());
 }
 
+TEST_F(StateTreeIntrinsicsTest, StateDataGetReadsRawStringBlobAsBytes) {
+  // A RAW std::string parked on the data channel — what the ?data URI channel (uri_state.cpp) and
+  // the §13.9 HTTP cache write — reads back as the DSL `bytes` type, NOT an opaque data_object.
+  // This is the coherence the cache depends on: a byte blob is the same on both sides.
+  cvc::state &root = cvc::state::instance(app_ctx);
+  root("blob").data(boost::any(std::string("raw-octets")));
+  auto got = call("state-data-get", {std::string("blob")});
+  ASSERT_TRUE(std::holds_alternative<bytes_value>(got.v));
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::get<bytes_value>(got.v).data, "raw-octets");
+}
+
+TEST_F(StateTreeIntrinsicsTest, StateDataSetBytesStoredAsRawStringForDataChannel) {
+  // A `bytes` value set from the DSL is stored as a RAW std::string on the data channel (the ?data
+  // / cache representation), so it round-trips as `bytes` AND is byte-serializable via
+  // state://…?data.
+  const std::string octets("A\0B\0C", 5); // embedded NULs prove byte transparency
+  call("state-data-set", {std::string("b"), make_bytes(octets)});
+
+  auto got = call("state-data-get", {std::string("b")}); // round-trips as bytes, byte-exact
+  ASSERT_TRUE(std::holds_alternative<bytes_value>(got.v));
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::get<bytes_value>(got.v).data, octets);
+
+  // the on-node payload is a raw std::string — exactly what uri_state.cpp's ?data any_cast reads
+  cvc::state *n = cvc::state::instance(app_ctx).findDescendant("b");
+  ASSERT_NE(n, nullptr);
+  const boost::any d = n->data();
+  const std::string *raw = boost::any_cast<std::string>(&d);
+  ASSERT_NE(raw, nullptr) << "a bytes value must land as a raw std::string for ?data compatibility";
+  EXPECT_EQ(*raw, octets);
+}
+
+TEST_F(StateTreeIntrinsicsTest, StateDataStringAndBytesTracksAreDistinct) {
+  // The text `string` track and the `bytes` track stay distinct through state-data-set/get: a text
+  // string comes back a string (stored as a value_t), a bytes value comes back bytes.
+  call("state-data-set", {std::string("t"), value_t(std::string("text"))});
+  auto t = call("state-data-get", {std::string("t")});
+  ASSERT_TRUE(std::holds_alternative<std::string>(t.v)); // string track (unchanged)
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::get<std::string>(t.v), "text");
+
+  call("state-data-set", {std::string("y"), make_bytes(std::string("bin"))});
+  auto y = call("state-data-get", {std::string("y")});
+  ASSERT_TRUE(std::holds_alternative<bytes_value>(y.v)); // bytes track
+  EXPECT_EQ(std::get<bytes_value>(y.v).data, "bin");
+}
+
 TEST_F(StateTreeIntrinsicsTest, StateGetWrongArgCount) {
   EXPECT_THROW(call("state-get", {}), std::runtime_error);
   EXPECT_THROW(call("state-get", {std::string("a"), std::string("b")}), std::runtime_error);