diff --git a/tests/keys/keyctl.c b/tests/keys/keyctl.c
index 5aff8d8..e13c655 100644
--- a/tests/keys/keyctl.c
+++ b/tests/keys/keyctl.c
@@ -72,15 +72,15 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 	 * required by the keyctl(KEYCTL_DH_COMPUTE, ..) function.
 	 * These require key { create write } permissions.
 	 */
-	private = add_key("user", "private", payload, strlen(payload),
-			  KEY_SPEC_PROCESS_KEYRING);
+	private = add_key("user", "private", payload_private,
+			  sizeof(payload_private), KEY_SPEC_PROCESS_KEYRING);
 	if (private < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed add_key(private): %s\n",
 			strerror(errno));
 		exit(5);
 	}
 
-	prime = add_key("user", "prime", payload, strlen(payload),
+	prime = add_key("user", "prime", payload_prime, sizeof(payload_prime),
 			KEY_SPEC_PROCESS_KEYRING);
 	if (prime < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed add_key(prime): %s\n",
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		exit(5);
 	}
 
-	base = add_key("user", "base", payload, strlen(payload),
+	base = add_key("user", "base", payload_base, sizeof(payload_base),
 		       KEY_SPEC_PROCESS_KEYRING);
 	if (base < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed add_key(base): %s\n",
diff --git a/tests/keys/keyring_service.c b/tests/keys/keyring_service.c
index e5dcab0..9913653 100644
--- a/tests/keys/keyring_service.c
+++ b/tests/keys/keyring_service.c
@@ -91,15 +91,15 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		printf("\tKEYCTL_JOIN_SESSION_KEYRING newkey ID: 0x%x\n",
 		       newring);
 
-	private = add_key("user", "private", payload, strlen(payload),
-			  KEY_SPEC_SESSION_KEYRING);
+	private = add_key("user", "private", payload_private,
+			  sizeof(payload_private), KEY_SPEC_SESSION_KEYRING);
 	if (private < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed add_key(private): %s\n",
 			strerror(errno));
 		exit(6);
 	}
 
-	prime = add_key("user", "prime", payload, strlen(payload),
+	prime = add_key("user", "prime", payload_prime, sizeof(payload_prime),
 			KEY_SPEC_SESSION_KEYRING);
 	if (prime < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed add_key(prime): %s\n",
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		exit(6);
 	}
 
-	base = add_key("user", "base", payload, strlen(payload),
+	base = add_key("user", "base", payload_base, sizeof(payload_base),
 		       KEY_SPEC_SESSION_KEYRING);
 	if (base < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "Failed add_key(base): %s\n",
diff --git a/tests/keys/keys_common.h b/tests/keys/keys_common.h
index df15280..55cc4eb 100644
--- a/tests/keys/keys_common.h
+++ b/tests/keys/keys_common.h
@@ -11,6 +11,28 @@
 #include <selinux/selinux.h>
 #include <selinux/context.h>
 
-/* This is used as the payload for each add_key() */
-static const char payload[] =
-	" -----BEGIN PUBLIC KEY-----\nMIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQDN4FHsPjlJf03r9KfNt1Ma9/D6\nQDEiR/cfhZrNUPgHRresult+E4dj52VJSonPFJ6HaLlUi5pZq2t1LqPNrMfFKCNn12m+\nWw4aduBJM7u1RUPSNxrlfDAJZkdtNALOO/ds3U93hZrxOYNetzbnjILDu5JT1nbI\n4aC60SkdlCw1TxmvXwIDAQAB\n-----END PUBLIC KEY-----\n";
+/* dummy values - the prime was genearted using `openssl dhparam -C` */
+static const unsigned char payload_prime[] = {
+	0x96, 0xC1, 0xFA, 0xA4, 0xD4, 0xAB, 0xD6, 0x6D, 0x6F, 0x99,
+	0x3A, 0xCC, 0xD4, 0x74, 0x71, 0xE9, 0x5B, 0x77, 0xA4, 0x5E,
+	0x68, 0x81, 0x04, 0x83, 0xE4, 0x92, 0x3C, 0xDD, 0x4B, 0xCA,
+	0x16, 0x83, 0xB4, 0x5B, 0x1A, 0x0A, 0x80, 0xA3, 0xFA, 0xCD,
+	0x24, 0xA5, 0xFF, 0x46, 0x49, 0x86, 0x7B, 0x42, 0xDC, 0x39,
+	0x20, 0x2A, 0x6A, 0x86, 0x17, 0x12, 0x95, 0x3F, 0x13, 0xAD,
+	0x5E, 0x98, 0x67, 0xAE, 0xA2, 0xA5, 0x78, 0x9D, 0x6D, 0x7D,
+	0x78, 0xF6, 0xB2, 0x85, 0x7A, 0xA4, 0xB2, 0xC1, 0x96, 0x03,
+	0x09, 0x15, 0x66, 0xBE, 0xFD, 0xA6, 0x63, 0xEA, 0xF6, 0xC4,
+	0x61, 0x1A, 0x78, 0x9E, 0x9C, 0x82, 0x53, 0x8A, 0xCF, 0x07,
+	0x90, 0x89, 0xE5, 0x28, 0x4A, 0x53, 0x77, 0x92, 0x72, 0xCB,
+	0xBD, 0x17, 0x51, 0xE9, 0xC6, 0x34, 0xC4, 0xC9, 0x9A, 0x6A,
+	0xFE, 0x55, 0x58, 0xD6, 0x7D, 0x3F, 0x67, 0xCD, 0xAF, 0x5C,
+	0xCB, 0x46, 0x9B, 0xD1, 0x25, 0x43, 0x80, 0xE0, 0xA6, 0x80,
+	0x1A, 0x15, 0xE6, 0xC6, 0x24, 0xB5, 0x8F, 0xC1, 0xA5, 0xAF,
+	0x23, 0xCD, 0xA9, 0x21, 0x1E, 0x1E, 0xA1, 0x6A, 0xC9, 0xA7,
+	0x17, 0xE9, 0xF5, 0x00, 0x94, 0x84, 0x7B, 0xF2, 0xD8, 0x28,
+	0xE2, 0x8A, 0xC5, 0x58, 0x34, 0xE8, 0xCE, 0xFD, 0x72, 0xA4,
+	0xC7, 0xEB, 0x93, 0x87, 0xC7, 0x54, 0x3D, 0x23, 0x75, 0x77,
+	0x50, 0x73
+};
+static const unsigned char payload_base[] = { 0x02 };
+static const unsigned char payload_private[] = { 42 };
