diff --git a/cmd/crates/soroban-spec-tools/src/lib.rs b/cmd/crates/soroban-spec-tools/src/lib.rs
index a12d5821b..348366f98 100644
--- a/cmd/crates/soroban-spec-tools/src/lib.rs
+++ b/cmd/crates/soroban-spec-tools/src/lib.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,10 @@ pub enum Error {
     InvalidPair(ScVal, ScType),
     #[error("value is not parseable to {0:#?}")]
     InvalidValue(Option<ScType>),
+    #[error("invalid hex: expected an even number of hex digits, got {0}")]
+    OddHexLength(usize),
+    #[error("invalid length for BytesN<{expected}>: expected {expected} bytes but got {got} bytes")]
+    BytesNLengthMismatch { expected: usize, got: usize },
     #[error("Unknown case {0} for {1}")]
     EnumCase(String, String),
     #[error("Enum {0} missing value for type {1}")]
@@ -805,6 +809,15 @@ impl Spec {
 /// # Errors
 ///
 /// Might return an error
+/// Decode a hex string that must be complete: an even number of digits, no
+/// zero-padding (see #2244). Returns the raw bytes; callers enforce any length.
+fn decode_complete_hex(s: &str, t: &ScType) -> Result<Vec<u8>, Error> {
+    if !s.len().is_multiple_of(2) {
+        return Err(Error::OddHexLength(s.len()));
+    }
+    hex::decode(s).map_err(|_| Error::InvalidValue(Some(t.clone())))
+}
+
 pub fn from_string_primitive(s: &str, t: &ScType) -> Result<ScVal, Error> {
     Spec::from_string_primitive(s, t)
 }
@@ -921,9 +934,16 @@ pub fn from_json_primitives(v: &Value, t: &ScType) -> Result<ScVal, Error> {
                     return Ok(key);
                 }
             }
-            // Bytes are not an address, just parse as a hex string
-            utils::padded_hex_from_str(s, bytes.n as usize)
-                .map_err(|_| Error::InvalidValue(Some(t.clone())))?
+            // Bytes are not an address, just parse as a hex string. The input must be
+            // complete and exactly N bytes: no right-align/zero-pad (see #2244).
+            let decoded = decode_complete_hex(s, t)?;
+            if decoded.len() != bytes.n as usize {
+                return Err(Error::BytesNLengthMismatch {
+                    expected: bytes.n as usize,
+                    got: decoded.len(),
+                });
+            }
+            decoded
                 .try_into()
                 .map_err(|_| Error::InvalidValue(Some(t.clone())))?
         })),
@@ -931,8 +951,7 @@ pub fn from_json_primitives(v: &Value, t: &ScType) -> Result<ScVal, Error> {
             return Err(Error::InvalidValue(Some(t.clone())));
         }
         (ScType::Bytes, Value::String(s)) => ScVal::Bytes(
-            hex::decode(s)
-                .map_err(|_| Error::InvalidValue(Some(t.clone())))?
+            decode_complete_hex(s, t)?
                 .try_into()
                 .map_err(|_| Error::InvalidValue(Some(t.clone())))?,
         ),
@@ -1732,6 +1751,61 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(to_string(&parsed).unwrap(), format!("\"{as_str}\""));
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytesn_rejects_under_length() {
+        // #2244: a short value was silently zero-padded; it must now error as incomplete.
+        let r = from_string_primitive("beefface", &ScType::BytesN(ScSpecTypeBytesN { n: 9 }));
+        assert!(matches!(
+            r,
+            Err(Error::BytesNLengthMismatch {
+                expected: 9,
+                got: 4
+            })
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytesn_rejects_over_length() {
+        let r = from_string_primitive(
+            "beeffacebeefface00ff",
+            &ScType::BytesN(ScSpecTypeBytesN { n: 9 }),
+        );
+        assert!(matches!(
+            r,
+            Err(Error::BytesNLengthMismatch {
+                expected: 9,
+                got: 10
+            })
+        ));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytesn_rejects_odd_hex() {
+        let r = from_string_primitive("beeffac", &ScType::BytesN(ScSpecTypeBytesN { n: 4 }));
+        assert!(matches!(r, Err(Error::OddHexLength(7))));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytes_rejects_odd_hex() {
+        let r = from_string_primitive("abc", &ScType::Bytes);
+        assert!(matches!(r, Err(Error::OddHexLength(3))));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_bytesn_exact_length_still_works() {
+        let parsed = from_string_primitive(
+            "beeffacebeefface00",
+            &ScType::BytesN(ScSpecTypeBytesN { n: 9 }),
+        )
+        .unwrap();
+        let expected = ScVal::Bytes(ScBytes(
+            vec![0xbe, 0xef, 0xfa, 0xce, 0xbe, 0xef, 0xfa, 0xce, 0x00]
+                .try_into()
+                .unwrap(),
+        ));
+        assert_eq!(parsed, expected);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn test_bytes_conversion_array_input() {
         // Array of byte values should also work