diff --git a/crypto/bls/src/generic_aggregate_signature.rs b/crypto/bls/src/generic_aggregate_signature.rs
index 417f5a264bc..0517512f82a 100644
--- a/crypto/bls/src/generic_aggregate_signature.rs
+++ b/crypto/bls/src/generic_aggregate_signature.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
-use serde_utils::hex::{encode as hex_encode, PrefixedHexVisitor};
+use serde_utils::hex::encode as hex_encode;
 use ssz::{Decode, Encode};
 use std::fmt;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
diff --git a/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key.rs b/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key.rs
index 4c97b88b940..7b22d272990 100644
--- a/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key.rs
+++ b/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 use crate::Error;
 use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
-use serde_utils::hex::{encode as hex_encode, PrefixedHexVisitor};
+use serde_utils::hex::encode as hex_encode;
 use ssz::{Decode, Encode};
 use std::fmt;
 use std::hash::{Hash, Hasher};
diff --git a/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key_bytes.rs b/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key_bytes.rs
index d3e68b7f17f..b2343ca57f8 100644
--- a/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key_bytes.rs
+++ b/crypto/bls/src/generic_public_key_bytes.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
-use serde_utils::hex::{encode as hex_encode, PrefixedHexVisitor};
+use serde_utils::hex::encode as hex_encode;
 use ssz::{Decode, Encode};
 use std::convert::TryInto;
 use std::fmt;
diff --git a/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature.rs b/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature.rs
index a658190c1e3..44250d4a6ba 100644
--- a/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature.rs
+++ b/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
-use serde_utils::hex::{encode as hex_encode, PrefixedHexVisitor};
+use serde_utils::hex::encode as hex_encode;
 use ssz::{Decode, Encode};
 use std::fmt;
 use std::marker::PhantomData;
diff --git a/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature_bytes.rs b/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature_bytes.rs
index 21162fcada8..bc7e7f111e8 100644
--- a/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature_bytes.rs
+++ b/crypto/bls/src/generic_signature_bytes.rs
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ use crate::{
 };
 use serde::de::{Deserialize, Deserializer};
 use serde::ser::{Serialize, Serializer};
-use serde_utils::hex::{encode as hex_encode, PrefixedHexVisitor};
+use serde_utils::hex::encode as hex_encode;
 use ssz::{Decode, Encode};
 use std::convert::TryInto;
 use std::fmt;
diff --git a/crypto/bls/src/macros.rs b/crypto/bls/src/macros.rs
index 915cfe4c6db..136faeb4423 100644
--- a/crypto/bls/src/macros.rs
+++ b/crypto/bls/src/macros.rs
@@ -128,9 +128,25 @@ macro_rules! impl_serde_deserialize {
         where
             D: Deserializer<'de>,
         {
-            let bytes = deserializer.deserialize_str(PrefixedHexVisitor)?;
-            Self::deserialize(&bytes[..])
-                .map_err(|e| serde::de::Error::custom(format!("invalid pubkey ({:?})", e)))
+            pub struct StringVisitor;
+
+            impl<'de> serde::de::Visitor<'de> for StringVisitor {
+                type Value = String;
+
+                fn expecting(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+                    formatter.write_str("a hex string with 0x prefix")
+                }
+
+                fn visit_str<E>(self, value: &str) -> Result<Self::Value, E>
+                where
+                    E: serde::de::Error,
+                {
+                    Ok(value.to_string())
+                }
+            }
+
+            let string = deserializer.deserialize_str(StringVisitor)?;
+            <Self as std::str::FromStr>::from_str(&string).map_err(serde::de::Error::custom)
         }
     };
 }