diff --git a/asyncua/ua/uatypes.py b/asyncua/ua/uatypes.py
index 120a0c017..0960d15da 100644
--- a/asyncua/ua/uatypes.py
+++ b/asyncua/ua/uatypes.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 implement ua datatypes
 """
 
+import binascii
 import sys
 from typing import Optional, Any, Union, Generic, List
 import collections
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@
 import itertools
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from base64 import b64encode, b64decode
 
 # hack to support python < 3.8
 if sys.version_info.minor < 10:
@@ -548,9 +550,15 @@ def _from_string(string):
             elif k == "b":
                 ntype = NodeIdType.ByteString
                 if v[0:2] == '0x':
+                    # our custom handling, normaly all bytestring nodes are base64
                     identifier = bytes.fromhex(v[2:])
                 else:
-                    identifier = v.encode()
+                    try:
+                        # this should be the default case base64
+                        identifier = b64decode(v.encode("ascii"))
+                    except (binascii.Error, ValueError):
+                        # fallback for backwards compatiblity just use the bytestring
+                        identifier = v.encode('ascii')
             elif k == "srv":
                 srv = int(v.strip())
             elif k == "nsu":
@@ -579,7 +587,7 @@ def to_string(self):
             ntype = "g"
         elif self.NodeIdType == NodeIdType.ByteString:
             ntype = "b"
-            identifier = '0x' + identifier.hex()
+            identifier = b64encode(identifier).decode('ascii')
         string.append(f"{ntype}={identifier}")
         return ";".join(string)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_common.py b/tests/test_common.py
index e31f30787..2e344e9b3 100644
--- a/tests/test_common.py
+++ b/tests/test_common.py
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 import tempfile
 from datetime import datetime, timedelta
 from pathlib import Path
-
+from base64 import b64encode
 import pytest
 
 from asyncua import Node, ua, uamethod
@@ -182,6 +182,8 @@ async def test_node_bytestring(opc):
     )
     node = opc.opc.get_node("ns=2;b=VarByteString")
     assert node == var
+    node = opc.opc.get_node(f"ns=2;b={b64encode(b'VarByteString').decode()}")
+    assert node == var
     node = opc.opc.get_node(f"ns=2;b=0x{b'VarByteString'.hex()}")
     assert node == var