diff --git a/raiden/network/proxies/secret_registry.py b/raiden/network/proxies/secret_registry.py
index 52aa56c2265..dbdae614d8e 100644
--- a/raiden/network/proxies/secret_registry.py
+++ b/raiden/network/proxies/secret_registry.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
     encode_hex,
     event_abi_to_log_topic,
     is_binary_address,
+    to_bytes,
     to_checksum_address,
     to_normalized_address,
 )
@@ -53,7 +54,9 @@ def __init__(self, jsonrpc_client, secret_registry_address, contract_manager: Co
             jsonrpc_client,
             secret_registry_address,
             CONTRACT_SECRET_REGISTRY,
-            expected_code=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_SECRET_REGISTRY),
+            expected_code=to_bytes(
+                hexstr=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_SECRET_REGISTRY)
+            ),
         )
 
         proxy = jsonrpc_client.new_contract_proxy(
diff --git a/raiden/network/proxies/service_registry.py b/raiden/network/proxies/service_registry.py
index 9cf122d9e5e..77eba5387dc 100644
--- a/raiden/network/proxies/service_registry.py
+++ b/raiden/network/proxies/service_registry.py
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 import structlog
 import web3
-from eth_utils import is_binary_address, to_canonical_address, to_checksum_address
+from eth_utils import is_binary_address, to_bytes, to_canonical_address, to_checksum_address
 
 from raiden.exceptions import BrokenPreconditionError, InvalidAddress, RaidenUnrecoverableError
 from raiden.network.proxies.utils import log_transaction
@@ -30,7 +30,9 @@ def __init__(
             jsonrpc_client,
             service_registry_address,
             CONTRACT_SERVICE_REGISTRY,
-            expected_code=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_SERVICE_REGISTRY),
+            expected_code=to_bytes(
+                hexstr=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_SERVICE_REGISTRY)
+            ),
         )
 
         proxy = jsonrpc_client.new_contract_proxy(
diff --git a/raiden/network/proxies/token_network.py b/raiden/network/proxies/token_network.py
index 024cb50fa58..73c66d45984 100644
--- a/raiden/network/proxies/token_network.py
+++ b/raiden/network/proxies/token_network.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 from eth_utils import (
     encode_hex,
     is_binary_address,
+    to_bytes,
     to_canonical_address,
     to_checksum_address,
     to_hex,
@@ -157,7 +158,9 @@ def __init__(
             jsonrpc_client,
             Address(token_network_address),
             CONTRACT_TOKEN_NETWORK,
-            expected_code=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_TOKEN_NETWORK),
+            expected_code=to_bytes(
+                hexstr=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_TOKEN_NETWORK)
+            ),
         )
 
         self.contract_manager = contract_manager
diff --git a/raiden/network/proxies/token_network_registry.py b/raiden/network/proxies/token_network_registry.py
index 492db097292..fd39dbf8236 100644
--- a/raiden/network/proxies/token_network_registry.py
+++ b/raiden/network/proxies/token_network_registry.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     event_abi_to_log_topic,
     is_binary_address,
     is_same_address,
+    to_bytes,
     to_canonical_address,
     to_checksum_address,
     to_normalized_address,
@@ -59,7 +60,9 @@ def __init__(
             client=jsonrpc_client,
             address=Address(registry_address),
             contract_name=CONTRACT_TOKEN_NETWORK_REGISTRY,
-            expected_code=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_TOKEN_NETWORK_REGISTRY),
+            expected_code=to_bytes(
+                hexstr=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_TOKEN_NETWORK_REGISTRY)
+            ),
         )
 
         self.contract_manager = contract_manager
diff --git a/raiden/network/proxies/user_deposit.py b/raiden/network/proxies/user_deposit.py
index 31235bdf937..b42c2155253 100644
--- a/raiden/network/proxies/user_deposit.py
+++ b/raiden/network/proxies/user_deposit.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import structlog
 from eth_utils import (
     is_binary_address,
+    to_bytes,
     to_canonical_address,
     to_checksum_address,
     to_normalized_address,
@@ -50,7 +51,9 @@ def __init__(
             jsonrpc_client,
             Address(user_deposit_address),
             CONTRACT_USER_DEPOSIT,
-            expected_code=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_USER_DEPOSIT),
+            expected_code=to_bytes(
+                hexstr=contract_manager.get_runtime_hexcode(CONTRACT_USER_DEPOSIT)
+            ),
         )
 
         self.client = jsonrpc_client
diff --git a/raiden/network/rpc/client.py b/raiden/network/rpc/client.py
index dc87b6e9c9a..d66d9a94c3b 100644
--- a/raiden/network/rpc/client.py
+++ b/raiden/network/rpc/client.py
@@ -168,26 +168,27 @@ def geth_discover_next_available_nonce(web3: Web3, address: AddressHex) -> Nonce
 
 
 def check_address_has_code(
-    client: "JSONRPCClient", address: Address, contract_name: str = "", expected_code: str = None
+    client: "JSONRPCClient", address: Address, contract_name: str = "", expected_code: bytes = None
 ):
     """ Checks that the given address contains code. """
     result = client.web3.eth.getCode(to_checksum_address(address), "latest")
 
-    if not result:
+    def formatted_contract_name():
         if contract_name:
-            formated_contract_name = f"[{contract_name}]: "
+            return f"[{contract_name}]: "
         else:
-            formated_contract_name = ""
+            return ""
 
+    if not result:
         raise AddressWithoutCode(
             "{}Address {} does not contain code".format(
-                formated_contract_name, to_checksum_address(address)
+                formatted_contract_name(), to_checksum_address(address)
             )
         )
 
     if expected_code is not None and result != expected_code:
         raise ContractCodeMismatch(
-            f"{formated_contract_name}Address {to_checksum_address(address)} has wrong code."
+            f"{formatted_contract_name()}Address {to_checksum_address(address)} has wrong code."
         )