diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/tests/utils/test_dhcp.py b/cloudbaseinit/tests/utils/test_dhcp.py
index 5604d672..b55db3ca 100644
--- a/cloudbaseinit/tests/utils/test_dhcp.py
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/tests/utils/test_dhcp.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import binascii
 import mock
 import netifaces
 import struct
@@ -30,8 +29,7 @@ class DHCPUtilsTests(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_get_dhcp_request_data(self):
 
         fake_mac_address = '010203040506'
-        fake_mac_address_a = fake_mac_address.encode('ascii', 'strict')
-        fake_mac_address_b = bytearray(binascii.unhexlify(fake_mac_address_a))
+        fake_mac_address_b = bytearray.fromhex(fake_mac_address)
 
         data = b'\x01'
         data += b'\x01'
diff --git a/cloudbaseinit/utils/dhcp.py b/cloudbaseinit/utils/dhcp.py
index 7feb0eff..4052d1bd 100644
--- a/cloudbaseinit/utils/dhcp.py
+++ b/cloudbaseinit/utils/dhcp.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
-import binascii
 import datetime
 import netifaces
 import random
@@ -34,9 +33,7 @@ LOG = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 def _get_dhcp_request_data(id_req, mac_address, requested_options,
                            vendor_id):
 
-    mac_address_ascii = mac_address.replace(':', '').encode('ascii', 'strict')
-    mac_address_b = bytearray(binascii.unhexlify(mac_address_ascii))
-
+    mac_address_b = bytearray.fromhex(mac_address.replace(':', ''))
     # See: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2131.txt
     data = b'\x01'
     data += b'\x01'