diff --git a/src/cryptography/convert.js b/src/cryptography/convert.js
index 7ed878e8a..adf009b4d 100644
--- a/src/cryptography/convert.js
+++ b/src/cryptography/convert.js
@@ -30,11 +30,13 @@ export const hexToBuffer = hex => {
 		throw new TypeError('Argument must be a string.');
 	}
 	const matchedHex = (hex.match(hexRegex) || [])[0];
-	if (!matchedHex) {
-		return Buffer.alloc(0);
+	if (!matchedHex || matchedHex.length !== hex.length) {
+		throw new TypeError('Argument must be a valid hex string.');
 	}
-	const evenLength = Math.floor(matchedHex.length / 2) * 2;
-	return Buffer.from(matchedHex.slice(0, evenLength), 'hex');
+	if (matchedHex.length % 2 !== 0) {
+		throw new TypeError('Argument must have a valid length of hex string.');
+	}
+	return Buffer.from(matchedHex, 'hex');
 };
 
 export const getFirstEightBytesReversed = publicKeyBytes =>
diff --git a/src/cryptography/encrypt.js b/src/cryptography/encrypt.js
index 22c6a371b..854a7d9dc 100644
--- a/src/cryptography/encrypt.js
+++ b/src/cryptography/encrypt.js
@@ -125,9 +125,6 @@ const encryptAES256GCMWithPassword = (plainText, password) => {
 
 const getTagBuffer = tag => {
 	const tagBuffer = hexToBuffer(tag);
-	if (bufferToHex(tagBuffer) !== tag) {
-		throw new Error('Tag must be a hex string.');
-	}
 	if (tagBuffer.length !== 16) {
 		throw new Error('Tag must be 16 bytes.');
 	}
diff --git a/src/transactions/utils/validation.js b/src/transactions/utils/validation.js
index ac3badf77..bd761effd 100644
--- a/src/transactions/utils/validation.js
+++ b/src/transactions/utils/validation.js
@@ -13,20 +13,16 @@
  *
  */
 import bignum from 'browserify-bignum';
-import { bufferToHex, hexToBuffer } from 'cryptography/convert';
+import { hexToBuffer } from 'cryptography/convert';
 import { MAX_ADDRESS_NUMBER } from 'constants';
 
 export const validatePublicKey = publicKey => {
 	const publicKeyBuffer = hexToBuffer(publicKey);
-	if (bufferToHex(publicKeyBuffer) !== publicKey) {
-		throw new Error('Public key must be a valid hex string.');
-	}
 	if (publicKeyBuffer.length !== 32) {
 		throw new Error(
 			`Public key ${publicKey} length differs from the expected 32 bytes for a public key.`,
 		);
 	}
-
 	return true;
 };
 
diff --git a/test/cryptography/convert.js b/test/cryptography/convert.js
index 9f6b63d17..bebe573a7 100644
--- a/test/cryptography/convert.js
+++ b/test/cryptography/convert.js
@@ -78,29 +78,34 @@ describe('convert', () => {
 				.should.throw(TypeError, { message: 'Argument must be a string.' });
 		});
 
-		it('should create empty Buffer from non hex string', () => {
-			const buffer = hexToBuffer('yKJh');
-			return buffer.should.be.eql(Buffer.alloc(0));
+		it('should throw TypeError with non hex string', () => {
+			return hexToBuffer.bind(null, 'yKJj').should.throw(TypeError, {
+				message: 'Argument must be a valid hex string.',
+			});
 		});
 
-		it('should create partial Buffer from partially non hex string', () => {
-			const buffer = hexToBuffer('Abxzzzz');
-			return buffer.should.be.eql(Buffer.from('Ab', 'hex'));
+		it('should throw TypeError with partially correct hex string', () => {
+			return hexToBuffer.bind(null, 'Abxzzzz').should.throw(TypeError, {
+				message: 'Argument must be a valid hex string.',
+			});
 		});
 
-		it('should create partial Buffer with only first valid hex string', () => {
-			const buffer = hexToBuffer('Abxzzab');
-			return buffer.should.be.eql(Buffer.from('Ab', 'hex'));
+		it('should throw TypeError with odd number of string with partially correct hex string', () => {
+			return hexToBuffer.bind(null, 'Abxzzab').should.throw(TypeError, {
+				message: 'Argument must be a valid hex string.',
+			});
 		});
 
-		it('should create even numbered Buffer from odd number hex string with invalid hex', () => {
-			const buffer = hexToBuffer('123xxxx');
-			return buffer.should.be.eql(Buffer.from('12', 'hex'));
+		it('should throw TypeError with odd number hex string with invalid hex', () => {
+			return hexToBuffer.bind(null, '123xxxx').should.throw(TypeError, {
+				message: 'Argument must be a valid hex string.',
+			});
 		});
 
-		it('should create even numbered Buffer from odd number hex string', () => {
-			const buffer = hexToBuffer('c3a5c3a4c3b6a');
-			return buffer.should.be.eql(Buffer.from('c3a5c3a4c3b6', 'hex'));
+		it('should throw TypeError with odd number of hex string', () => {
+			return hexToBuffer.bind(null, 'c3a5c3a4c3b6a').should.throw(TypeError, {
+				message: 'Argument must have a valid length of hex string.',
+			});
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/test/cryptography/encrypt.js b/test/cryptography/encrypt.js
index 0977824ad..fc4cb414c 100644
--- a/test/cryptography/encrypt.js
+++ b/test/cryptography/encrypt.js
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ describe('encrypt', () => {
 				)}gg`;
 				return decryptPassphraseWithPassword
 					.bind(null, cipherIvSaltTagAndVersion, defaultPassword)
-					.should.throw('Tag must be a hex string.');
+					.should.throw('Argument must be a valid hex string.');
 			});
 
 			it('should inform the user if the tag has been altered', () => {
diff --git a/test/transactions/3_castVotes.js b/test/transactions/3_castVotes.js
index 79be5dcc7..24894a6d4 100644
--- a/test/transactions/3_castVotes.js
+++ b/test/transactions/3_castVotes.js
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ describe('#castVotes transaction', () => {
 					unvotes: unvotePublicKeys,
 					votes: [plusPrependedPublicKey],
 				})
-				.should.throw('Public key must be a valid hex string.');
+				.should.throw('Argument must be a valid hex string.');
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/test/transactions/4_registerMultisignatureAccount.js b/test/transactions/4_registerMultisignatureAccount.js
index 5777fe63c..3a3f633e0 100644
--- a/test/transactions/4_registerMultisignatureAccount.js
+++ b/test/transactions/4_registerMultisignatureAccount.js
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ describe('#registerMultisignatureAccount transaction', () => {
 					lifetime,
 					minimum,
 				})
-				.should.throw('Public key must be a valid hex string.');
+				.should.throw('Argument must be a valid hex string.');
 		});
 	});
 
diff --git a/test/transactions/utils/validation.js b/test/transactions/utils/validation.js
index 242596bb9..af138caa8 100644
--- a/test/transactions/utils/validation.js
+++ b/test/transactions/utils/validation.js
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ describe('public key validation', () => {
 			it('should throw an error', () => {
 				return validatePublicKey
 					.bind(null, invalidHexPublicKey)
-					.should.throw('Public key must be a valid hex string.');
+					.should.throw('Argument must have a valid length of hex string.');
 			});
 		});
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe('public key validation', () => {
 			it('should throw an error', () => {
 				return validatePublicKey
 					.bind(null, invalidHexPublicKey)
-					.should.throw('Public key must be a valid hex string.');
+					.should.throw('Argument must be a valid hex string.');
 			});
 		});
 
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ describe('public key validation', () => {
 			it('should throw an error', () => {
 				return validatePublicKeys
 					.bind(null, publicKeys)
-					.should.throw('Public key must be a valid hex string.');
+					.should.throw('Argument must have a valid length of hex string.');
 			});
 		});