diff --git a/resalloc_agent_spawner/dispatcher.py b/resalloc_agent_spawner/dispatcher.py
index 529032e..a5d9fd2 100644
--- a/resalloc_agent_spawner/dispatcher.py
+++ b/resalloc_agent_spawner/dispatcher.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 Agent spawner daemon.  Part of the resalloc project.
 """
 
+import base64
 import sys
 import logging
 from copr_common.dispatcher import Dispatcher
@@ -84,7 +85,11 @@ def get_ticket_data(self, ticket_id):
         if not ticket.collect():
             # not yet resolved or failed
             return None
-        return ticket.output
+
+        # The ticket.output is bytes(), and we don't plan to touch the data at
+        # all, we are just going to "forward" the data base64 encoded to our
+        # hook scripts.  Encode it now, and never change again.
+        return base64.b64encode(ticket.output.data).decode("ascii")
 
     def try_to_stop(self, group_id, to_stop):
         """
@@ -174,10 +179,10 @@ def start_preparing(self):
         resource that we can prepare (in the background).  Switch the state.
         """
         for ticket_id in self.get_tickets("NEW"):
-            ticket = self.resalloc.getTicket(ticket_id)
-            if not ticket.collect():
+            data = self.get_ticket_data(ticket_id)
+            if data is None:
                 continue
-            self.set_ticket_attribute(ticket_id, "data", ticket.output)
+            self.set_ticket_attribute(ticket_id, "data", data)
             self.set_ticket_attribute(ticket_id, "state", "PREPARING")
 
     def detect_failed_tickets(self):
diff --git a/resalloc_agent_spawner/worker.py b/resalloc_agent_spawner/worker.py
index 3ed9c8d..5a547db 100644
--- a/resalloc_agent_spawner/worker.py
+++ b/resalloc_agent_spawner/worker.py
@@ -2,8 +2,6 @@
 Handle certain tasks by a background daemon process.
 """
 
-import base64
-
 from copr_common.background_worker import BackgroundWorker
 
 from resalloc_agent_spawner.helpers import (
@@ -37,7 +35,9 @@ def handle_ticket(self, ticket_id):
         # We know there's self._redis initialized by parent class so we don't
         # create yet another connection.
         redis_dict = self._redis.hgetall(redis_key)
-        ticket_data = base64.b64encode(redis_dict["data"])
+
+        # dispatcher already converted data to b64-encoded strings
+        ticket_data = redis_dict["data"]
 
         if redis_dict["state"] == "PREPARING":
             if self.cmd_take(redis_dict["group_id"], ticket_data):