diff --git a/core/capabilities/compute/compute.go b/core/capabilities/compute/compute.go
index 2ba5daefaa6..f27a3e29b0e 100644
--- a/core/capabilities/compute/compute.go
+++ b/core/capabilities/compute/compute.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package compute
 import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/sha256"
+	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -298,9 +299,19 @@ func (c *Compute) createFetcher() func(ctx context.Context, req *wasmpb.FetchReq
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("workflow execution ID %q is invalid: %w", req.Metadata.WorkflowExecutionId, err)
 		}
 
+		// best effort to decode the workflow name
+		var workflowName string
+		decodedWorkflowName, err := hex.DecodeString(req.Metadata.WorkflowName)
+		if err != nil {
+			c.log.Errorf("failed to decode WorkflowName %q: %v", req.Metadata.WorkflowName, err)
+			workflowName = req.Metadata.WorkflowName
+		} else {
+			workflowName = string(decodedWorkflowName)
+		}
+
 		cma := c.emitter.With(
 			platform.KeyWorkflowID, req.Metadata.WorkflowId,
-			platform.KeyWorkflowName, req.Metadata.WorkflowName,
+			platform.KeyWorkflowName, workflowName,
 			platform.KeyWorkflowOwner, req.Metadata.WorkflowOwner,
 			platform.KeyWorkflowExecutionID, req.Metadata.WorkflowExecutionId,
 			timestampKey, time.Now().UTC().Format(time.RFC3339Nano),
diff --git a/core/capabilities/targets/write_target.go b/core/capabilities/targets/write_target.go
index 09a0bbd2b36..2adca542533 100644
--- a/core/capabilities/targets/write_target.go
+++ b/core/capabilities/targets/write_target.go
@@ -345,10 +345,21 @@ func (cap *WriteTarget) Execute(ctx context.Context, rawRequest capabilities.Cap
 				return capabilities.CapabilityResponse{}, nil
 			case commontypes.Failed, commontypes.Fatal:
 				cap.lggr.Error("Transaction failed", "request", request, "transaction", txID)
+
+				// best effort to decode the workflow name
+				var workflowName string
+				decodedWorkflowName, err := hex.DecodeString(request.Metadata.WorkflowName)
+				if err != nil {
+					cap.lggr.Errorf("failed to decode WorkflowName %q: %v", request.Metadata.WorkflowName, err)
+					workflowName = request.Metadata.WorkflowName
+				} else {
+					workflowName = string(decodedWorkflowName)
+				}
+
 				msg := "failed to submit transaction with ID: " + txID.String()
 				err = cap.emitter.With(
 					platform.KeyWorkflowID, request.Metadata.WorkflowID,
-					platform.KeyWorkflowName, request.Metadata.WorkflowName,
+					platform.KeyWorkflowName, workflowName,
 					platform.KeyWorkflowOwner, request.Metadata.WorkflowOwner,
 					platform.KeyWorkflowExecutionID, request.Metadata.WorkflowExecutionID,
 				).Emit(ctx, msg)
diff --git a/core/services/workflows/delegate.go b/core/services/workflows/delegate.go
index fc8fe3fe840..3fb377d3edc 100644
--- a/core/services/workflows/delegate.go
+++ b/core/services/workflows/delegate.go
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func (d *Delegate) ServicesForSpec(ctx context.Context, spec job.Job) ([]job.Ser
 
 type noopSecretsFetcher struct{}
 
-func (n *noopSecretsFetcher) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func (n *noopSecretsFetcher) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, hexWorkflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
 	return map[string]string{}, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/core/services/workflows/engine.go b/core/services/workflows/engine.go
index d153e53bc07..2aa3cfd129a 100644
--- a/core/services/workflows/engine.go
+++ b/core/services/workflows/engine.go
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ func (sucm *stepUpdateManager) len() int64 {
 }
 
 type secretsFetcher interface {
-	SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error)
+	SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, hexWorkflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error)
 }
 
 // Engine handles the lifecycle of a single workflow and its executions.
diff --git a/core/services/workflows/engine_test.go b/core/services/workflows/engine_test.go
index 95ac74f0c76..f4a382d6696 100644
--- a/core/services/workflows/engine_test.go
+++ b/core/services/workflows/engine_test.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func newTestEngineWithYAMLSpec(t *testing.T, reg *coreCap.Registry, spec string,
 
 type mockSecretsFetcher struct{}
 
-func (s mockSecretsFetcher) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func (s mockSecretsFetcher) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, hexWorkflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
 	return map[string]string{}, nil
 }
 
@@ -1606,7 +1606,7 @@ type mockFetcher struct {
 	retval map[string]string
 }
 
-func (m *mockFetcher) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func (m *mockFetcher) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, hexWorkflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
 	return m.retval, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/core/services/workflows/syncer/handler.go b/core/services/workflows/syncer/handler.go
index cb4f013d502..4fd237e41a4 100644
--- a/core/services/workflows/syncer/handler.go
+++ b/core/services/workflows/syncer/handler.go
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ func (h *eventHandler) refreshSecrets(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workfl
 	return updatedSecrets, nil
 }
 
-func (h *eventHandler) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
+func (h *eventHandler) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, hexWorkflowName, workflowID string) (map[string]string, error) {
 	secretsURLHash, secretsPayload, err := h.orm.GetContentsByWorkflowID(ctx, workflowID)
 	if err != nil {
 		// The workflow record was found, but secrets_id was empty.
@@ -238,10 +238,21 @@ func (h *eventHandler) SecretsFor(ctx context.Context, workflowOwner, workflowNa
 
 	lastFetchedAt, ok := h.lastFetchedAtMap.Get(secretsURLHash)
 	if !ok || h.clock.Now().Sub(lastFetchedAt) > h.secretsFreshnessDuration {
-		updatedSecrets, innerErr := h.refreshSecrets(ctx, workflowOwner, workflowName, workflowID, secretsURLHash)
+		updatedSecrets, innerErr := h.refreshSecrets(ctx, workflowOwner, hexWorkflowName, workflowID, secretsURLHash)
 		if innerErr != nil {
 			msg := fmt.Sprintf("could not refresh secrets: proceeding with stale secrets for workflowID %s: %s", workflowID, innerErr)
 			h.lggr.Error(msg)
+
+			// best effort to decode the workflow name
+			var workflowName string
+			decodedWorkflowName, innerErr2 := hex.DecodeString(hexWorkflowName)
+			if innerErr2 != nil {
+				h.lggr.Errorf("failed to decode WorkflowName %q: %v", hexWorkflowName, innerErr2)
+				workflowName = hexWorkflowName
+			} else {
+				workflowName = string(decodedWorkflowName)
+			}
+
 			logCustMsg(
 				ctx,
 				h.emitter.With(