diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Util.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Util.java
index d599a1a410..0d4db4a1b1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/Util.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/Util.java
@@ -446,6 +446,13 @@ public class Util {
         return toHexString(bytes,0,bytes.length);
     }
 
+    public static byte[] fromHexString(String data) {
+        byte[] r = new byte[data.length() / 2];
+        for (int i = 0; i < data.length(); i += 2)
+            r[i / 2] = (byte) Integer.parseInt(data.substring(i, i + 2), 16);
+        return r;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns a human readable text of the time duration.
      * This version should be used for representing a duration of some activity (like build)
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/HexBinaryConverter.java b/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/HexBinaryConverter.java
index 1e399de315..0b85748b4c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/HexBinaryConverter.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/hudson/util/HexBinaryConverter.java
@@ -23,11 +23,6 @@ public class HexBinaryConverter implements Converter {
 
     public Object unmarshal(HierarchicalStreamReader reader, UnmarshallingContext context) {
         String data = reader.getValue(); // needs to be called before hasMoreChildren.
-
-        byte[] r = new byte[data.length()/2];
-         for( int i=0; i<data.length(); i+=2 )
-             r[i/2] = (byte)Integer.parseInt(data.substring(i,i+2),16);
-
-        return r;
+        return Util.fromHexString(data);
     }
 }