diff --git a/py25/bacpypes/primitivedata.py b/py25/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
index d00d9dd..4151cab 100755
--- a/py25/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
+++ b/py25/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ class CharacterString(Atomic):
             self.value = '### unknown encoding: %d ###' % (self.strEncoding,)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return "CharacterString(%d," % (self.strEncoding,) + repr(self.strValue) + ")"
+        return "CharacterString(%d,X'%s')" % (self.strEncoding, btox(self.strValue))
 
 #
 #   BitString
diff --git a/py27/bacpypes/primitivedata.py b/py27/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
index d99fc69..37a3af6 100755
--- a/py27/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
+++ b/py27/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
@@ -824,7 +824,7 @@ class CharacterString(Atomic):
             self.value = '### unknown encoding: %d ###' % (self.strEncoding,)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return "CharacterString(%d," % (self.strEncoding,) + repr(self.strValue) + ")"
+        return "CharacterString(%d,X'%s')" % (self.strEncoding, btox(self.strValue))
 
 #
 #   BitString
diff --git a/py34/bacpypes/primitivedata.py b/py34/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
index 9702a17..eaae80e 100755
--- a/py34/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
+++ b/py34/bacpypes/primitivedata.py
@@ -837,7 +837,7 @@ class CharacterString(Atomic):
             self.value = '### unknown encoding: %d ###' % (self.strEncoding,)
 
     def __str__(self):
-        return "CharacterString(%d," % (self.strEncoding,) + repr(self.strValue) + ")"
+        return "CharacterString(%d,X'%s')" % (self.strEncoding, btox(self.strValue))
 
 #
 #   BitString
diff --git a/tests/test_primitive_data/test_character_string.py b/tests/test_primitive_data/test_character_string.py
index bfede20..9445f65 100644
--- a/tests/test_primitive_data/test_character_string.py
+++ b/tests/test_primitive_data/test_character_string.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class TestCharacterString(unittest.TestCase):
 
         obj = CharacterString("hello")
         assert obj.value == "hello"
-        assert str(obj) == "CharacterString(0,'hello')"
+        assert str(obj) == "CharacterString(0,X'68656c6c6f')"
 
     def test_character_string_tag(self):
         if _debug: TestCharacterString._debug("test_character_string_tag")