diff --git a/pkg/storage/secret/encryption/encrypted_value_store_test.go b/pkg/storage/secret/encryption/encrypted_value_store_test.go
index e5f987da4dc..620a034f22c 100644
--- a/pkg/storage/secret/encryption/encrypted_value_store_test.go
+++ b/pkg/storage/secret/encryption/encrypted_value_store_test.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package encryption_test
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"errors"
 	"slices"
 	"testing"
@@ -247,7 +248,8 @@ func TestStateMachine(t *testing.T) {
 				// Do not compare timestamps because the model doesn't model them.
 				require.Equal(t, modelValue.Namespace, value.Namespace)
 				require.Equal(t, modelValue.Name, value.Name)
-				require.Equal(t, modelValue.EncryptedData, value.EncryptedData)
+				require.True(t, bytes.Equal(modelValue.EncryptedData, value.EncryptedData),
+					"expected encrypted data to be %+v but got %+v", modelValue.EncryptedData, value.EncryptedData)
 				require.Equal(t, modelValue.Version, value.Version)
 			},
 			"delete": func(t *rapid.T) {