diff --git a/lib/test-lib.c b/lib/test-lib.c
index 45e2f3466..aabe2afde 100644
--- a/lib/test-lib.c
+++ b/lib/test-lib.c
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
                  xdg_app_installed_ref_get_deploy_dir (app),
                  xdg_app_installed_ref_get_is_current (app),
                  xdg_app_installed_ref_get_installed_size (app));
-        g_print ("metadata:\n%s\n", xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata (app, NULL, NULL));
+        g_print ("metadata:\n%s\n", (char *)g_bytes_get_data (xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata (app, NULL, NULL), NULL));
       }
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.c b/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.c
index 98931945e..4c068101f 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.c
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.c
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ xdg_app_installed_ref_get_installed_size (XdgAppInstalledRef *self)
   return priv->installed_size;
 }
 
-char *
+GBytes *
 xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata  (XdgAppInstalledRef *self,
                                       GCancellable *cancellable,
                                       GError **error)
@@ -237,6 +237,7 @@ xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata  (XdgAppInstalledRef *self,
   XdgAppInstalledRefPrivate *priv = xdg_app_installed_ref_get_instance_private (self);
   g_autofree char *path = NULL;
   char *metadata;
+  gsize length;
 
   if (priv->deploy_dir == NULL)
     {
@@ -246,10 +247,10 @@ xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata  (XdgAppInstalledRef *self,
     }
 
   path = g_build_filename (priv->deploy_dir, "metadata", NULL);
-  if (!g_file_get_contents (path, &metadata, NULL, error))
+  if (!g_file_get_contents (path, &metadata, &length, error))
     return NULL;
 
-  return metadata;
+  return g_bytes_new_take (metadata, length);
 }
 
 XdgAppInstalledRef *
diff --git a/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.h b/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.h
index ee591659a..28acd474e 100644
--- a/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.h
+++ b/lib/xdg-app-installed-ref.h
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ XDG_APP_EXTERN guint64     xdg_app_installed_ref_get_installed_size (XdgAppInsta
 XDG_APP_EXTERN const char *xdg_app_installed_ref_get_deploy_dir     (XdgAppInstalledRef  *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN const char *xdg_app_installed_ref_get_latest_commit  (XdgAppInstalledRef  *self);
 XDG_APP_EXTERN gboolean    xdg_app_installed_ref_get_is_current     (XdgAppInstalledRef  *self);
-XDG_APP_EXTERN char       *xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata      (XdgAppInstalledRef  *self,
+XDG_APP_EXTERN GBytes     *xdg_app_installed_ref_load_metadata      (XdgAppInstalledRef  *self,
                                                                      GCancellable        *cancellable,
                                                                      GError             **error);