diff --git a/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.test.ts b/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.test.ts
index bf1eb5385d..ff6c76bf9a 100644
--- a/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.test.ts
+++ b/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.test.ts
@@ -107,12 +107,27 @@ it("keeps the compiler version beside a shortest-form empty text", () => {
   expect(result.entries).toHaveLength(2);
 });
 
+it("decodes distinct byte keys and distinct nested-container keys", () => {
+  expect(
+    inspectSolidityMetadata(bytecode("a2410101410202")).entries.map(
+      ({ key }) => key,
+    ),
+  ).toEqual([
+    { kind: "bytes", value: "01" },
+    { kind: "bytes", value: "02" },
+  ]);
+  expect(inspectSolidityMetadata(bytecode("a2810101810202"))).toMatchObject({
+    status: "partial",
+  });
+});
+
 it.each([
   ["invalid text", "a1617861ff"],
   ["truncated value", "a16178"],
   ["unsupported tag", "a16178c000"],
   ["floating point", "a16178fa3f800000"],
   ["duplicate key", "a2617801617802"],
+  ["duplicate byte key", "a2410101410102"],
   ["excessive nesting", "a16178" + "81".repeat(65) + "00"],
   ["impossible collection", "a161788a00"],
 ])("keeps exact ranges and unavailable interpretation for %s", (_name, hex) => {
diff --git a/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.ts b/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.ts
index 8a82bceed4..b5cdfb64b1 100644
--- a/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.ts
+++ b/src/evm/SolidityMetadata.ts
@@ -122,8 +122,21 @@ export const inspectSolidityMetadata = (
     });
     if (!(raw instanceof Map))
       throw new Error("Terminal CBOR candidate did not decode to a root map.");
-    for (const [key, value] of raw as Map<unknown, unknown>)
-      result.entries.push({ key: scalar(key), value: scalar(value) });
+    // cborg compares Map keys by identity, so repeated byte-string keys (each
+    // its own Uint8Array) pass its duplicate check; compare scalars by value.
+    const seen = new Set<string>();
+    for (const [key, value] of raw as Map<unknown, unknown>) {
+      const entry = { key: scalar(key), value: scalar(value) };
+      if (entry.key.kind !== "uninterpreted") {
+        const identity = JSON.stringify(entry.key);
+        if (seen.has(identity))
+          throw new Error(
+            `CBOR decode error: found repeat map key ${identity}`,
+          );
+        seen.add(identity);
+      }
+      result.entries.push(entry);
+    }
     result.status = result.entries.some(
       ({ key, value }) =>
         key.kind === "uninterpreted" || value.kind === "uninterpreted",