diff --git a/tests/data_files/.gitattributes b/tests/data_files/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e72d32c601a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/data_files/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+*.bin -text
diff --git a/tests/data_files/Makefile b/tests/data_files/Makefile
index 2cd9d2be0158..8f97b8cd01e5 100644
--- a/tests/data_files/Makefile
+++ b/tests/data_files/Makefile
@@ -1128,7 +1128,7 @@ tls13_certs: ecdsa_secp521r1.crt ecdsa_secp521r1.key
 # PKCS7 test data
 pkcs7_test_cert_1 = pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt
 pkcs7_test_cert_2 = pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.crt
-pkcs7_test_file = pkcs7_data.txt
+pkcs7_test_file = pkcs7_data.bin
 
 # Generate signing cert
 pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt:
@@ -1141,46 +1141,34 @@ pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.crt:
 	cat pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.crt pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.key > pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.pem
 all_final += pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.crt
 
-# Generate data file to be signed
-pkcs7_data.txt:
-	echo "Hello" > $@
-	echo 2 >> pkcs7_data_1.txt
-all_final += pkcs7_data.txt
-
-# Generate another data file to check hash mismatch during certificate verification
-pkcs7_data_1.txt: $(pkcs7_test_file)
-	cat $(pkcs7_test_file) > $@
-	echo 2 >> $@
-all_final += pkcs7_data_1.txt
-
 # pkcs7 signature file with CERT
 pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.txt -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.bin -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
 all_final += pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der
 
 # pkcs7 signature file with CERT and sha1
 pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha1.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.txt -out $@ -md sha1 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.bin -out $@ -md sha1 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
 all_final += pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha1.der
 
 # pkcs7 signature file with CERT and sha512
 pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha512.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.txt -out $@ -md sha512 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.bin -out $@ -md sha512 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
 all_final += pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha512.der
 
 # pkcs7 signature file without CERT
 pkcs7_data_without_cert_signed.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.txt -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -nocerts -noattr -outform DER -out $@
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.bin -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -nocerts -noattr -outform DER -out $@
 all_final += pkcs7_data_without_cert_signed.der
 
 # pkcs7 signature file with multiple signers
 pkcs7_data_multiple_signed.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1) $(pkcs7_test_cert_2)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.txt -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.pem -nocerts -noattr -outform DER -out $@
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.bin -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.pem -nocerts -noattr -outform DER -out $@
 all_final += pkcs7_data_multiple_signed.der
 
 # pkcs7 signature file with multiple certificates
 pkcs7_data_multiple_certs_signed.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1) $(pkcs7_test_cert_2)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.txt -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -sign -binary -in pkcs7_data.bin -out $@ -md sha256 -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.pem -signer pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.pem -noattr -outform DER -out $@
 all_final += pkcs7_data_multiple_certs_signed.der
 
 # pkcs7 signature file with corrupted CERT
@@ -1202,7 +1190,7 @@ pkcs7_data_cert_signed_v2.der: pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der
 all_final += pkcs7_data_cert_signed_v2.der
 
 pkcs7_data_cert_encrypted.der: $(pkcs7_test_file) $(pkcs7_test_cert_1)
-	$(OPENSSL) smime -encrypt -aes256 -in pkcs7_data.txt -binary -outform DER -out $@ pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt
+	$(OPENSSL) smime -encrypt -aes256 -in pkcs7_data.bin -binary -outform DER -out $@ pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt
 all_final += pkcs7_data_cert_encrypted.der
 
 ## Negative tests
diff --git a/tests/data_files/pkcs7_data.txt b/tests/data_files/pkcs7_data.bin
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/data_files/pkcs7_data.txt
rename to tests/data_files/pkcs7_data.bin
diff --git a/tests/data_files/pkcs7_data_1.txt b/tests/data_files/pkcs7_data_1.bin
similarity index 100%
rename from tests/data_files/pkcs7_data_1.txt
rename to tests/data_files/pkcs7_data_1.bin
diff --git a/tests/suites/test_suite_pkcs7.data b/tests/suites/test_suite_pkcs7.data
index 75ee9f6b0396..4af0edad3768 100644
--- a/tests/suites/test_suite_pkcs7.data
+++ b/tests/suites/test_suite_pkcs7.data
@@ -27,24 +27,24 @@ PKCS7 Signed Data Parse Fail Encrypted Content #8
 pkcs7_parse_content_oid:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_encrypted.der"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Verification Pass SHA256 #9
-pkcs7_verify:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.txt"
+pkcs7_verify:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.bin"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Verification Pass SHA256 #9.1
-pkcs7_verify_hash:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.txt"
+pkcs7_verify_hash:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.bin"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Verification Pass SHA1 #10
 depends_on:MBEDTLS_SHA1_C
-pkcs7_verify:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha1.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.txt"
+pkcs7_verify:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha1.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.bin"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Verification Pass SHA512 #11
 depends_on:MBEDTLS_SHA512_C
-pkcs7_verify:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha512.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.txt"
+pkcs7_verify:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha512.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.bin"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Verification Fail because of different certificate #12
-pkcs7_verify_badcert:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.txt"
+pkcs7_verify_badcert:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-2.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data.bin"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Verification Fail because of different data hash #13
-pkcs7_verify_tampered_data:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data_1.txt"
+pkcs7_verify_tampered_data:"data_files/pkcs7_data_cert_signed_sha256.der":"data_files/pkcs7-rsa-sha256-1.crt":"data_files/pkcs7_data_1.bin"
 
 PKCS7 Signed Data Parse Failure Corrupt signerInfo.issuer #15.1
 pkcs7_parse_failure:"data_files/pkcs7_signerInfo_issuer_invalid_size.der"