diff --git a/diced/src/diced_client_test.rs b/diced/src/diced_client_test.rs
index f579a4e..054b2d1 100644
--- a/diced/src/diced_client_test.rs
+++ b/diced/src/diced_client_test.rs
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 use diced_open_dice_cbor as dice;
 use nix::libc::uid_t;
 use std::convert::TryInto;
+use std::ffi::CString;
 
 static DICE_NODE_SERVICE_NAME: &str = "android.security.dice.IDiceNode";
 static DICE_MAINTENANCE_SERVICE_NAME: &str = "android.security.dice.IDiceMaintenance";
@@ -106,10 +107,11 @@
 }
 
 fn client_input_values(uid: uid_t) -> BinderInputValues {
+    let desc = CString::new(format!("{}", uid)).unwrap();
     BinderInputValues {
         codeHash: [0; dice::HASH_SIZE],
         config: BinderConfig {
-            desc: dice::bcc::format_config_descriptor(Some(&format!("{}", uid)), None, true)
+            desc: dice::retry_bcc_format_config_descriptor(Some(desc.as_c_str()), None, true)
                 .unwrap(),
         },
         authorityHash: [0; dice::HASH_SIZE],
diff --git a/diced/src/hal_node.rs b/diced/src/hal_node.rs
index d2e8b0c..453b12e 100644
--- a/diced/src/hal_node.rs
+++ b/diced/src/hal_node.rs
@@ -333,6 +333,7 @@
     use diced_open_dice_cbor as dice;
     use diced_sample_inputs;
     use diced_utils as utils;
+    use std::ffi::CStr;
 
     #[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone)]
     struct InsecureSerializableArtifacts {
@@ -371,7 +372,7 @@
 
     fn make_input_values(
         code: &str,
-        config_name: &str,
+        config_name: &CStr,
         authority: &str,
     ) -> Result<BinderInputValues> {
         let mut dice_ctx = dice::OpenDiceCborContext::new();
@@ -382,7 +383,7 @@
                 .as_slice()
                 .try_into()?,
             config: BinderConfig {
-                desc: dice::bcc::format_config_descriptor(Some(config_name), None, true)
+                desc: dice::retry_bcc_format_config_descriptor(Some(config_name), None, true)
                     .context("In make_input_values: Failed to format config descriptor.")?,
             },
             authorityHash: dice_ctx
@@ -405,9 +406,21 @@
             ResidentArtifacts::new(cdi_attest[..].try_into()?, cdi_seal[..].try_into()?, &bcc)?;
 
         let input_values = &[
-            make_input_values("component 1 code", "component 1", "component 1 authority")?,
-            make_input_values("component 2 code", "component 2", "component 2 authority")?,
-            make_input_values("component 3 code", "component 3", "component 3 authority")?,
+            make_input_values(
+                "component 1 code",
+                CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 1\0").unwrap(),
+                "component 1 authority",
+            )?,
+            make_input_values(
+                "component 2 code",
+                CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 2\0").unwrap(),
+                "component 2 authority",
+            )?,
+            make_input_values(
+                "component 3 code",
+                CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 3\0").unwrap(),
+                "component 3 authority",
+            )?,
         ];
         let new_artifacts = artifacts.execute_steps(input_values)?;
 
@@ -441,9 +454,21 @@
 
         let bcc_handover = hal_impl
             .derive(&[
-                make_input_values("component 1 code", "component 1", "component 1 authority")?,
-                make_input_values("component 2 code", "component 2", "component 2 authority")?,
-                make_input_values("component 3 code", "component 3", "component 3 authority")?,
+                make_input_values(
+                    "component 1 code",
+                    CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 1\0").unwrap(),
+                    "component 1 authority",
+                )?,
+                make_input_values(
+                    "component 2 code",
+                    CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 2\0").unwrap(),
+                    "component 2 authority",
+                )?,
+                make_input_values(
+                    "component 3 code",
+                    CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 3\0").unwrap(),
+                    "component 3 authority",
+                )?,
             ])
             .expect("Failed to derive artifacts.");
 
@@ -470,15 +495,23 @@
 
         hal_impl
             .demote(&[
-                make_input_values("component 1 code", "component 1", "component 1 authority")?,
-                make_input_values("component 2 code", "component 2", "component 2 authority")?,
+                make_input_values(
+                    "component 1 code",
+                    CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 1\0").unwrap(),
+                    "component 1 authority",
+                )?,
+                make_input_values(
+                    "component 2 code",
+                    CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 2\0").unwrap(),
+                    "component 2 authority",
+                )?,
             ])
             .expect("Failed to demote implementation.");
 
         let bcc_handover = hal_impl
             .derive(&[make_input_values(
                 "component 3 code",
-                "component 3",
+                CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"component 3\0").unwrap(),
                 "component 3 authority",
             )?])
             .expect("Failed to derive artifacts.");
diff --git a/diced/src/lib.rs b/diced/src/lib.rs
index 50e0e96..9e70ace 100644
--- a/diced/src/lib.rs
+++ b/diced/src/lib.rs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 use keystore2_selinux as selinux;
 use libc::uid_t;
 use permission::Permission;
+use std::ffi::CString;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 /// A DiceNode backend implementation.
@@ -97,11 +98,12 @@
 }
 
 fn client_input_values(uid: uid_t) -> Result<BinderInputValues> {
+    let desc = CString::new(format!("{}", uid)).unwrap();
     Ok(BinderInputValues {
         codeHash: [0; dice::HASH_SIZE],
         config: BinderConfig {
-            desc: dice::bcc::format_config_descriptor(Some(&format!("{}", uid)), None, false)
-                .context("In client_input_values: failed to format config descriptor")?,
+            desc: dice::retry_bcc_format_config_descriptor(Some(desc.as_c_str()), None, true)
+                .unwrap(),
         },
         authorityHash: [0; dice::HASH_SIZE],
         authorityDescriptor: None,
diff --git a/diced/src/sample_inputs.rs b/diced/src/sample_inputs.rs
index 0553327..3f36119 100644
--- a/diced/src/sample_inputs.rs
+++ b/diced/src/sample_inputs.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 use diced_utils::{cbor, to_dice_input_values};
 use keystore2_crypto::ZVec;
 use std::convert::TryInto;
+use std::ffi::CStr;
 use std::io::Write;
 
 /// Sample UDS used to perform the root dice flow by `make_sample_bcc_and_cdis`.
@@ -122,7 +123,7 @@
 fn make_input_values(
     code_hash: dice::Hash,
     authority_hash: dice::Hash,
-    config_name: &str,
+    config_name: &CStr,
     config_version: u64,
     config_resettable: bool,
     mode: Mode,
@@ -131,7 +132,7 @@
     Ok(BinderInputValues {
         codeHash: code_hash,
         config: BinderConfig {
-            desc: dice::bcc::format_config_descriptor(
+            desc: dice::retry_bcc_format_config_descriptor(
                 Some(config_name),
                 Some(config_version),
                 config_resettable,
@@ -201,9 +202,9 @@
         make_input_values(
             CODE_HASH1,
             AUTHORITY_HASH1,
-            "ABL", // config name
-            1,     // config version
-            true,  // resettable
+            CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"ABL\0").unwrap(), // config name
+            1,                                            // config version
+            true,                                         // resettable
             Mode::NORMAL,
             HIDDEN1,
         )
@@ -211,9 +212,9 @@
         make_input_values(
             CODE_HASH2,
             AUTHORITY_HASH2,
-            "AVB", // config name
-            1,     // config version
-            true,  // resettable
+            CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"AVB\0").unwrap(), // config name
+            1,                                            // config version
+            true,                                         // resettable
             Mode::NORMAL,
             HIDDEN2,
         )
@@ -221,9 +222,9 @@
         make_input_values(
             [0; dice::HASH_SIZE], // code hash
             AUTHORITY_HASH3,
-            "Android", // config name
-            12,        // config version
-            true,      // resettable
+            CStr::from_bytes_with_nul(b"Android\0").unwrap(), // config name
+            12,                                               // config version
+            true,                                             // resettable
             Mode::NORMAL,
             [0; dice::HIDDEN_SIZE], // hidden,
         )