diff --git a/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs b/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs
index 7d867ff23e..9ac974ac31 100644
--- a/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs
+++ b/rust/src/detect/transform_base64.rs
@@ -47,11 +47,22 @@ pub struct SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data {
     offset: u32,
     offset_str: *const c_char,
     mode: SCBase64Mode,
+
+    // serialized data for hashing
+    serialized: *const u8,
+    serialized_len: u32,
 }
 
 impl Drop for SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
         unsafe {
+            if !self.serialized.is_null() {
+                drop(Vec::from_raw_parts(
+                    self.serialized as *mut u8,
+                    self.serialized_len as usize,
+                    self.serialized_len as usize,
+                ));
+            }
             if !self.offset_str.is_null() {
                 let _ = CString::from_raw(self.offset_str as *mut c_char);
             }
@@ -70,6 +81,8 @@ impl Default for SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data {
             offset: 0,
             offset_str: std::ptr::null_mut(),
             mode: TRANSFORM_FROM_BASE64_MODE_DEFAULT,
+            serialized: std::ptr::null_mut(),
+            serialized_len: 0,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -80,6 +93,22 @@ impl SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data {
             ..Default::default()
         }
     }
+
+    pub fn serialize(&mut self, nbytes: &str, offset: &str) {
+        let mut r = Vec::with_capacity(12 + nbytes.len() + offset.len());
+        r.push(self.flags);
+        r.push(self.mode as u8);
+        r.extend_from_slice(&self.nbytes.to_le_bytes());
+        r.extend_from_slice(&self.offset.to_le_bytes());
+        r.push(nbytes.len() as u8);
+        r.extend_from_slice(nbytes.as_bytes());
+        r.push(offset.len() as u8);
+        r.extend_from_slice(offset.as_bytes());
+        self.serialized_len = r.len() as u32;
+        let ptr = r.as_mut_ptr();
+        std::mem::forget(r);
+        self.serialized = ptr;
+    }
 }
 
 fn get_mode_value(value: &str) -> Option<SCBase64Mode> {
@@ -117,6 +146,8 @@ fn parse_transform_base64(
             DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_MAX_PARAM_COUNT, input)));
     }
 
+    let mut nbytes_str = String::new();
+    let mut offset_str = String::new();
     for value in values {
         let (mut val, mut name) = take_until_whitespace(value)?;
         val = val.trim();
@@ -152,17 +183,10 @@ fn parse_transform_base64(
                             )));
                         }
                     }
-                    ResultValue::String(val) => match CString::new(val) {
-                        Ok(newval) => {
-                            transform_base64.offset_str = newval.into_raw();
-                            transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET_VAR;
-                        }
-                        _ => {
-                            return Err(make_error(
-                                "parse string not safely convertible to C".to_string(),
-                            ))
-                        }
-                    },
+                    ResultValue::String(val) => {
+                        offset_str = val.clone();
+                        transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET_VAR;
+                    }
                 }
 
                 transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET;
@@ -186,17 +210,10 @@ fn parse_transform_base64(
                             )));
                         }
                     }
-                    ResultValue::String(val) => match CString::new(val) {
-                        Ok(newval) => {
-                            transform_base64.nbytes_str = newval.into_raw();
-                            transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES_VAR;
-                        }
-                        _ => {
-                            return Err(make_error(
-                                "parse string not safely convertible to C".to_string(),
-                            ))
-                        }
-                    },
+                    ResultValue::String(val) => {
+                        nbytes_str = val.clone();
+                        transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES_VAR;
+                    }
                 }
                 transform_base64.flags |= DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES;
             }
@@ -206,6 +223,25 @@ fn parse_transform_base64(
         };
     }
 
+    transform_base64.serialize(&nbytes_str, &offset_str);
+    if (transform_base64.flags & DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_NBYTES_VAR) != 0 {
+        if let Ok(newval) = CString::new(nbytes_str) {
+            transform_base64.nbytes_str = newval.into_raw();
+        } else {
+            return Err(make_error(
+                "parse string not safely convertible to C".to_string(),
+            ));
+        }
+    }
+    if (transform_base64.flags & DETECT_TRANSFORM_BASE64_FLAG_OFFSET_VAR) != 0 {
+        if let Ok(newval) = CString::new(offset_str) {
+            transform_base64.offset_str = newval.into_raw();
+        } else {
+            return Err(make_error(
+                "parse string not safely convertible to C".to_string(),
+            ));
+        }
+    }
     Ok((input, transform_base64))
 }
 
@@ -283,6 +319,8 @@ mod tests {
                 std::ptr::null_mut()
             },
             mode,
+            serialized: std::ptr::null_mut(),
+            serialized_len: 0,
         };
 
         let (_, val) = parse_transform_base64(args).unwrap();
diff --git a/src/detect-transform-base64.c b/src/detect-transform-base64.c
index 6e3b58c800..fa493042ae 100644
--- a/src/detect-transform-base64.c
+++ b/src/detect-transform-base64.c
@@ -46,11 +46,8 @@ static void DetectTransformFromBase64Id(const uint8_t **data, uint32_t *length,
 {
     if (context) {
         SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data *b64d = (SCDetectTransformFromBase64Data *)context;
-        /* Since the context structure contains the unique values for the keyword usage,
-         * a pointer to the context structure is returned.
-         */
-        *data = (const uint8_t *)b64d;
-        *length = sizeof(*b64d);
+        *data = b64d->serialized;
+        *length = b64d->serialized_len;
     }
 }