diff --git a/firewood/src/merkle.rs b/firewood/src/merkle.rs
index f567c193f..81648f568 100644
--- a/firewood/src/merkle.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/merkle.rs
@@ -1491,28 +1491,22 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(encoded, new_node_encoded);
     }
 
-    #[test_case(leaf(Vec::new(), Vec::new()) ; "empty leaf encoding")]
-    #[test_case(leaf(vec![1, 2, 3], vec![4, 5]) ; "leaf encoding")]
-    #[test_case(branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), vec![1, 2, 3].into()) ; "branch with chd")]
-    #[test_case(branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), None); "branch without chd")]
-    #[test_case(branch(None, None); "branch without value and chd")]
-    fn node_encode_decode(node: Node) {
-        let merkle = create_test_merkle();
-        let node_ref = merkle.put_node(node.clone()).unwrap();
-
-        let encoded = merkle.encode(&node_ref).unwrap();
-        let new_node = Node::from(merkle.decode(encoded.as_ref()).unwrap());
-
-        assert_eq!(node, new_node);
-    }
-
-    #[test_case(leaf(Vec::new(), Vec::new()) ; "empty leaf encoding")]
-    #[test_case(leaf(vec![1, 2, 3], vec![4, 5]) ; "leaf encoding")]
-    #[test_case(branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), vec![1, 2, 3].into()) ; "branch with chd")]
-    #[test_case(branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), Some(Vec::new())); "branch with empty chd")]
-    #[test_case(branch(Some(Vec::new()), vec![1, 2, 3].into()); "branch with empty value")]
-    fn node_encode_decode_plain(node: Node) {
-        let merkle = create_generic_test_merkle::<PlainCodec>();
+    #[test_case(Bincode::new(), leaf(Vec::new(), Vec::new()) ; "empty leaf encoding with Bincode")]
+    #[test_case(Bincode::new(), leaf(vec![1, 2, 3], vec![4, 5]) ; "leaf encoding with Bincode")]
+    #[test_case(Bincode::new(), branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), vec![1, 2, 3].into()) ; "branch with chd with Bincode")]
+    #[test_case(Bincode::new(), branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), None); "branch without chd with Bincode")]
+    #[test_case(Bincode::new(), branch(None, None); "branch without value and chd with Bincode")]
+    #[test_case(PlainCodec::new(), leaf(Vec::new(), Vec::new()) ; "empty leaf encoding with PlainCodec")]
+    #[test_case(PlainCodec::new(), leaf(vec![1, 2, 3], vec![4, 5]) ; "leaf encoding with PlainCodec")]
+    #[test_case(PlainCodec::new(), branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), vec![1, 2, 3].into()) ; "branch with chd with PlainCodec")]
+    #[test_case(PlainCodec::new(), branch(Some(b"value".to_vec()), Some(Vec::new())); "branch with empty chd with PlainCodec")]
+    #[test_case(PlainCodec::new(), branch(Some(Vec::new()), vec![1, 2, 3].into()); "branch with empty value with PlainCodec")]
+    fn node_encode_decode<T>(_codec: T, node: Node)
+    where
+        T: BinarySerde,
+        for<'de> EncodedNode<T>: serde::Serialize + serde::Deserialize<'de>,
+    {
+        let merkle = create_generic_test_merkle::<T>();
         let node_ref = merkle.put_node(node.clone()).unwrap();
 
         let encoded = merkle.encode(&node_ref).unwrap();
diff --git a/firewood/src/merkle/node.rs b/firewood/src/merkle/node.rs
index 74ac9336d..e3c672a69 100644
--- a/firewood/src/merkle/node.rs
+++ b/firewood/src/merkle/node.rs
@@ -722,6 +722,7 @@ pub trait BinarySerde {
     ) -> Result<T, Self::DeserializeError>;
 }
 
+#[derive(Default)]
 pub struct Bincode(pub bincode::DefaultOptions);
 
 impl Debug for Bincode {
@@ -750,6 +751,7 @@ impl BinarySerde for Bincode {
     }
 }
 
+#[derive(Default)]
 pub struct PlainCodec(pub bincode::DefaultOptions);
 
 impl Debug for PlainCodec {