diff --git a/examples/example_host.cpp b/examples/example_host.cpp
index 767edf7be..c13d87640 100644
--- a/examples/example_host.cpp
+++ b/examples/example_host.cpp
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ class ExampleHost : public evmc::Host
 
         return (number < current_block_number && number >= current_block_number - 256) ?
                    0xb10c8a5fb10c8a5fb10c8a5fb10c8a5fb10c8a5fb10c8a5fb10c8a5fb10c8a5f_bytes32 :
-                   0_bytes32;
+                   0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_bytes32;
     }
 
     void emit_log(const evmc::address& addr,
diff --git a/include/evmc/evmc.hpp b/include/evmc/evmc.hpp
index 57f0faa9d..b2f925bdf 100644
--- a/include/evmc/evmc.hpp
+++ b/include/evmc/evmc.hpp
@@ -322,14 +322,12 @@ constexpr T from_literal() noexcept
 {
     constexpr auto size = sizeof...(c);
     constexpr char literal[] = {c...};
-    constexpr bool is_simple_zero = size == 1 && literal[0] == '0';
 
-    static_assert(is_simple_zero || (literal[0] == '0' && literal[1] == 'x'),
+    static_assert(size > 2 && literal[0] == '0' && literal[1] == 'x',
                   "literal must be in hexadecimal notation");
-    static_assert(is_simple_zero || size == 2 * sizeof(T) + 2,
-                  "literal must match the result type size");
+    static_assert(size == 2 * sizeof(T) + 2, "literal must match the result type size");
 
-    return is_simple_zero ? T{} : from_hex<T>(&literal[2]);
+    return from_hex<T>(&literal[2]);
 }
 }  // namespace internal
 
diff --git a/test/unittests/cpp_test.cpp b/test/unittests/cpp_test.cpp
index 527aa7286..af3213d45 100644
--- a/test/unittests/cpp_test.cpp
+++ b/test/unittests/cpp_test.cpp
@@ -348,8 +348,9 @@ TEST(cpp, literals)
     constexpr auto address1 = 0xa0a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9d0d1d2d3d4d5d6d7d8d9_address;
     constexpr auto hash1 =
         0x01020304050607080910a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9b0c1c2c3c4c5c6c7c8c9d0d1d2_bytes32;
-    constexpr auto zero_address = 0_address;
-    constexpr auto zero_hash = 0_bytes32;
+    constexpr auto zero_address = 0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000_address;
+    constexpr auto zero_hash =
+        0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_bytes32;
 
     static_assert(address1.bytes[0] == 0xa0);
     static_assert(address1.bytes[9] == 0xa9);
@@ -361,8 +362,9 @@ TEST(cpp, literals)
     static_assert(zero_address == evmc::address{});
     static_assert(zero_hash == evmc::bytes32{});
 
-    EXPECT_EQ(0_address, evmc::address{});
-    EXPECT_EQ(0_bytes32, evmc::bytes32{});
+    EXPECT_EQ(0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000_address, evmc::address{});
+    EXPECT_EQ(0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000_bytes32,
+              evmc::bytes32{});
 
     auto a1 = 0xa0a1a2a3a4a5a6a7a8a9d0d1d2d3d4d5d6d7d8d9_address;
     evmc::address e1{{{0xa0, 0xa1, 0xa2, 0xa3, 0xa4, 0xa5, 0xa6, 0xa7, 0xa8, 0xa9,