diff --git a/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_schema.erl b/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_schema.erl
index f22b93c6d..beb43adc3 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_schema.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_schema.erl
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@ schema(filemeta) ->
             {name,
                 hoconsc:mk(string(), #{
                     required => true,
-                    validator => validator(filename)
+                    validator => validator(filename),
+                    converter => converter(unicode_string)
                 })},
             {size, hoconsc:mk(non_neg_integer())},
             {expire_at, hoconsc:mk(non_neg_integer())},
@@ -220,6 +221,17 @@ converter(checksum) ->
             _ = is_binary(Hex) orelse throw({expected_type, string}),
             _ = byte_size(Hex) =:= 64 orelse throw({expected_length, 64}),
             {sha256, binary:decode_hex(Hex)}
+    end;
+converter(unicode_string) ->
+    fun
+        (undefined, #{}) ->
+            undefined;
+        (Str, #{make_serializable := true}) ->
+            _ = is_list(Str) orelse throw({expected_type, string}),
+            unicode:characters_to_binary(Str);
+        (Str, #{}) ->
+            _ = is_binary(Str) orelse throw({expected_type, string}),
+            unicode:characters_to_list(Str)
     end.
 
 ref(Ref) ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_storage_exporter_s3.erl b/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_storage_exporter_s3.erl
index 63df71179..259cb4016 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_storage_exporter_s3.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_ft/src/emqx_ft_storage_exporter_s3.erl
@@ -130,10 +130,13 @@ s3_headers({ClientId, FileId}, Filemeta) ->
         <<"x-amz-meta-clientid">> => ClientId,
         %% It [Topic Name] MUST be a UTF-8 Encoded String
         <<"x-amz-meta-fileid">> => FileId,
-        <<"x-amz-meta-filemeta">> => emqx_json:encode(emqx_ft:encode_filemeta(Filemeta)),
+        <<"x-amz-meta-filemeta">> => s3_header_filemeta(Filemeta),
         <<"x-amz-meta-filemeta-vsn">> => ?FILEMETA_VSN
     }.
 
+s3_header_filemeta(Filemeta) ->
+    emqx_json:encode(emqx_ft:encode_filemeta(Filemeta), [force_utf8, uescape]).
+
 list(Client, Options) ->
     case list_key_info(Client, Options) of
         {ok, KeyInfos} ->
diff --git a/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_SUITE.erl b/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_SUITE.erl
index e365cba85..c3ee7f271 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_SUITE.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_SUITE.erl
@@ -169,39 +169,38 @@ t_invalid_filename(Config) ->
     C = ?config(client, Config),
     ?assertRCName(
         unspecified_error,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f1">>), emqx_json:encode(meta(".", <<>>)), 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f1">>), encode_meta(meta(".", <<>>)), 1)
     ),
     ?assertRCName(
         unspecified_error,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f2">>), emqx_json:encode(meta("..", <<>>)), 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f2">>), encode_meta(meta("..", <<>>)), 1)
     ),
     ?assertRCName(
         unspecified_error,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f2">>), emqx_json:encode(meta("../nice", <<>>)), 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f2">>), encode_meta(meta("../nice", <<>>)), 1)
     ),
     ?assertRCName(
         unspecified_error,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f3">>), emqx_json:encode(meta("/etc/passwd", <<>>)), 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f3">>), encode_meta(meta("/etc/passwd", <<>>)), 1)
     ),
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f4">>), emqx_json:encode(meta("146%", <<>>)), 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(<<"f4">>), encode_meta(meta("146%", <<>>)), 1)
     ).
 
 t_simple_transfer(Config) ->
     C = ?config(client, Config),
 
-    Filename = <<"topsecret.pdf">>,
+    Filename = "topsecret.pdf",
     FileId = <<"f1">>,
 
     Data = [<<"first">>, <<"second">>, <<"third">>],
 
     Meta = #{size := Filesize} = meta(Filename, Data),
-    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(Meta),
 
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), MetaPayload, 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(Meta), 1)
     ),
 
     lists:foreach(
@@ -246,23 +245,21 @@ t_nasty_clientids_fileids(_Config) ->
 t_meta_conflict(Config) ->
     C = ?config(client, Config),
 
-    Filename = <<"topsecret.pdf">>,
+    Filename = "topsecret.pdf",
     FileId = <<"f1">>,
 
     Meta = meta(Filename, [<<"x">>]),
-    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(Meta),
 
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), MetaPayload, 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(Meta), 1)
     ),
 
-    ConflictMeta = Meta#{name => <<"conflict.pdf">>},
-    ConflictMetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(ConflictMeta),
+    ConflictMeta = Meta#{name => "conflict.pdf"},
 
     ?assertRCName(
         unspecified_error,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), ConflictMetaPayload, 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(ConflictMeta), 1)
     ).
 
 t_no_meta(Config) ->
@@ -284,17 +281,16 @@ t_no_meta(Config) ->
 t_no_segment(Config) ->
     C = ?config(client, Config),
 
-    Filename = <<"topsecret.pdf">>,
+    Filename = "topsecret.pdf",
     FileId = <<"f1">>,
 
     Data = [<<"first">>, <<"second">>, <<"third">>],
 
     Meta = #{size := Filesize} = meta(Filename, Data),
-    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(Meta),
 
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
-        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), MetaPayload, 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(Meta), 1)
     ),
 
     lists:foreach(
@@ -335,13 +331,13 @@ t_invalid_meta(Config) ->
 t_invalid_checksum(Config) ->
     C = ?config(client, Config),
 
-    Filename = <<"topsecret.pdf">>,
+    Filename = "topsecret.pdf",
     FileId = <<"f1">>,
 
     Data = [<<"first">>, <<"second">>, <<"third">>],
 
     Meta = #{size := Filesize} = meta(Filename, Data),
-    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(Meta#{checksum => sha256hex(<<"invalid">>)}),
+    MetaPayload = encode_meta(Meta#{checksum => {sha256, sha256(<<"invalid">>)}}),
 
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
@@ -366,7 +362,7 @@ t_invalid_checksum(Config) ->
 t_corrupted_segment_retry(Config) ->
     C = ?config(client, Config),
 
-    Filename = <<"corruption.pdf">>,
+    Filename = "corruption.pdf",
     FileId = <<"4242-4242">>,
 
     Data = [<<"first">>, <<"second">>, <<"third">>],
@@ -379,11 +375,11 @@ t_corrupted_segment_retry(Config) ->
         Checksum1,
         Checksum2,
         Checksum3
-    ] = [sha256hex(S) || S <- Data],
+    ] = [binary:encode_hex(sha256(S)) || S <- Data],
 
     Meta = #{size := Filesize} = meta(Filename, Data),
 
-    ?assertRCName(success, emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), emqx_json:encode(Meta), 1)),
+    ?assertRCName(success, emqtt:publish(C, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(Meta), 1)),
 
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
@@ -421,7 +417,7 @@ t_switch_node(Config) ->
     {ok, C1} = emqtt:start_link([{proto_ver, v5}, {clientid, ClientId}, {port, AdditionalNodePort}]),
     {ok, _} = emqtt:connect(C1),
 
-    Filename = <<"multinode_upload.txt">>,
+    Filename = "multinode_upload.txt",
     FileId = <<"f1">>,
 
     Data = [<<"first">>, <<"second">>, <<"third">>],
@@ -430,11 +426,10 @@ t_switch_node(Config) ->
     %% First, publist metadata and the first segment to the additional node
 
     Meta = #{size := Filesize} = meta(Filename, Data),
-    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(Meta),
 
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
-        emqtt:publish(C1, mk_init_topic(FileId), MetaPayload, 1)
+        emqtt:publish(C1, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(Meta), 1)
     ),
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
@@ -593,7 +588,7 @@ disown_mqtt_client(Context = #{}) ->
 send_filemeta(Meta, Context = #{client := Client, fileid := FileId}) ->
     ?assertRCName(
         success,
-        emqtt:publish(Client, mk_init_topic(FileId), emqx_json:encode(Meta), 1)
+        emqtt:publish(Client, mk_init_topic(FileId), encode_meta(Meta), 1)
     ),
     Context.
 
@@ -650,18 +645,21 @@ with_offsets(Items) ->
     ),
     List.
 
-sha256hex(Data) ->
-    binary:encode_hex(crypto:hash(sha256, Data)).
+sha256(Data) ->
+    crypto:hash(sha256, Data).
 
 meta(FileName, Data) ->
     FullData = iolist_to_binary(Data),
     #{
         name => FileName,
-        checksum => sha256hex(FullData),
+        checksum => {sha256, sha256(FullData)},
         expire_at => erlang:system_time(_Unit = second) + 3600,
         size => byte_size(FullData)
     }.
 
+encode_meta(Meta) ->
+    emqx_json:encode(emqx_ft:encode_filemeta(Meta)).
+
 list_files(ClientId) ->
     {ok, Files} = emqx_ft_storage:files(),
     [File || File = #{transfer := {CId, _}} <- Files, CId == ClientId].
diff --git a/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_test_helpers.erl b/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_test_helpers.erl
index 1e78f072e..b7004dcc6 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_test_helpers.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_ft/test/emqx_ft_test_helpers.erl
@@ -78,11 +78,13 @@ upload_file(ClientId, FileId, Name, Data, Node) ->
     {ok, C1} = emqtt:start_link([{proto_ver, v5}, {clientid, ClientId}, {port, Port}]),
     {ok, _} = emqtt:connect(C1),
     Meta = #{
-        name => unicode:characters_to_binary(Name),
+        name => Name,
         expire_at => erlang:system_time(_Unit = second) + 3600,
         size => Size
     },
-    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(Meta),
+    MetaPayload = emqx_json:encode(emqx_ft:encode_filemeta(Meta)),
+
+    ct:pal("MetaPayload = ~ts", [MetaPayload]),
 
     MetaTopic = <<"$file/", FileId/binary, "/init">>,
     {ok, _} = emqtt:publish(C1, MetaTopic, MetaPayload, 1),
diff --git a/mix.exs b/mix.exs
index 4f3d5a217..cd6d08fd1 100644
--- a/mix.exs
+++ b/mix.exs
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ defmodule EMQXUmbrella.MixProject do
       {:erlcloud, github: "emqx/erlcloud", tag: "3.6.8-emqx-1", override: true},
       # erlcloud's rebar.config requires rebar3 and does not support Mix,
       # so it tries to fetch deps from git. We need to override this.
-      {:lhttpc, github: "https://github.com/erlcloud/lhttpc", tag: "1.6.2", override: true},
+      {:lhttpc, github: "erlcloud/lhttpc", tag: "1.6.2", override: true},
       {:eini, "1.2.9", override: true},
       {:base16, "1.0.0", override: true}
       # end of erlcloud's deps