diff --git a/lib/core/agent.py b/lib/core/agent.py
index b3eba4508..98f069110 100644
--- a/lib/core/agent.py
+++ b/lib/core/agent.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from lib.core.common import isDBMSVersionAtLeast
 from lib.core.common import isTechniqueAvailable
 from lib.core.common import randomInt
 from lib.core.common import randomStr
+from lib.core.common import singleTimeWarnMessage
 from lib.core.convert import urlencode
 from lib.core.data import conf
 from lib.core.data import kb
@@ -286,11 +287,22 @@ class Agent:
         if field.startswith("(CASE") or field.startswith("(IIF"):
             nulledCastedField = field
         else:
-            nulledCastedField = queries[Backend.getIdentifiedDbms()].cast.query % field
+            _ = queries[Backend.getIdentifiedDbms()]
+            nulledCastedField = _.cast.query % field
             if Backend.isDbms(DBMS.ACCESS):
-                nulledCastedField = queries[Backend.getIdentifiedDbms()].isnull.query % (nulledCastedField, nulledCastedField)
+                nulledCastedField = _.isnull.query % (nulledCastedField, nulledCastedField)
             else:
-                nulledCastedField = queries[Backend.getIdentifiedDbms()].isnull.query % nulledCastedField
+                nulledCastedField = _.isnull.query % nulledCastedField
+
+            if conf.hexConvert:
+                if 'hex' in _:
+                    nulledCastedField = _.hex.query % nulledCastedField
+                else:
+                    warnMsg = "switch '--hex' is currently not supported on DBMS '%s'. " % Backend.getIdentifiedDbms()
+                    warnMsg += "Going to switch it off"
+                    singleTimeWarnMessage(warnMsg)
+
+                    conf.hexConvert = False
 
         return nulledCastedField
 
diff --git a/lib/core/common.py b/lib/core/common.py
index cb7f98c05..028796553 100644
--- a/lib/core/common.py
+++ b/lib/core/common.py
@@ -1234,6 +1234,7 @@ def parseUnionPage(output, unique=True):
 
         for entry in output:
             entry = entry.group(1)
+            entry = decodeHexValue(entry) if conf.hexConvert else entry
 
             if unique:
                 key = entry.lower()
@@ -3098,35 +3099,63 @@ def getCounter(technique):
 
     return kb.counters.get(technique, 0)
 
+def applyFunctionRecursively(value, function):
+    """
+    Applies function recursively through list-like structures
+    """
+
+    if isinstance(value, (list, tuple, set, BigArray)):
+        retVal = [applyFunctionRecursively(_, function) for _ in value]
+    else:
+        retVal = function(value)
+
+    return retVal
+
+def decodeHexValue(value):
+    """
+    Returns value decoded from DBMS specific hexadecimal representation
+    """
+
+    def _(value):
+        if isinstance(value, basestring) and len(value) % 2 == 0:
+            if Backend.getIdentifiedDbms() in (DBMS.MYSQL, DBMS.ORACLE, DBMS.PGSQL):
+                value = value.decode("hex")
+            elif Backend.isDbms(DBMS.MSSQL):
+                value = value[2:].decode("hex")
+                if value[1] == '\x00':
+                    value = value.decode("utf16")
+        return value
+
+    return applyFunctionRecursively(value, _)
+
 def extractExpectedValue(value, expected):
     """
     Extracts and returns expected value by a given type
     """
 
-    if not expected:
-        return value
+    if expected:
+        value = unArrayizeValue(value)
 
-    value = unArrayizeValue(value)
+        if isNoneValue(value):
+            value = None
+        elif expected == EXPECTED.BOOL:
+            if isinstance(value, int):
+                value = bool(value)
+            elif isinstance(value, basestring):
+                value = value.strip().lower()
+                if value in ("true", "false"):
+                    value = value == "true"
+                elif value in ("1", "-1"):
+                    value = True
+                elif value == "0":
+                    value = False
+                else:
+                    value = None
+        elif expected == EXPECTED.INT:
+            if isinstance(value, basestring):
+                if value.isdigit():
+                    value = int(value)
+                else:
+                    value = None
 
-    if isNoneValue(value):
-        value = None
-    elif expected == EXPECTED.BOOL:
-        if isinstance(value, int):
-            value = bool(value)
-        elif isinstance(value, basestring):
-            value = value.strip().lower()
-            if value in ("true", "false"):
-                value = value == "true"
-            elif value in ("1", "-1"):
-                value = True
-            elif value == "0":
-                value = False
-            else:
-                value = None
-    elif expected == EXPECTED.INT:
-        if isinstance(value, basestring):
-            if value.isdigit():
-                value = int(value)
-            else:
-                value = None
     return value
diff --git a/lib/core/optiondict.py b/lib/core/optiondict.py
index bd0e602e8..f4fdbfd27 100644
--- a/lib/core/optiondict.py
+++ b/lib/core/optiondict.py
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ optDict = {
                                "flushSession":      "boolean",
                                "forms":             "boolean",
                                "freshQueries":      "boolean",
+                               "hexConvert":        "boolean",
                                "parseErrors":       "boolean",
                                "replicate":         "boolean",
                                "updateAll":         "boolean",
diff --git a/lib/parse/cmdline.py b/lib/parse/cmdline.py
index 59f5d4287..6a35de77c 100644
--- a/lib/parse/cmdline.py
+++ b/lib/parse/cmdline.py
@@ -522,6 +522,10 @@ def cmdLineParser():
                             action="store_true",
                             help="Ignores query results stored in session file")
 
+        general.add_option("--hex", dest="hexConvert",
+                            action="store_true",
+                            help="Uses DBMS hex conversion function(s) for data retrieval")
+
         general.add_option("--parse-errors", dest="parseErrors",
                                   action="store_true",
                                   help="Parse and display DBMS error messages from responses")
diff --git a/lib/techniques/blind/inference.py b/lib/techniques/blind/inference.py
index 0ed91a94e..038ad4105 100644
--- a/lib/techniques/blind/inference.py
+++ b/lib/techniques/blind/inference.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import traceback
 from lib.core.agent import agent
 from lib.core.common import Backend
 from lib.core.common import dataToStdout
+from lib.core.common import decodeHexValue
 from lib.core.common import decodeIntToUnicode
 from lib.core.common import filterControlChars
 from lib.core.common import getCharset
@@ -520,6 +521,7 @@ def bisection(payload, expression, length=None, charsetType=None, firstChar=None
         logger.info(infoMsg)
 
     if finalValue is not None:
+        finalValue = decodeHexValue(finalValue) if conf.hexConvert else finalValue
         conf.hashDB.write(expression, finalValue)
     else:
         conf.hashDB.write(expression, "%s%s" % (PARTIAL_VALUE_MARKER, partialValue))
diff --git a/lib/techniques/error/use.py b/lib/techniques/error/use.py
index ee32aa435..a3e6eefa0 100644
--- a/lib/techniques/error/use.py
+++ b/lib/techniques/error/use.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from lib.core.bigarray import BigArray
 from lib.core.common import Backend
 from lib.core.common import calculateDeltaSeconds
 from lib.core.common import dataToStdout
+from lib.core.common import decodeHexValue
 from lib.core.common import extractRegexResult
 from lib.core.common import getUnicode
 from lib.core.common import incrementCounter
@@ -123,6 +124,8 @@ def __oneShotErrorUse(expression, field):
                 retVal = output
                 break
 
+        retVal = decodeHexValue(retVal) if conf.hexConvert else retVal
+
         if isinstance(retVal, basestring):
             retVal = htmlunescape(retVal).replace("<br>", "\n")
 
diff --git a/sqlmap.conf b/sqlmap.conf
index 5430f08d4..85445d9ed 100644
--- a/sqlmap.conf
+++ b/sqlmap.conf
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ proxy =
 # Syntax: username:password
 pCred =
 
-# Ignore system default HTTP proxy
+# Ignore system default HTTP proxy.
 # Valid: True or False
 ignoreProxy = False
 
@@ -121,21 +121,21 @@ timeout = 30
 # Default: 3
 retries = 3
 
-# Regular expression for filtering targets from provided Burp
+# Regular expression for filtering targets from provided Burp.
 # or WebScarab proxy log.
 # Example: (google|yahoo)
 scope = 
 
-# Url address to visit frequently during testing
+# Url address to visit frequently during testing.
 # Example: http://192.168.1.121/index.html
 safUrl = 
 
-# Test requests between two visits to a given safe url (default 0)
+# Test requests between two visits to a given safe url (default 0).
 # Valid: integer
 # Default: 0
 saFreq = 0
 
-# Evaluate provided Python code before the request
+# Evaluate provided Python code before the request.
 # Example: import hashlib;id2=hashlib.md5(id).hexdigest()
 evalCode = 
 
@@ -188,20 +188,20 @@ dbms =
 # Valid: linux, windows
 os = 
 
-# Injection payload prefix string
+# Injection payload prefix string.
 prefix = 
 
-# Injection payload suffix string
+# Injection payload suffix string.
 suffix = 
 
-# Use logic operation(s) instead of negating values
+# Use logic operation(s) instead of negating values.
 # Valid: True or False
 logicNegative = False
 
-# Skip testing for given parameter(s)
+# Skip testing for given parameter(s).
 skip =
 
-# Use given script(s) for tampering injection data
+# Use given script(s) for tampering injection data.
 tamper = 
 
 
@@ -209,14 +209,14 @@ tamper =
 # content from HTTP responses when using blind SQL injection technique.
 [Detection]
 
-# Level of tests to perform
+# Level of tests to perform.
 # The higher the value is, the higher the number of HTTP(s) requests are
 # as well as the better chances to detect a tricky SQL injection.
 # Valid: Integer between 1 and 5
 # Default: 1
 level = 1
 
-# Risk of tests to perform
+# Risk of tests to perform.
 # Note: boolean-based blind SQL injection tests with AND are considered
 # risk 1, with OR are considered risk 3.
 # Valid: Integer between 0 and 3
@@ -236,17 +236,17 @@ string =
 # (http://www.python.org/doc/2.5.2/lib/re-syntax.html)
 regexp = 
 
-# HTTP response code to match when the query is valid
+# HTTP response code to match when the query is valid.
 # Valid: Integer
 # Example: 200 (assuming any False statement returns a different response
 # code)
 # code = 
 
-# Compare pages based only on the textual content
+# Compare pages based only on the textual content.
 # Valid: True or False
 textOnly = False
 
-# Compare pages based only on their titles
+# Compare pages based only on their titles.
 # Valid: True or False
 titles = False
 
@@ -497,28 +497,28 @@ tmpPath =
 # system Windows registry.
 [Windows]
 
-# Read a Windows registry key value
+# Read a Windows registry key value.
 # Valid: True or False
 regRead = False
 
-# Write a Windows registry key value data
+# Write a Windows registry key value data.
 # Valid: True or False
 regAdd = False
 
-# Delete a Windows registry key value
+# Delete a Windows registry key value.
 # Valid: True or False
 regDel = False
 
-# Windows registry key
+# Windows registry key.
 regKey = 
 
-# Windows registry key value
+# Windows registry key value.
 regVal = 
 
-# Windows registry key value data
+# Windows registry key value data.
 regData = 
 
-# Windows registry key value type
+# Windows registry key value type.
 regType = 
 
 
@@ -538,11 +538,11 @@ batch = False
 # Force character encoding used for data retrieval.
 charset = 
 
-# Check to see if Tor is used properly
+# Check to see if Tor is used properly.
 # Valid: True or False
 checkTor = False
 
-# Crawl the website starting from the target url
+# Crawl the website starting from the target url.
 # Valid: integer
 # Default: 0
 crawlDepth = 0
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ eta = False
 # Valid: True or False
 flushSession = False
 
-# Parse and test forms on target url
+# Parse and test forms on target url.
 # Valid: True or False
 forms = False
 
@@ -568,6 +568,10 @@ forms = False
 # Valid: True or False
 freshQueries = False
 
+# Uses DBMS hex conversion function(s) for data retrieval.
+# Valid: True or False
+hexConvert = False
+
 # Parse and display DBMS error messages from responses.
 # Valid: True or False
 parseErrors = False
@@ -580,7 +584,7 @@ replicate = False
 # Valid: True or False
 tor = False
 
-# Set Tor proxy port other than default
+# Set Tor proxy port other than default.
 # Valid: integer
 # torPort =