diff --git a/pkg/interp/decode.jq b/pkg/interp/decode.jq
index 6856b84f..a2692a35 100644
--- a/pkg/interp/decode.jq
+++ b/pkg/interp/decode.jq
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def decode: decode(options.decode_format; {});
 
 def topath: _decode_value(._path);
 def tovalue($opts): _tovalue(options($opts));
-def tovalue: _tovalue({});
+def tovalue: _tovalue(options({}));
 def toactual: _decode_value(._actual);
 def tosym: _decode_value(._sym);
 def todescription: _decode_value(._description);
diff --git a/pkg/interp/testdata/tovalue.fqtest b/pkg/interp/testdata/tovalue.fqtest
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5a49e994
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/interp/testdata/tovalue.fqtest
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+$ fq -i
+null> "aaa" | raw | .unknown0 | tovalue, tovalue({sizebase: 2})
+"<3>YWFh"
+"<0b11>YWFh"
+null> ^D
diff --git a/pkg/interp/testdata/value_null.fqtest b/pkg/interp/testdata/value_null.fqtest
index 26a5ecc9..1618e839 100644
--- a/pkg/interp/testdata/value_null.fqtest
+++ b/pkg/interp/testdata/value_null.fqtest
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ $ fq -i -d mp3 . /test.mp3
 mp3> .headers[0].padding | ., tovalue, type, length?
     |00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 0a 0b 0c 0d 0e 0f|0123456789abcdef|
 0x20|         00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00         |   ..........   |.headers[0].padding: raw bits (all zero)
-"<0b1010>AAAAAAAAAAAAAA=="
+"<10>AAAAAAAAAAAAAA=="
 "string"
 10
 mp3> .headers[0].padding[0] | ., type, length?