diff --git a/zokrates_cli/tests/integration.rs b/zokrates_cli/tests/integration.rs
index 1266d60b..e8bf9bb1 100644
--- a/zokrates_cli/tests/integration.rs
+++ b/zokrates_cli/tests/integration.rs
@@ -269,8 +269,23 @@ mod integration {
                 .succeeds()
                 .unwrap();
 
-                // TEST VERIFIER
+                // CLI VERIFICATION
+                assert_cli::Assert::command(&[
+                    "../target/release/zokrates",
+                    "verify",
+                    "--backend",
+                    backend,
+                    "--proving-scheme",
+                    scheme,
+                    "-j",
+                    proof_path.to_str().unwrap(),
+                    "-v",
+                    verification_key_path.to_str().unwrap(),
+                ])
+                .succeeds()
+                .unwrap();
 
+                // TEST VERIFIER
                 assert_cli::Assert::command(&[
                     "node",
                     "test.js",
diff --git a/zokrates_core/src/proof_system/bellman/groth16.rs b/zokrates_core/src/proof_system/bellman/groth16.rs
index aa3d8752..9a66fb83 100644
--- a/zokrates_core/src/proof_system/bellman/groth16.rs
+++ b/zokrates_core/src/proof_system/bellman/groth16.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ use bellman::groth16::{
     prepare_verifying_key, verify_proof, Parameters, PreparedVerifyingKey, Proof as BellmanProof,
     VerifyingKey,
 };
+use pairing::{CurveAffine, Engine};
 use regex::Regex;
 
 use zokrates_field::Field;
@@ -25,6 +26,16 @@ pub struct ProofPoints {
     c: G1Affine,
 }
 
+impl ProofPoints {
+    fn into_bellman<T: Field>(self) -> BellmanProof<T::BellmanEngine> {
+        BellmanProof {
+            a: serialization::to_g1::<T>(self.a),
+            b: serialization::to_g2::<T>(self.b),
+            c: serialization::to_g1::<T>(self.c),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(Serialize, Deserialize)]
 pub struct VerificationKey {
     alpha: G1Affine,
@@ -32,7 +43,24 @@ pub struct VerificationKey {
     gamma: G2Affine,
     delta: G2Affine,
     gamma_abc: Vec<G1Affine>,
-    raw: String,
+}
+
+impl VerificationKey {
+    fn into_bellman<T: Field>(self) -> VerifyingKey<T::BellmanEngine> {
+        VerifyingKey {
+            alpha_g1: serialization::to_g1::<T>(self.alpha),
+            beta_g1: <T::BellmanEngine as Engine>::G1Affine::one(), // not used during verification
+            beta_g2: serialization::to_g2::<T>(self.beta),
+            gamma_g2: serialization::to_g2::<T>(self.gamma),
+            delta_g1: <T::BellmanEngine as Engine>::G1Affine::one(), // not used during verification
+            delta_g2: serialization::to_g2::<T>(self.delta),
+            ic: self
+                .gamma_abc
+                .into_iter()
+                .map(|g1| serialization::to_g1::<T>(g1))
+                .collect(),
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 impl<T: Field> ProofSystem<T> for G16 {
@@ -47,10 +75,8 @@ impl<T: Field> ProofSystem<T> for G16 {
         let parameters = Computation::without_witness(program).setup();
 
         let mut pk: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
-        let mut vk_raw: Vec<u8> = Vec::new();
 
         parameters.write(&mut pk).unwrap();
-        parameters.vk.write(&mut vk_raw).unwrap();
 
         let vk = VerificationKey {
             alpha: parse_g1::<T>(&parameters.vk.alpha_g1),
@@ -63,7 +89,6 @@ impl<T: Field> ProofSystem<T> for G16 {
                 .iter()
                 .map(|g1| parse_g1::<T>(g1))
                 .collect(),
-            raw: hex::encode(vk_raw),
         };
 
         SetupKeypair::new(vk, pk)
@@ -179,15 +204,11 @@ impl<T: Field> ProofSystem<T> for G16 {
     }
 
     fn verify(vk: VerificationKey, proof: Proof<ProofPoints>) -> bool {
-        let vk_raw = hex::decode(vk.raw.clone()).unwrap();
-        let proof_raw = hex::decode(proof.raw.clone()).unwrap();
-
-        let vk: VerifyingKey<T::BellmanEngine> = VerifyingKey::read(vk_raw.as_slice()).unwrap();
+        let vk: VerifyingKey<T::BellmanEngine> = vk.into_bellman::<T>();
 
         let pvk: PreparedVerifyingKey<T::BellmanEngine> = prepare_verifying_key(&vk);
 
-        let bellman_proof: BellmanProof<T::BellmanEngine> =
-            BellmanProof::read(proof_raw.as_slice()).unwrap();
+        let bellman_proof: BellmanProof<T::BellmanEngine> = proof.proof.into_bellman::<T>();
 
         let public_inputs: Vec<_> = proof
             .inputs
@@ -203,6 +224,26 @@ impl<T: Field> ProofSystem<T> for G16 {
     }
 }
 
+mod serialization {
+    use pairing::{from_hex, CurveAffine, Engine};
+    use proof_system::{G1Affine, G2Affine};
+    use zokrates_field::Field;
+
+    pub fn to_g1<T: Field>(g1: G1Affine) -> <T::BellmanEngine as Engine>::G1Affine {
+        <T::BellmanEngine as Engine>::G1Affine::from_xy_checked(
+            from_hex(&g1.0).unwrap(),
+            from_hex(&g1.1).unwrap(),
+        )
+        .unwrap()
+    }
+    pub fn to_g2<T: Field>(g2: G2Affine) -> <T::BellmanEngine as Engine>::G2Affine {
+        // apparently the order is reversed
+        let x = T::new_fq2(&(g2.0).1, &(g2.0).0);
+        let y = T::new_fq2(&(g2.1).1, &(g2.1).0);
+        <T::BellmanEngine as Engine>::G2Affine::from_xy_checked(x, y).unwrap()
+    }
+}
+
 const CONTRACT_TEMPLATE_V2: &str = r#"
 contract Verifier {
     using Pairing for *;
diff --git a/zokrates_field/src/bls12_381.rs b/zokrates_field/src/bls12_381.rs
index 852c9a9f..08abcacc 100644
--- a/zokrates_field/src/bls12_381.rs
+++ b/zokrates_field/src/bls12_381.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
-use bellman_ce::pairing::bls12_381::Bls12;
+use bellman_ce::pairing::bls12_381::{Bls12, Fq2};
 
 prime_field!(
     b"52435875175126190479447740508185965837690552500527637822603658699938581184513",
     Bls12,
+    Fq2,
     "bls12_381"
 );
diff --git a/zokrates_field/src/bn128.rs b/zokrates_field/src/bn128.rs
index 2059b099..99396f7c 100644
--- a/zokrates_field/src/bn128.rs
+++ b/zokrates_field/src/bn128.rs
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-use bellman_ce::pairing::bn256::Bn256;
+use bellman_ce::pairing::bn256::{Bn256, Fq2};
 
 prime_field!(
     b"21888242871839275222246405745257275088548364400416034343698204186575808495617",
     Bn256,
+    Fq2,
     "bn128"
 );
 
diff --git a/zokrates_field/src/lib.rs b/zokrates_field/src/lib.rs
index 52a58981..ab5a2a7a 100644
--- a/zokrates_field/src/lib.rs
+++ b/zokrates_field/src/lib.rs
@@ -67,6 +67,8 @@ pub trait Field:
         <Self::BellmanEngine as ScalarEngine>::Fr::from_str(&s).unwrap()
     }
 
+    fn new_fq2(c0: &str, c1: &str) -> <Self::BellmanEngine as Engine>::Fqe;
+
     /// Returns this `Field`'s contents as little-endian byte vector
     fn into_byte_vector(&self) -> Vec<u8>;
     /// Returns an element of this `Field` from a little-endian byte vector
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ pub trait Field:
 #[macro_use]
 mod prime_field {
     macro_rules! prime_field {
-        ($modulus:expr, $bellman_type:ty, $name:expr) => {
+        ($modulus:expr, $bellman_type:ty, $fq2_type: ident, $name:expr) => {
             use crate::{Field, Pow};
             use lazy_static::lazy_static;
             use num_bigint::{BigInt, BigUint, Sign, ToBigInt};
@@ -148,6 +150,13 @@ mod prime_field {
                     self.value.bits() as u32
                 }
 
+                fn new_fq2(c0: &str, c1: &str) -> $fq2_type {
+                    $fq2_type {
+                        c0: bellman_ce::pairing::from_hex(c0).unwrap(),
+                        c1: bellman_ce::pairing::from_hex(c1).unwrap(),
+                    }
+                }
+
                 fn to_biguint(&self) -> BigUint {
                     self.value.to_biguint().unwrap()
                 }