diff --git a/go/storage/replica_placement.go b/go/storage/replica_placement.go
index 55428749b..696888cd8 100644
--- a/go/storage/replica_placement.go
+++ b/go/storage/replica_placement.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func NewReplicaPlacementFromString(t string) (*ReplicaPlacement, error) {
 }
 
 func NewReplicaPlacementFromByte(b byte) (*ReplicaPlacement, error) {
-	return NewReplicaPlacementFromString(fmt.Sprintf("%d", b))
+	return NewReplicaPlacementFromString(fmt.Sprintf("%03d", b))
 }
 
 func (rp *ReplicaPlacement) Byte() byte {
diff --git a/go/storage/replica_placement_test.go b/go/storage/replica_placement_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9c2161e94
--- /dev/null
+++ b/go/storage/replica_placement_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package storage
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestReplicaPlacemnetSerialDeserial(t *testing.T) {
+	rp, _ := NewReplicaPlacementFromString("001")
+	new_rp, _ := NewReplicaPlacementFromByte(rp.Byte())
+	if rp.String() != new_rp.String() {
+		println("expected:", rp.String(), "actual:", new_rp.String())
+		t.Fail()
+	}
+}