diff --git a/py/compile.c b/py/compile.c
index 92736e22e5..f9e8de4573 100644
--- a/py/compile.c
+++ b/py/compile.c
@@ -2816,16 +2816,6 @@ STATIC void compile_node(compiler_t *comp, mp_parse_node_t pn) {
             case MP_PARSE_NODE_STRING:
                 EMIT_ARG(load_const_str, arg);
                 break;
-            case MP_PARSE_NODE_BYTES:
-                // only create and load the actual bytes object on the last pass
-                if (comp->pass != MP_PASS_EMIT) {
-                    EMIT_ARG(load_const_obj, mp_const_none);
-                } else {
-                    size_t len;
-                    const byte *data = qstr_data(arg, &len);
-                    EMIT_ARG(load_const_obj, mp_obj_new_bytes(data, len));
-                }
-                break;
             case MP_PARSE_NODE_TOKEN:
             default:
                 if (arg == MP_TOKEN_NEWLINE) {
diff --git a/py/parse.c b/py/parse.c
index ff639122cb..f18f03b3f1 100644
--- a/py/parse.c
+++ b/py/parse.c
@@ -388,9 +388,6 @@ void mp_parse_node_print(const mp_print_t *print, mp_parse_node_t pn, size_t ind
             case MP_PARSE_NODE_STRING:
                 mp_printf(print, "str(%s)\n", qstr_str(arg));
                 break;
-            case MP_PARSE_NODE_BYTES:
-                mp_printf(print, "bytes(%s)\n", qstr_str(arg));
-                break;
             default:
                 assert(MP_PARSE_NODE_LEAF_KIND(pn) == MP_PARSE_NODE_TOKEN);
                 mp_printf(print, "tok(%u)\n", (uint)arg);
@@ -504,8 +501,8 @@ STATIC void push_result_token(parser_t *parser, uint8_t rule_id) {
     } else if (lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_FLOAT_OR_IMAG) {
         mp_obj_t o = mp_parse_num_decimal(lex->vstr.buf, lex->vstr.len, true, false, lex);
         pn = make_node_const_object(parser, lex->tok_line, o);
-    } else if (lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_STRING || lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_BYTES) {
-        // Don't automatically intern all strings/bytes.  doc strings (which are usually large)
+    } else if (lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_STRING) {
+        // Don't automatically intern all strings.  Doc strings (which are usually large)
         // will be discarded by the compiler, and so we shouldn't intern them.
         qstr qst = MP_QSTRnull;
         if (lex->vstr.len <= MICROPY_ALLOC_PARSE_INTERN_STRING_LEN) {
@@ -517,14 +514,16 @@ STATIC void push_result_token(parser_t *parser, uint8_t rule_id) {
         }
         if (qst != MP_QSTRnull) {
             // qstr exists, make a leaf node
-            pn = mp_parse_node_new_leaf(lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_STRING ? MP_PARSE_NODE_STRING : MP_PARSE_NODE_BYTES, qst);
+            pn = mp_parse_node_new_leaf(MP_PARSE_NODE_STRING, qst);
         } else {
-            // not interned, make a node holding a pointer to the string/bytes object
-            mp_obj_t o = mp_obj_new_str_copy(
-                lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_STRING ? &mp_type_str : &mp_type_bytes,
-                (const byte *)lex->vstr.buf, lex->vstr.len);
+            // not interned, make a node holding a pointer to the string object
+            mp_obj_t o = mp_obj_new_str_copy(&mp_type_str, (const byte *)lex->vstr.buf, lex->vstr.len);
             pn = make_node_const_object(parser, lex->tok_line, o);
         }
+    } else if (lex->tok_kind == MP_TOKEN_BYTES) {
+        // make a node holding a pointer to the bytes object
+        mp_obj_t o = mp_obj_new_bytes((const byte *)lex->vstr.buf, lex->vstr.len);
+        pn = make_node_const_object(parser, lex->tok_line, o);
     } else {
         pn = mp_parse_node_new_leaf(MP_PARSE_NODE_TOKEN, lex->tok_kind);
     }
diff --git a/py/parse.h b/py/parse.h
index a6eb380047..9c327c28b6 100644
--- a/py/parse.h
+++ b/py/parse.h
@@ -39,15 +39,13 @@ struct _mp_lexer_t;
 //  - xxxx...xx00: pointer to mp_parse_node_struct_t
 //  - xx...xx0010: an identifier; bits 4 and above are the qstr
 //  - xx...xx0110: a string; bits 4 and above are the qstr holding the value
-//  - xx...xx1010: a string of bytes; bits 4 and above are the qstr holding the value
-//  - xx...xx1110: a token; bits 4 and above are mp_token_kind_t
+//  - xx...xx1010: a token; bits 4 and above are mp_token_kind_t
 
 #define MP_PARSE_NODE_NULL      (0)
 #define MP_PARSE_NODE_SMALL_INT (0x1)
 #define MP_PARSE_NODE_ID        (0x02)
 #define MP_PARSE_NODE_STRING    (0x06)
-#define MP_PARSE_NODE_BYTES     (0x0a)
-#define MP_PARSE_NODE_TOKEN     (0x0e)
+#define MP_PARSE_NODE_TOKEN     (0x0a)
 
 typedef uintptr_t mp_parse_node_t; // must be pointer size
 
diff --git a/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp b/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp
index ac16f6d88d..53d62a5dbd 100644
--- a/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp
+++ b/tests/cmdline/cmd_parsetree.py.exp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 [   8]     literal \.\+
 [   9]   \(rule\|expr_stmt\)(5) (n=2)
            id(d)
-           bytes(bytes)
+[   9]     literal \.\+
 [  10]   \(rule\|expr_stmt\)(5) (n=2)
            id(e)
 [  10]     literal \.\+