diff --git a/cli/smartcontract/smart_contract.go b/cli/smartcontract/smart_contract.go
index e8555d0b0..a556570de 100644
--- a/cli/smartcontract/smart_contract.go
+++ b/cli/smartcontract/smart_contract.go
@@ -767,7 +767,7 @@ func contractDeploy(ctx *cli.Context) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	txScript, err := request.CreateDeploymentScript(f, m)
+	txScript, err := request.CreateDeploymentScript(&nefFile, m)
 	if err != nil {
 		return cli.NewExitError(fmt.Errorf("failed to create deployment script: %w", err), 1)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/testchain/transaction.go b/internal/testchain/transaction.go
index 02bf32791..c024ad85c 100644
--- a/internal/testchain/transaction.go
+++ b/internal/testchain/transaction.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package testchain
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
 	gio "io"
 
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/compiler"
@@ -9,11 +8,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/config/netmode"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/blockchainer"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/fee"
-	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/interop/interopnames"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/native"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/state"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/core/transaction"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/io"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/rpc/request"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/smartcontract/nef"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/vm/emit"
@@ -62,28 +61,17 @@ func NewDeployTx(name string, sender util.Uint160, r gio.Reader) (*transaction.T
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, util.Uint160{}, err
 	}
-	neb, err := ne.Bytes()
-	if err != nil {
-		return nil, util.Uint160{}, err
-	}
 
 	m, err := di.ConvertToManifest(name, nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, util.Uint160{}, err
 	}
-	bs, err := json.Marshal(m)
+
+	txScript, err := request.CreateDeploymentScript(ne, m)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, util.Uint160{}, err
 	}
 
-	w := io.NewBufBinWriter()
-	emit.Bytes(w.BinWriter, bs)
-	emit.Bytes(w.BinWriter, neb)
-	emit.Syscall(w.BinWriter, interopnames.SystemContractCreate)
-	if w.Err != nil {
-		return nil, util.Uint160{}, w.Err
-	}
-	txScript := w.Bytes()
 	tx := transaction.New(Network(), txScript, 100*native.GASFactor)
 	tx.Signers = []transaction.Signer{{Account: sender}}
 	h := state.CreateContractHash(tx.Sender(), avm)
diff --git a/pkg/rpc/request/txBuilder.go b/pkg/rpc/request/txBuilder.go
index a096e99f2..a405d7de1 100644
--- a/pkg/rpc/request/txBuilder.go
+++ b/pkg/rpc/request/txBuilder.go
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/io"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/smartcontract"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/smartcontract/manifest"
+	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/smartcontract/nef"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/util"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/vm/emit"
 	"github.com/nspcc-dev/neo-go/pkg/vm/opcode"
@@ -18,14 +19,18 @@ import (
 
 // CreateDeploymentScript returns a script that deploys given smart contract
 // with its metadata.
-func CreateDeploymentScript(avm []byte, manif *manifest.Manifest) ([]byte, error) {
+func CreateDeploymentScript(ne *nef.File, manif *manifest.Manifest) ([]byte, error) {
 	script := io.NewBufBinWriter()
 	rawManifest, err := json.Marshal(manif)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	neb, err := ne.Bytes()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	emit.Bytes(script.BinWriter, rawManifest)
-	emit.Bytes(script.BinWriter, avm)
+	emit.Bytes(script.BinWriter, neb)
 	emit.Syscall(script.BinWriter, interopnames.SystemContractCreate)
 	return script.Bytes(), nil
 }