diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c
index 878e61fd5..316322664 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-firmware.c
@@ -906,6 +906,11 @@ fu_firmware_parse_full(FuFirmware *self,
 	}
 	if (!fu_firmware_check_magic_for_offset(self, fw, &offset, flags, error))
 		return FALSE;
+
+	/* always set by default */
+	fu_firmware_set_bytes(self, fw);
+
+	/* handled by the subclass */
 	if (klass->parse != NULL)
 		return klass->parse(self, fw, offset, flags, error);
 
@@ -922,9 +927,7 @@ fu_firmware_parse_full(FuFirmware *self,
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	/* just add entire blob */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(self, fw);
-	fu_firmware_set_size(self, g_bytes_get_size(fw));
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/libfwupdplugin/fu-intel-thunderbolt-nvm.c b/libfwupdplugin/fu-intel-thunderbolt-nvm.c
index 8ce34a6f2..8f7e3b7a9 100644
--- a/libfwupdplugin/fu-intel-thunderbolt-nvm.c
+++ b/libfwupdplugin/fu-intel-thunderbolt-nvm.c
@@ -543,7 +543,6 @@ fu_intel_thunderbolt_nvm_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 
 	/* add this straight away */
 	priv->sections[FU_INTEL_THUNDERBOLT_NVM_SECTION_DIGITAL] = offset;
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
 
 	/* is native */
 	if (!fu_intel_thunderbolt_nvm_read_uint8(
diff --git a/plugins/bcm57xx/fu-bcm57xx-firmware.c b/plugins/bcm57xx/fu-bcm57xx-firmware.c
index 3f0681d99..95cac172b 100644
--- a/plugins/bcm57xx/fu-bcm57xx-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/bcm57xx/fu-bcm57xx-firmware.c
@@ -360,7 +360,6 @@ fu_bcm57xx_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 		g_autoptr(FuFirmware) img = fu_bcm57xx_dict_image_new();
 		fu_bcm57xx_dict_image_set_target(FU_BCM57XX_DICT_IMAGE(img), 0xD);
 		fu_bcm57xx_dict_image_set_kind(FU_BCM57XX_DICT_IMAGE(img), 0x0);
-		fu_firmware_set_bytes(img, fw);
 		fu_firmware_set_addr(img, BCM_CODE_DIRECTORY_ADDR_APE);
 		fu_firmware_set_id(img, "ape");
 		fu_firmware_add_image(firmware, img);
diff --git a/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c b/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c
index f6d2b43ad..d96a66734 100644
--- a/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/ccgx/fu-ccgx-firmware.c
@@ -383,8 +383,7 @@ fu_ccgx_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	/* add something, although we'll use the records for the update */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/elantp/fu-elantp-firmware.c b/plugins/elantp/fu-elantp-firmware.c
index 145e3d9f8..784b084db 100644
--- a/plugins/elantp/fu-elantp-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/elantp/fu-elantp-firmware.c
@@ -131,8 +131,7 @@ fu_elantp_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 				    error))
 		return FALSE;
 
-	/* whole image */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/ep963x/fu-ep963x-firmware.c b/plugins/ep963x/fu-ep963x-firmware.c
index a69d61dfc..991e3a892 100644
--- a/plugins/ep963x/fu-ep963x-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/ep963x/fu-ep963x-firmware.c
@@ -68,7 +68,6 @@ fu_ep963x_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 	}
 
 	/* success */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/fresco-pd/fu-fresco-pd-firmware.c b/plugins/fresco-pd/fu-fresco-pd-firmware.c
index 51b55a095..57702a36e 100644
--- a/plugins/fresco-pd/fu-fresco-pd-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/fresco-pd/fu-fresco-pd-firmware.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ fu_fresco_pd_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 	/* set version number */
 	version = fu_fresco_pd_version_from_buf(ver);
 	fu_firmware_set_version(firmware, version);
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/nordic-hid/fu-nordic-hid-firmware.c b/plugins/nordic-hid/fu-nordic-hid-firmware.c
index f12a419a9..077b98790 100644
--- a/plugins/nordic-hid/fu-nordic-hid-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/nordic-hid/fu-nordic-hid-firmware.c
@@ -73,9 +73,7 @@ fu_nordic_hid_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 	fu_firmware_add_flag(FU_FIRMWARE(self), FU_FIRMWARE_FLAG_HAS_CHECKSUM);
 	priv->crc32 = fu_nordic_hid_firmware_crc32(buf, bufsz);
 
-	/* do not strip the header */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
-
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/pixart-rf/fu-pxi-firmware.c b/plugins/pixart-rf/fu-pxi-firmware.c
index d7df30167..152b5e3fd 100644
--- a/plugins/pixart-rf/fu-pxi-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/pixart-rf/fu-pxi-firmware.c
@@ -120,7 +120,6 @@ fu_pxi_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 	self->model_name = g_strndup((gchar *)model_name, sizeof(model_name));
 
 	/* success */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/steelseries/fu-steelseries-firmware.c b/plugins/steelseries/fu-steelseries-firmware.c
index 939515e71..fc1ae5aaa 100644
--- a/plugins/steelseries/fu-steelseries-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/steelseries/fu-steelseries-firmware.c
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ fu_steelseries_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 
 	self->checksum = checksum;
 	fu_firmware_add_flag(FU_FIRMWARE(self), FU_FIRMWARE_FLAG_HAS_CHECKSUM);
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
 
 	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
diff --git a/plugins/synaptics-cxaudio/fu-synaptics-cxaudio-firmware.c b/plugins/synaptics-cxaudio/fu-synaptics-cxaudio-firmware.c
index 87f444b07..f72af93b8 100644
--- a/plugins/synaptics-cxaudio/fu-synaptics-cxaudio-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/synaptics-cxaudio/fu-synaptics-cxaudio-firmware.c
@@ -311,8 +311,7 @@ fu_synaptics_cxaudio_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 		fu_synaptics_cxaudio_firmware_avoid_badblocks(badblocks, records);
 	}
 
-	/* this isn't used, but it seems a good thing to add */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/synaptics-mst/fu-synaptics-mst-firmware.c b/plugins/synaptics-mst/fu-synaptics-mst-firmware.c
index b05ea3852..7df7ef580 100644
--- a/plugins/synaptics-mst/fu-synaptics-mst-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/synaptics-mst/fu-synaptics-mst-firmware.c
@@ -52,7 +52,8 @@ fu_synaptics_mst_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 				    G_BIG_ENDIAN,
 				    error))
 		return FALSE;
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
+
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c
index 019cb7a4e..d6c30e054 100644
--- a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-pd-firmware.c
@@ -167,8 +167,7 @@ fu_vli_pd_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* whole image */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
diff --git a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c
index 1bb71dee1..79f47d9b6 100644
--- a/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c
+++ b/plugins/vli/fu-vli-usbhub-firmware.c
@@ -259,8 +259,7 @@ fu_vli_usbhub_firmware_parse(FuFirmware *firmware,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	/* whole image */
-	fu_firmware_set_bytes(firmware, fw);
+	/* success */
 	return TRUE;
 }