diff --git a/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/rx.c b/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/rx.c
index 0147c6584..b2c53a2f3 100644
--- a/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/rx.c
+++ b/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/rx.c
@@ -517,6 +517,10 @@ static int rx_cmd_config(struct cli_state *s, int argc, char **argv)
         return 0;
     }
 
+    enum rxtx_fmt fmt;
+    fmt = (s->bit_mode_8bit) ? RXTX_FMT_BIN_SC8Q7 : RXTX_FMT_BIN_SC16Q11;
+    rxtx_set_file_format(s->rx, fmt);
+
     for (i = 2; i < argc; i++) {
         status = rxtx_handle_config_param(s, s->rx, argv[0], argv[i], &val);
 
diff --git a/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/tx.c b/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/tx.c
index 03ab59045..5c95d1581 100644
--- a/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/tx.c
+++ b/host/utilities/bladeRF-cli/src/cmd/tx.c
@@ -576,6 +576,10 @@ static int tx_config(struct cli_state *s, int argc, char **argv)
         return 0;
     }
 
+    enum rxtx_fmt fmt;
+    fmt = (s->bit_mode_8bit) ? RXTX_FMT_BIN_SC8Q7 : RXTX_FMT_BIN_SC16Q11;
+    rxtx_set_file_format(s->tx, fmt);
+
     for (i = 2; i < argc; i++) {
         status = rxtx_handle_config_param(s, s->tx, argv[0], argv[i], &val);