diff --git a/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag.go b/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag.go
index 474d79e89..0abe0aa07 100644
--- a/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag.go
+++ b/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag.go
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ func (l *ListTypeMissing) Validate(t *types.Type) ([]string, error) {
 				continue
 			}
 
-			if m.Type.Kind == types.Slice && !hasListType {
+			// All slice fields must have a list-type tag except []byte
+			if m.Type.Kind == types.Slice && m.Type.Elem != types.Byte && !hasListType {
 				fields = append(fields, m.Name)
 				continue
 			}
diff --git a/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag_test.go b/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag_test.go
index 7ee998a2d..d3c41e3d5 100644
--- a/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag_test.go
+++ b/pkg/generators/rules/idl_tag_test.go
@@ -115,12 +115,29 @@ func TestListTypeMissing(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expected: []string{"Items"},
 		},
+
+		{
+			name: "a byte-slice field without annotation should pass validation",
+			t: &types.Type{
+				Kind: types.Struct,
+				Members: []types.Member{
+					{
+						Name: "ByteSliceField",
+						Type: &types.Type{
+							Kind: types.Slice,
+							Elem: types.Byte,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			expected: []string{},
+		},
 	}
 
 	rule := &ListTypeMissing{}
 	for _, tc := range tcs {
 		if violations, _ := rule.Validate(tc.t); !reflect.DeepEqual(violations, tc.expected) {
-			t.Errorf("unexpected validation result: test name %v, want: %v, got: %v",
+			t.Errorf("unexpected validation result: test name %q, want: %v, got: %v",
 				tc.name, tc.expected, violations)
 		}
 	}