diff --git a/ygnmi/gnmi.go b/ygnmi/gnmi.go
index 537666e..6ae5cf6 100644
--- a/ygnmi/gnmi.go
+++ b/ygnmi/gnmi.go
@@ -347,7 +347,9 @@ func populateSetRequest(req *gpb.SetRequest, path *gpb.Path, val interface{}, op
 	case replacePath, updatePath:
 		var typedVal *gpb.TypedValue
 		var err error
-		if opt.preferProto {
+		if s, ok := val.(*string); ok && path.Origin == "cli" {
+			typedVal = &gpb.TypedValue{Value: &gpb.TypedValue_AsciiVal{AsciiVal: *s}}
+		} else if opt.preferProto {
 			typedVal, err = ygot.EncodeTypedValue(val, gpb.Encoding_JSON_IETF, &ygot.RFC7951JSONConfig{AppendModuleName: true, PreferShadowPath: preferShadowPath})
 		} else {
 			typedVal = &gpb.TypedValue{Value: &gpb.TypedValue_JsonIetfVal{}}
diff --git a/ygnmi/ygnmi_test.go b/ygnmi/ygnmi_test.go
index 94fa445..6117d0a 100644
--- a/ygnmi/ygnmi_test.go
+++ b/ygnmi/ygnmi_test.go
@@ -3205,8 +3205,15 @@ func TestSetBatch(t *testing.T) {
 	}{{
 		desc: "leaf update replace delete",
 		addPaths: func(sb *ygnmi.SetBatch) {
+			cliPath, err := schemaless.NewConfig[string]("", "cli")
+			if err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("Failed to create CLI ygnmi query: %v", err)
+			}
+			ygnmi.BatchUpdate(sb, cliPath, "hello, mercury")
 			ygnmi.BatchUpdate(sb, exampleocpath.Root().Parent().Child().One().Config(), "foo")
+			ygnmi.BatchReplace(sb, cliPath, "hello, venus")
 			ygnmi.BatchReplace(sb, exampleocpath.Root().Parent().Child().One().Config(), "bar")
+			ygnmi.BatchDelete(sb, cliPath)
 			ygnmi.BatchDelete(sb, exampleocpath.Root().Parent().Child().One().Config())
 		},
 		wantRequest: &gpb.SetRequest{
@@ -3214,14 +3221,21 @@ func TestSetBatch(t *testing.T) {
 				Target: "dut",
 			},
 			Update: []*gpb.Update{{
+				Path: &gpb.Path{Origin: "cli"},
+				Val:  &gpb.TypedValue{Value: &gpb.TypedValue_AsciiVal{AsciiVal: "hello, mercury"}},
+			}, {
 				Path: testutil.GNMIPath(t, "parent/child/config/one"),
 				Val:  &gpb.TypedValue{Value: &gpb.TypedValue_JsonIetfVal{JsonIetfVal: []byte("\"foo\"")}},
 			}},
 			Replace: []*gpb.Update{{
+				Path: &gpb.Path{Origin: "cli"},
+				Val:  &gpb.TypedValue{Value: &gpb.TypedValue_AsciiVal{AsciiVal: "hello, venus"}},
+			}, {
 				Path: testutil.GNMIPath(t, "parent/child/config/one"),
 				Val:  &gpb.TypedValue{Value: &gpb.TypedValue_JsonIetfVal{JsonIetfVal: []byte("\"bar\"")}},
 			}},
 			Delete: []*gpb.Path{
+				{Origin: "cli"},
 				testutil.GNMIPath(t, "parent/child/config/one"),
 			},
 		},