diff --git a/cli/compose/types/types.go b/cli/compose/types/types.go
index 011353f7f8..83d72423fd 100644
--- a/cli/compose/types/types.go
+++ b/cli/compose/types/types.go
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ func (u UnitBytes) MarshalYAML() (any, error) {
 
 // MarshalJSON makes UnitBytes implement json.Marshaler
 func (u UnitBytes) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
-	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`"%d"`, u)), nil
+	return fmt.Appendf(nil, `"%d"`, u), nil
 }
 
 // RestartPolicy the service restart policy
@@ -561,7 +561,7 @@ func (e External) MarshalJSON() ([]byte, error) {
 	if e.Name == "" {
 		return []byte(strconv.FormatBool(e.External)), nil
 	}
-	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`{"name": %q}`, e.Name)), nil
+	return fmt.Appendf(nil, `{"name": %q}`, e.Name), nil
 }
 
 // CredentialSpecConfig for credential spec on Windows
diff --git a/cli/config/credentials/native_store_test.go b/cli/config/credentials/native_store_test.go
index cb31071e60..02c85dbcfb 100644
--- a/cli/config/credentials/native_store_test.go
+++ b/cli/config/credentials/native_store_test.go
@@ -73,10 +73,10 @@ func (m *mockCommand) Output() ([]byte, error) {
 			return []byte("program failed"), errCommandExited
 		}
 	case "list":
-		return []byte(fmt.Sprintf(`{"%s": "%s", "%s": "%s"}`, validServerAddress, "foo", validServerAddress2, "<token>")), nil
+		return fmt.Appendf(nil, `{"%s": "%s", "%s": "%s"}`, validServerAddress, "foo", validServerAddress2, "<token>"), nil
 	}
 
-	return []byte(fmt.Sprintf("unknown argument %q with %q", m.arg, inS)), errCommandExited
+	return fmt.Appendf(nil, "unknown argument %q with %q", m.arg, inS), errCommandExited
 }
 
 // Input sets the input to send to a remote credentials helper.