diff --git a/pkg/files/file_helpers.go b/pkg/files/file_helpers.go
index ad89d4efa..ff286485f 100644
--- a/pkg/files/file_helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/files/file_helpers.go
@@ -8,15 +8,15 @@ package files
 
 import (
 	"cmp"
+	"crypto/sha256"
 	"crypto/x509"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 
-	"github.com/google/uuid"
-
 	mpi "github.com/nginx/agent/v3/api/grpc/mpi/v1"
 	"github.com/nginx/agent/v3/internal/datasource/cert"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/timestamppb"
@@ -135,7 +135,10 @@ func GenerateConfigVersion(fileSlice []*mpi.File) string {
 
 // GenerateHash returns the hash value of a file's contents.
 func GenerateHash(b []byte) string {
-	return uuid.NewMD5(uuid.Nil, b).String()
+	hash := sha256.New()
+	hash.Write(b)
+
+	return base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(hash.Sum(nil))
 }
 
 // ConvertToMapOfFiles converts a list of files to a map of files with the file name as the key
diff --git a/pkg/files/file_helpers_test.go b/pkg/files/file_helpers_test.go
index 2000d1567..75dcd9762 100644
--- a/pkg/files/file_helpers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/files/file_helpers_test.go
@@ -6,12 +6,13 @@
 package files
 
 import (
+	"crypto/sha256"
 	"crypto/x509"
+	"encoding/base64"
 	"net"
 	"os"
 	"testing"
 
-	"github.com/google/uuid"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 
@@ -136,6 +137,10 @@ func Test_GenerateConfigVersion(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestGenerateHash(t *testing.T) {
+	hash1 := sha256.New()
+	hash2 := sha256.New()
+	hash1.Write([]byte(""))
+	hash2.Write([]byte("test"))
 	tests := []struct {
 		name     string
 		expected string
@@ -144,12 +149,12 @@ func TestGenerateHash(t *testing.T) {
 		{
 			name:     "Test 1: empty byte slice",
 			input:    []byte{},
-			expected: uuid.NewMD5(uuid.Nil, []byte("")).String(),
+			expected: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(hash1.Sum(nil)),
 		},
 		{
 			name:     "Test 2: non-empty byte slice",
 			input:    []byte("test"),
-			expected: uuid.NewMD5(uuid.Nil, []byte("test")).String(),
+			expected: base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(hash2.Sum(nil)),
 		},
 	}