diff --git a/yarn-project/cli/src/cmds/pxe/index.ts b/yarn-project/cli/src/cmds/pxe/index.ts
index fb86c3ae2a1e..b9a69eca05c8 100644
--- a/yarn-project/cli/src/cmds/pxe/index.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/cli/src/cmds/pxe/index.ts
@@ -68,8 +68,8 @@ export function injectCommands(program: Command, log: LogFn, debugLogger: DebugL
       '<artifact>',
       "A compiled Aztec.nr contract's artifact in JSON format or name of a contract artifact exported by @aztec/noir-contracts.js",
     )
-    .option('--initialize <string>', 'The contract initializer function to call', 'constructor')
-    .option('--no-initialize')
+    .option('--init <string>', 'The contract initializer function to call', 'constructor')
+    .option('--no-init', 'Leave the contract uninitialized')
     .option('-a, --args <constructorArgs...>', 'Contract constructor arguments', [])
     .addOption(pxeOption)
     .option(
@@ -88,10 +88,8 @@ export function injectCommands(program: Command, log: LogFn, debugLogger: DebugL
     // `options.wait` is default true. Passing `--no-wait` will set it to false.
     // https://github.com/tj/commander.js#other-option-types-negatable-boolean-and-booleanvalue
     .option('--no-wait', 'Skip waiting for the contract to be deployed. Print the hash of deployment transaction')
-    .option('--class-registration', 'Register the contract class. Only has to be done once')
-    .option('--no-class-registration', 'Skip registering the contract class')
-    .option('--public-deployment', 'Deploy the public bytecode of contract')
-    .option('--no-public-deployment', "Skip deploying the contract's public bytecode");
+    .option('--no-class-registration', "Don't register this contract class")
+    .option('--no-public-deployment', "Don't emit this contract's public bytecode");
   addOptions(deployCommand, FeeOpts.getOptions()).action(async (artifactPath, opts) => {
     const { deploy } = await import('./deploy.js');
     const {
@@ -103,7 +101,7 @@ export function injectCommands(program: Command, log: LogFn, debugLogger: DebugL
       wait,
       privateKey,
       classRegistration,
-      initialize,
+      init,
       publicDeployment,
       universal,
     } = opts;
@@ -115,10 +113,10 @@ export function injectCommands(program: Command, log: LogFn, debugLogger: DebugL
       rawArgs,
       salt,
       privateKey,
-      typeof initialize === 'string' ? initialize : undefined,
+      typeof init === 'string' ? init : undefined,
       !publicDeployment,
       !classRegistration,
-      typeof initialize === 'string' ? false : initialize,
+      typeof init === 'string' ? false : init,
       universal,
       wait,
       FeeOpts.fromCli(opts, log),
diff --git a/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.test.ts b/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7b925b0a0077
--- /dev/null
+++ b/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { Fr } from '@aztec/circuits.js';
+
+import { parseFieldFromHexString } from './commands.js';
+
+describe('parseFieldFromHexString', () => {
+  it.each<[string, Fr]>([
+    ['0', Fr.ZERO],
+    ['0x0', Fr.ZERO],
+    ['0x1', new Fr(1)],
+    ['0x00', Fr.ZERO],
+    ['fa', new Fr(0xfa)],
+    ['123', new Fr(0x0123)],
+    ['0xff', new Fr(255)],
+    ['0x0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003', new Fr(3)],
+    ['0x00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003', new Fr(3)],
+  ])('parses the field %s correctly', (str, expected) => {
+    expect(parseFieldFromHexString(str)).toEqual(expected);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.ts b/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.ts
index d51c79f4fcb7..3c26ae127b2c 100644
--- a/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.ts
+++ b/yarn-project/cli/src/utils/commands.ts
@@ -138,9 +138,16 @@ export function parseFieldFromHexString(str: string): Fr {
   // pad it so that we may read it as a buffer.
   // Buffer needs _exactly_ two hex characters per byte
   const padded = hex.length % 2 === 1 ? '0' + hex : hex;
+  let buf = Buffer.from(padded, 'hex');
+  if (buf.length > Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES) {
+    buf = buf.subarray(buf.length - Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES);
+  }
+
+  const fr = Buffer.alloc(Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES, 0);
+  fr.set(buf, Fr.SIZE_IN_BYTES - buf.length);
 
   // finally, turn it into an integer
-  return Fr.fromBuffer(Buffer.from(padded, 'hex'));
+  return Fr.fromBuffer(fr);
 }
 
 /**