diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b6dd5f731..e0fa57d5c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 - Derive `Debug`, `Snafu` on `enum TaggedBlobError`
 - Updated `tagged-base64` reference url to reflect the Espresso Systems name change
 - Add `HashToGroup` support for both SW and TE curves
+- `#[tagged_blob(...)]` macro now supports `const` variables in addition to string literals
 
 ### Bugfixes
 
diff --git a/plonk/Cargo.toml b/plonk/Cargo.toml
index 9ee5f2799..7372e8f98 100644
--- a/plonk/Cargo.toml
+++ b/plonk/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ derivative = { version = "2", features = ["use_core"] }
 num-bigint = { version = "0.4", default-features = false}
 rand_chacha = { version = "0.3.1" }
 sha3 = "^0.10"
+espresso-systems-common = { git = "https://github.com/espressosystems/espresso-systems-common", tag = "0.1.1" }
 
 
 [dependencies.ark-poly-commit]
diff --git a/plonk/src/proof_system/structs.rs b/plonk/src/proof_system/structs.rs
index 3748cba4e..4849d8558 100644
--- a/plonk/src/proof_system/structs.rs
+++ b/plonk/src/proof_system/structs.rs
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ use ark_std::{
     vec,
     vec::Vec,
 };
+use espresso_systems_common::jellyfish as tag;
 use jf_rescue::RescueParameter;
 use jf_utils::{field_switching, fq_to_fr, fr_to_fq, tagged_blob};
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ pub(crate) type CommitKey<'a, E> = Powers<'a, E>;
 pub type OpenKey<E> = VerifierKey<E>;
 
 /// A Plonk SNARK proof.
-#[tagged_blob("PROOF")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::PROOF)]
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Hash(bound = "E:PairingEngine"))]
 pub struct Proof<E: PairingEngine> {
@@ -232,7 +233,7 @@ pub struct PlookupProof<E: PairingEngine> {
 }
 
 /// An aggregated SNARK proof that batchly proving multiple instances.
-#[tagged_blob("BATCHPROOF")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::BATCHPROOF)]
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Hash(bound = "E:PairingEngine"))]
 pub struct BatchProof<E: PairingEngine> {
diff --git a/primitives/Cargo.toml b/primitives/Cargo.toml
index 899769aaf..ad58361ca 100644
--- a/primitives/Cargo.toml
+++ b/primitives/Cargo.toml
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ derivative = { version = "2", features = ["use_core"] }
 rand_chacha = { version = "0.3.1", default-features = false }
 sha2 = { version = "0.10.1", default-features = false }
 digest = { version = "0.10.1", default-features = false }
+espresso-systems-common = { git = "https://github.com/espressosystems/espresso-systems-common", tag = "0.1.1" }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
 rand_chacha = "^0.3"
diff --git a/primitives/src/merkle_tree.rs b/primitives/src/merkle_tree.rs
index fe83dd53f..a1211ed12 100644
--- a/primitives/src/merkle_tree.rs
+++ b/primitives/src/merkle_tree.rs
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ use ark_std::{
     vec::Vec,
 };
 use core::{convert::TryFrom, fmt::Debug};
+use espresso_systems_common::jellyfish as tag;
 use jf_rescue::{Permutation, RescueParameter};
 use jf_utils::tagged_blob;
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
@@ -189,7 +190,7 @@ impl<F: PrimeField> MerklePath<F> {
 }
 
 /// Represents the value for a node in the merkle tree.
-#[tagged_blob("NODE")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::NODE)]
 #[derive(
     Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Default, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Copy,
 )]
@@ -817,7 +818,7 @@ where
 }
 
 /// Data struct for a merkle leaf.
-#[tagged_blob("LEAF")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::LEAF)]
 #[derive(
     Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash, Default, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Copy,
 )]
diff --git a/primitives/src/signatures/bls.rs b/primitives/src/signatures/bls.rs
index 5fda9b4f8..986a17de6 100644
--- a/primitives/src/signatures/bls.rs
+++ b/primitives/src/signatures/bls.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ use ark_std::{
     One, UniformRand,
 };
 use core::marker::PhantomData;
+use espresso_systems_common::jellyfish as tag;
 use jf_utils::{multi_pairing, tagged_blob};
 
 /// BLS signature scheme.
@@ -28,14 +29,14 @@ pub struct BLSSignatureScheme<P: Bls12Parameters> {
 }
 
 /// BLS public verification key
-#[tagged_blob("BLSVERKEY")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::BLSVERKEY)]
 #[derive(CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Clone(bound = "P: Bls12Parameters"))]
 #[derivative(Default(bound = "P: Bls12Parameters"))]
 pub struct BLSVerKey<P: Bls12Parameters>(pub(crate) GroupAffine<P::G2Parameters>);
 
 /// Signing key for BLS signature.
-#[tagged_blob("BLSSIGNINGKEY")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::BLSSIGNINGKEY)]
 #[derive(CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Clone(bound = "P: Bls12Parameters"))]
 #[derivative(Default(bound = "P: Bls12Parameters"))]
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ pub struct BLSSignKey<P: Bls12Parameters>(
 );
 
 /// Signing key for BLS signature.
-#[tagged_blob("BLSSIG")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::BLSSIG)]
 #[derive(CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Clone(bound = "P: Bls12Parameters"))]
 #[derivative(Default(bound = "P: Bls12Parameters"))]
diff --git a/primitives/src/signatures/schnorr.rs b/primitives/src/signatures/schnorr.rs
index 0d8db3294..bb543925e 100644
--- a/primitives/src/signatures/schnorr.rs
+++ b/primitives/src/signatures/schnorr.rs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ use ark_std::{
     string::ToString,
     vec,
 };
+use espresso_systems_common::jellyfish as tag;
 use jf_rescue::{Permutation, RescueParameter};
 use jf_utils::{fq_to_fr, fq_to_fr_with_mask, fr_to_fq, tagged_blob};
 use zeroize::Zeroize;
@@ -120,7 +121,7 @@ impl<F: PrimeField> SignKey<F> {
 
 /// Signature public verification key
 // derive zeroize here so that keypair can be zeroized
-#[tagged_blob("SCHNORRVERKEY")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::SCHNORRVERKEY)]
 #[derive(Clone, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Debug(bound = "P: Parameters"))]
 #[derivative(Default(bound = "P: Parameters"))]
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ impl<P: Parameters + Clone> VerKey<P> {
 
 /// Signature secret key pair used to sign messages
 // make sure sk can be zeroized
-#[tagged_blob("SIGNKEYPAIR")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::SIGNKEYPAIR)]
 #[derive(Clone, Default, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, PartialEq, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Debug(bound = "P: Parameters"))]
 pub struct KeyPair<P>
@@ -202,7 +203,7 @@ where
 // =====================================================
 
 /// The signature of Schnorr signature scheme
-#[tagged_blob("SIG")]
+#[tagged_blob(tag::SIG)]
 #[derive(Clone, Eq, CanonicalSerialize, CanonicalDeserialize, Derivative)]
 #[derivative(Debug(bound = "P: Parameters"))]
 #[derivative(Default(bound = "P: Parameters"))]
diff --git a/utilities/Cargo.toml b/utilities/Cargo.toml
index 959786df6..5f254c106 100644
--- a/utilities/Cargo.toml
+++ b/utilities/Cargo.toml
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ ark-ed-on-bls12-381-bandersnatch = { git = "https://github.com/arkworks-rs/curve
 ark-bn254 = { version = "0.3.0", default-features = false, features = ["curve"] }
 ark-bls12-377 =  { git = "https://github.com/arkworks-rs/curves", rev = "677b4ae751a274037880ede86e9b6f30f62635af" }
 ark-bls12-381 = { version = "0.3.0", default-features = false, features = ["curve"] }
+ark-serialize = { version = "0.3.0", default-features = false, features = ["derive"] }
+serde_json = "1.0"
 
 [features]
 std = []
diff --git a/utilities/src/lib.rs b/utilities/src/lib.rs
index 47888e263..b23ef47c9 100644
--- a/utilities/src/lib.rs
+++ b/utilities/src/lib.rs
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 // You should have received a copy of the MIT License
 // along with the Jellyfish library. If not, see <https://mit-license.org/>.
 
-#![no_std]
+#![cfg_attr(not(test), no_std)]
 
 mod conversion;
 mod macros;
diff --git a/utilities/src/serialize.rs b/utilities/src/serialize.rs
index 442f27740..d10638fe6 100644
--- a/utilities/src/serialize.rs
+++ b/utilities/src/serialize.rs
@@ -205,6 +205,39 @@ pub mod tagged_blob {
         let bytes = deserialize_with_tag(T::tag().as_str(), deserializer)?;
         Ok((bytes, Default::default()))
     }
+
+    #[cfg(test)]
+    mod test {
+        use crate as jf_utils;
+        use ark_serialize::*;
+        use jf_utils::tagged_blob;
+        use std::vec::Vec;
+
+        #[tagged_blob("A")]
+        #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, CanonicalDeserialize, CanonicalSerialize)]
+        pub struct A(Vec<u8>);
+
+        #[test]
+        fn test_tagged_blob_static_str() {
+            let a = A(Vec::new());
+            let str = serde_json::to_string(&a).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(str, r#""A~AAAAAAAAAABr""#);
+        }
+
+        mod tags {
+            pub const B: &str = "B";
+        }
+        #[tagged_blob(tags::B)]
+        #[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, CanonicalDeserialize, CanonicalSerialize)]
+        pub struct B(Vec<u8>);
+
+        #[test]
+        fn test_tagged_blob_const_str() {
+            let b = B(Vec::new());
+            let str = serde_json::to_string(&b).unwrap();
+            assert_eq!(str, r#""B~AAAAAAAAAADg""#);
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 /// Serializers for finite field elements.
diff --git a/utilities_derive/src/lib.rs b/utilities_derive/src/lib.rs
index 38a2e27b7..585bf4f76 100644
--- a/utilities_derive/src/lib.rs
+++ b/utilities_derive/src/lib.rs
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ extern crate proc_macro;
 use ark_std::format;
 use proc_macro::TokenStream;
 use quote::quote;
-use syn::{parse_macro_input, AttributeArgs, Item, NestedMeta};
+use syn::{parse_macro_input, AttributeArgs, Item, Meta, NestedMeta};
 
 /// Derive serdes for a type which serializes as a binary blob.
 ///
@@ -89,9 +89,10 @@ pub fn tagged_blob(args: TokenStream, input: TokenStream) -> TokenStream {
         _ => panic!("expected struct or enum"),
     };
     let (impl_generics, ty_generics, where_clause) = generics.split_for_impl();
-    let tag = match args.as_slice() {
+    let tag: &dyn quote::ToTokens = match args.as_slice() {
         [NestedMeta::Lit(tag)] => tag,
-        _ => panic!("tagged_blob takes one argument, the tag, as a string literal"),
+        [NestedMeta::Meta(Meta::Path(path))] => path,
+        x => panic!("tagged_blob takes one argument, the tag, as a string literal or expression, found {:?}", x),
     };
     let serde_str = format!("jf_utils::TaggedBlob<{}>", quote!(#name #ty_generics));
     let output = quote! {