diff --git a/connect/api/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/Struct.java b/connect/api/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/Struct.java
index 6e5b81ab11537..b6faf85824ac2 100644
--- a/connect/api/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/Struct.java
+++ b/connect/api/src/main/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/Struct.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
  */
 package org.apache.kafka.connect.data;
 
+import org.apache.kafka.common.utils.Utils;
 import org.apache.kafka.connect.errors.DataException;
 
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
@@ -164,7 +165,9 @@ public String getString(String fieldName) {
     public byte[] getBytes(String fieldName) {
         Object bytes = getCheckType(fieldName, Schema.Type.BYTES);
         if (bytes instanceof ByteBuffer)
-            return ((ByteBuffer) bytes).array();
+            // ByteBuffer.array() ignores position/limit/arrayOffset and throws
+            // for direct buffers; return the logical remaining bytes instead.
+            return Utils.toArray((ByteBuffer) bytes);
         return (byte[]) bytes;
     }
 
@@ -240,12 +243,34 @@ public boolean equals(Object o) {
         if (o == null || getClass() != o.getClass()) return false;
         Struct struct = (Struct) o;
         return Objects.equals(schema, struct.schema) &&
-                Arrays.deepEquals(values, struct.values);
+                Arrays.deepEquals(normalizedBytesValues(), struct.normalizedBytesValues());
     }
 
     @Override
     public int hashCode() {
-        return Objects.hash(schema, Arrays.deepHashCode(values));
+        return Objects.hash(schema, Arrays.deepHashCode(normalizedBytesValues()));
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns a copy of {@link #values} with top-level BYTES fields stored as
+     * {@code byte[]}, so that an equivalent value supplied as {@code byte[]} or
+     * {@code ByteBuffer} compares equal and hashes the same. The original
+     * {@link #values} array is left untouched; callers that observe a field via
+     * {@link #get(String)} still see whatever representation was put in.
+     */
+    private Object[] normalizedBytesValues() {
+        Object[] normalized = null;
+        List<Field> fields = schema.fields();
+        for (int i = 0; i < values.length; i++) {
+            Object value = values[i];
+            if (!(value instanceof ByteBuffer)) continue;
+            if (i >= fields.size() || fields.get(i).schema().type() != Schema.Type.BYTES) continue;
+            if (normalized == null) {
+                normalized = values.clone();
+            }
+            normalized[i] = Utils.toArray((ByteBuffer) value);
+        }
+        return normalized == null ? values : normalized;
     }
 
     private Field lookupField(String fieldName) {
diff --git a/connect/api/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/StructTest.java b/connect/api/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/StructTest.java
index bfdec2fcb9b65..04f67f1d4c86e 100644
--- a/connect/api/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/StructTest.java
+++ b/connect/api/src/test/java/org/apache/kafka/connect/data/StructTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertArrayEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNotEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertNull;
@@ -89,6 +90,75 @@ public void testFlatStruct() {
         struct.validate();
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testGetBytesPreservesByteBufferRemainingBytes() {
+        ByteBuffer bytes = ByteBuffer.wrap(new byte[] {1, 2, 3, 4});
+        bytes.position(1);
+        bytes.limit(3);
+
+        Struct struct = new Struct(FLAT_STRUCT_SCHEMA)
+                .put("int8", (byte) 12)
+                .put("int16", (short) 12)
+                .put("int32", 12)
+                .put("int64", (long) 12)
+                .put("float32", 12.f)
+                .put("float64", 12.)
+                .put("boolean", true)
+                .put("string", "foobar")
+                .put("bytes", bytes);
+
+        assertArrayEquals(new byte[] {2, 3}, struct.getBytes("bytes"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testGetBytesSupportsDirectByteBuffer() {
+        ByteBuffer bytes = ByteBuffer.allocateDirect(2);
+        bytes.put((byte) 1);
+        bytes.put((byte) 2);
+        bytes.flip();
+
+        Struct struct = new Struct(FLAT_STRUCT_SCHEMA)
+                .put("int8", (byte) 12)
+                .put("int16", (short) 12)
+                .put("int32", 12)
+                .put("int64", (long) 12)
+                .put("float32", 12.f)
+                .put("float64", 12.)
+                .put("boolean", true)
+                .put("string", "foobar")
+                .put("bytes", bytes);
+
+        assertArrayEquals(new byte[] {1, 2}, struct.getBytes("bytes"));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testEqualsAndHashCodeWithEquivalentByteArrayAndByteBufferValues() {
+        Struct byteArrayStruct = new Struct(FLAT_STRUCT_SCHEMA)
+                .put("int8", (byte) 12)
+                .put("int16", (short) 12)
+                .put("int32", 12)
+                .put("int64", (long) 12)
+                .put("float32", 12.f)
+                .put("float64", 12.)
+                .put("boolean", true)
+                .put("string", "foobar")
+                .put("bytes", "foobar".getBytes());
+
+        Struct byteBufferStruct = new Struct(FLAT_STRUCT_SCHEMA)
+                .put("int8", (byte) 12)
+                .put("int16", (short) 12)
+                .put("int32", 12)
+                .put("int64", (long) 12)
+                .put("float32", 12.f)
+                .put("float64", 12.)
+                .put("boolean", true)
+                .put("string", "foobar")
+                .put("bytes", ByteBuffer.wrap("foobar".getBytes()));
+
+        assertEquals(byteArrayStruct, byteBufferStruct);
+        assertEquals(byteArrayStruct.hashCode(), byteBufferStruct.hashCode());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testComplexStruct() {
         List<Byte> array = List.of((byte) 1, (byte) 2);