diff --git a/lib/ADL/base.rb b/lib/ADL/base.rb
index 4eb5910..72d8e96 100644
--- a/lib/ADL/base.rb
+++ b/lib/ADL/base.rb
@@ -4,25 +4,38 @@
 module SimInfra
     # @@instructions -array of instruction description
     # shows result of our tests in interactive Ruby (IRB) or standalone
+    def self.deep_stringify(value)
+        case value
+        when Hash
+            value.each_with_object({}) { |(k, v), h| h[deep_stringify(k)] = deep_stringify(v) }
+        when Array
+            value.map { |v| deep_stringify(v) }
+        when Symbol
+            value.to_s
+        else
+            value
+        end
+    end
+
     def self.serialize(msg= nil)
         require 'yaml'
         yaml_data = YAML.dump(
-          {
-            regfiles: @@regfiles.map(&:to_h),
-            interface_functions: @@interface_functions.map(&:to_h),
-            instructions: @@instructions.map(&:to_h),
-          }
+            deep_stringify({
+                regfiles: @@regfiles.map(&:to_h),
+                interface_functions: @@interface_functions.map(&:to_h),
+                instructions: @@instructions.map(&:to_h),
+            })
         )
         yaml_data
     end
 
     def self.state
         yaml_data = YAML.dump(
-            {
+            deep_stringify({
                 regfiles: @@regfiles.map(&:to_h),
                 interface_functions: @@interface_functions.map(&:to_h),
                 instructions: @@instructions.map(&:to_h),
-            }
+            })
         )
     end
 
diff --git a/sim_gen/sim_gen.rb b/sim_gen/sim_gen.rb
index 572cf54..ecf7203 100755
--- a/sim_gen/sim_gen.rb
+++ b/sim_gen/sim_gen.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,17 @@
 
 require 'yaml'
 
-yaml_data = YAML.load_file(ARGV[0])
+def deep_symbolize(value)
+  case value
+  when Hash then value.transform_keys(&:to_sym).transform_values { |v| deep_symbolize(v) }
+  when Array then value.map { |v| deep_symbolize(v) }
+  when String then value.to_sym
+  else value
+  end
+end
+
+yaml_data = YAML.safe_load_file(ARGV[0], aliases: true)
+yaml_data = deep_symbolize(yaml_data)
 yaml_data[:isa_name] = "RISCV"
 
 File.write('cpu_state.hh', SimGen::CPUState::Header.generate_cpu_state(yaml_data))
diff --git a/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/InitTestGen.rb b/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/InitTestGen.rb
index 6d1aa4a..71184c4 100644
--- a/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/InitTestGen.rb
+++ b/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/InitTestGen.rb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def generate_random_values
       ir[:regfiles].each do |regfile|
         regfile[:regs].each do |reg|
           attrs = reg[:attrs] || []
-          next if attrs.include?(:zero) || attrs.include?(:pc)
+          next if attrs.include?("zero") || attrs.include?("pc")
           size = reg[:size] || 32
           max = (1 << size) - 1
           values[reg[:name]] = @rng.rand(0..max)
diff --git a/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/Target/RISCV/Formatter.rb b/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/Target/RISCV/Formatter.rb
index 7d53a43..d66b0ba 100644
--- a/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/Target/RISCV/Formatter.rb
+++ b/test/SimTests/SnippetBased/SnippetBasedImpl/Target/RISCV/Formatter.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def init_register(emitter, ir, values)
       ir[:regfiles].each do |regfile|
         regfile[:regs].each do |reg|
           attrs = reg[:attrs] || []
-          next if attrs.include?(:zero) || attrs.include?(:pc) || reg[:name] == :x2
+          next if attrs.include?("zero") || attrs.include?("pc") || reg[:name] == "x2"
 
           emitter.emit_line "li #{reg[:name]}, 0x#{values[reg[:name]].to_s(16)}"
         end
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ def insert_check(emitter, ir, ref_values)
       ir[:regfiles].each do |regfile|
         regfile[:regs].each do |reg|
           attrs = reg[:attrs] || []
-          next if attrs.include?(:zero) || attrs.include?(:pc) || reg[:name] == :x1 || reg[:name] == :x2
+          next if attrs.include?("zero") || attrs.include?("pc") || reg[:name] == "x1" || reg[:name] == "x2"
 
           emitter.emit_line "li x1, 0x#{ref_values[reg[:name]].to_s(16)}"
           emitter.emit_line "bne x1, #{reg[:name]}, _fail"