diff --git a/newsfragments/3065.bugfix.rst b/newsfragments/3065.bugfix.rst
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..39b24b6ac3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/newsfragments/3065.bugfix.rst
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Fix return type for ``rpc_gas_price_strategy`` to ``int`` but also only convert the ``strategy_based_gas_price`` to ``hex`` if it is an ``int`` in the ``gas_price_strategy_middleware``.
diff --git a/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py b/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py
index e0c630a0d4..dae70c4215 100644
--- a/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py
+++ b/web3/_utils/module_testing/eth_module.py
@@ -688,6 +688,29 @@ def gas_price_strategy(w3: "Web3", txn: TxParams) -> Wei:
         assert txn["gasPrice"] == two_gwei_in_wei
         async_w3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(None)  # reset strategy
 
+    @pytest.mark.asyncio
+    async def test_gas_price_strategy_middleware_hex_value(
+        self, async_w3: "AsyncWeb3", async_unlocked_account_dual_type: ChecksumAddress
+    ) -> None:
+        txn_params: TxParams = {
+            "from": async_unlocked_account_dual_type,
+            "to": async_unlocked_account_dual_type,
+            "value": Wei(1),
+            "gas": 21000,
+        }
+        two_gwei_in_wei = async_w3.to_wei(2, "gwei")
+
+        def gas_price_strategy(_w3: "Web3", _txn: TxParams) -> str:
+            return hex(two_gwei_in_wei)
+
+        async_w3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(gas_price_strategy)  # type: ignore
+
+        txn_hash = await async_w3.eth.send_transaction(txn_params)
+        txn = await async_w3.eth.get_transaction(txn_hash)
+
+        assert txn["gasPrice"] == two_gwei_in_wei
+        async_w3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(None)  # reset strategy
+
     @pytest.mark.asyncio
     @pytest.mark.parametrize(
         "max_fee", (1000000000, None), ids=["with_max_fee", "without_max_fee"]
@@ -3199,6 +3222,28 @@ def gas_price_strategy(_w3: "Web3", _txn: TxParams) -> Wei:
 
         w3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(None)  # reset strategy
 
+    def test_gas_price_strategy_middleware_hex_value(
+        self, w3: "Web3", unlocked_account_dual_type: ChecksumAddress
+    ) -> None:
+        txn_params: TxParams = {
+            "from": unlocked_account_dual_type,
+            "to": unlocked_account_dual_type,
+            "value": Wei(1),
+            "gas": 21000,
+        }
+        two_gwei_in_wei = w3.to_wei(2, "gwei")
+
+        def gas_price_strategy(_w3: "Web3", _txn: TxParams) -> str:
+            return hex(two_gwei_in_wei)
+
+        w3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(gas_price_strategy)  # type: ignore
+
+        txn_hash = w3.eth.send_transaction(txn_params)
+        txn = w3.eth.get_transaction(txn_hash)
+
+        assert txn["gasPrice"] == two_gwei_in_wei
+        w3.eth.set_gas_price_strategy(None)  # reset strategy
+
     def test_eth_replace_transaction_legacy(
         self, w3: "Web3", unlocked_account_dual_type: ChecksumAddress
     ) -> None:
diff --git a/web3/gas_strategies/rpc.py b/web3/gas_strategies/rpc.py
index 23660ff3e2..22ffdb5073 100644
--- a/web3/gas_strategies/rpc.py
+++ b/web3/gas_strategies/rpc.py
@@ -5,9 +5,6 @@
 from web3 import (
     Web3,
 )
-from web3._utils.rpc_abi import (
-    RPC,
-)
 from web3.types import (
     TxParams,
     Wei,
@@ -20,4 +17,4 @@ def rpc_gas_price_strategy(
     """
     A simple gas price strategy deriving it's value from the eth_gasPrice JSON-RPC call.
     """
-    return w3.manager.request_blocking(RPC.eth_gasPrice, [])
+    return w3.eth.gas_price
diff --git a/web3/middleware/gas_price_strategy.py b/web3/middleware/gas_price_strategy.py
index 9abdfb6b28..1cd5a31f09 100644
--- a/web3/middleware/gas_price_strategy.py
+++ b/web3/middleware/gas_price_strategy.py
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
     assoc,
 )
 
+from web3._utils.method_formatters import (
+    to_hex_if_integer,
+)
 from web3._utils.utility_methods import (
     all_in_dict,
     any_in_dict,
@@ -45,7 +48,9 @@ def validate_transaction_params(
         and "gasPrice" not in transaction
         and none_in_dict(DYNAMIC_FEE_TXN_PARAMS, transaction)
     ):
-        transaction = assoc(transaction, "gasPrice", hex(strategy_based_gas_price))
+        transaction = assoc(
+            transaction, "gasPrice", to_hex_if_integer(strategy_based_gas_price)
+        )
 
     # legacy and dynamic fee tx variables used:
     if "gasPrice" in transaction and any_in_dict(DYNAMIC_FEE_TXN_PARAMS, transaction):