diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/IKafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/IKafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs
index 43c856ce8..eb75dcabe 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/IKafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/IKafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 namespace Wolverine.Kafka;
 
-public interface IKafkaEnvelopeMapper : IEnvelopeMapper<Message<string, string>, Message<string, string>>;
+public interface IKafkaEnvelopeMapper : IEnvelopeMapper<Message<string, byte[]>, Message<string, byte[]>>;
 
 /// <summary>
 /// Option to publish or receive raw JSON from or to Kafka topics
@@ -23,17 +23,17 @@ public JsonOnlyMapper(KafkaTopic topic, JsonSerializerOptions options)
         _messageTypeName = topic.MessageType?.ToMessageTypeName();
     }
 
-    public void MapEnvelopeToOutgoing(Envelope envelope, Message<string, string> outgoing)
+    public void MapEnvelopeToOutgoing(Envelope envelope, Message<string, byte[]> outgoing)
     {
         outgoing.Key = envelope.GroupId;
 
         if (envelope.Data != null && envelope.Data.Any())
         {
-            outgoing.Value = Encoding.Default.GetString(envelope.Data);
+            outgoing.Value = envelope.Data;
         }
         else if (envelope.Message != null)
         {
-            outgoing.Value = JsonSerializer.Serialize(envelope.Message, _options);
+            outgoing.Value = Encoding.Default.GetBytes(JsonSerializer.Serialize(envelope.Message, _options));
         }
         else
         {
@@ -42,9 +42,9 @@ public void MapEnvelopeToOutgoing(Envelope envelope, Message<string, string> out
         }
     }
 
-    public void MapIncomingToEnvelope(Envelope envelope, Message<string, string> incoming)
+    public void MapIncomingToEnvelope(Envelope envelope, Message<string, byte[]> incoming)
     {
-        envelope.Data = Encoding.Default.GetBytes(incoming.Value);
+        envelope.Data = incoming.Value;
         envelope.MessageType = _messageTypeName;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/InlineKafkaSender.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/InlineKafkaSender.cs
index c7ff57881..a435907e5 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/InlineKafkaSender.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/InlineKafkaSender.cs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ namespace Wolverine.Kafka.Internals;
 public class InlineKafkaSender : ISender, IDisposable
 {
     private readonly KafkaTopic _topic;
-    private readonly IProducer<string,string> _producer;
+    private readonly IProducer<string, byte[]> _producer;
 
     public InlineKafkaSender(KafkaTopic topic)
     {
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs
index 9191d1b2f..0e661191a 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaEnvelopeMapper.cs
@@ -5,19 +5,19 @@
 
 namespace Wolverine.Kafka.Internals;
 
-internal class KafkaEnvelopeMapper : EnvelopeMapper<Message<string, string>, Message<string, string>>, IKafkaEnvelopeMapper
+internal class KafkaEnvelopeMapper : EnvelopeMapper<Message<string, byte[]>, Message<string, byte[]>>, IKafkaEnvelopeMapper
 {
     public KafkaEnvelopeMapper(Endpoint endpoint) : base(endpoint)
     {
 
     }
 
-    protected override void writeOutgoingHeader(Message<string, string> outgoing, string key, string value)
+    protected override void writeOutgoingHeader(Message<string, byte[]> outgoing, string key, string value)
     {
         outgoing.Headers.Add(key, Encoding.Default.GetBytes(value));
     }
 
-    protected override bool tryReadIncomingHeader(Message<string, string> incoming, string key, out string value)
+    protected override bool tryReadIncomingHeader(Message<string, byte[]> incoming, string key, out string value)
     {
         if (incoming.Headers.TryGetLastBytes(key, out var bytes))
         {
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaListener.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaListener.cs
index bc7eb0d1b..a6d244eec 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaListener.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaListener.cs
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ namespace Wolverine.Kafka.Internals;
 
 public class KafkaListener : IListener, IDisposable
 {
-    private readonly IConsumer<string,string> _consumer;
+    private readonly IConsumer<string, byte[]> _consumer;
     private CancellationTokenSource _cancellation = new();
     private readonly Task _runner;
     private readonly IReceiver _receiver;
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ public class KafkaListener : IListener, IDisposable
     private readonly QualityOfService _qualityOfService;
 
     public KafkaListener(KafkaTopic topic, ConsumerConfig config,
-        IConsumer<string, string> consumer, IReceiver receiver,
+        IConsumer<string, byte[]> consumer, IReceiver receiver,
         ILogger<KafkaListener> logger)
     {
         Address = topic.Uri;
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaTransport.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaTransport.cs
index cbd5bf588..43d20b96d 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaTransport.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/Internals/KafkaTransport.cs
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ public class KafkaTransport : BrokerTransport<KafkaTopic>
     public Cache<string, KafkaTopic> Topics { get; }
 
     public ProducerConfig ProducerConfig { get; } = new();
-    public Action<ProducerBuilder<string, string>> ConfigureProducerBuilders { get; internal set; } = _ => {};
+    public Action<ProducerBuilder<string, byte[]>> ConfigureProducerBuilders { get; internal set; } = _ => {};
 
     public ConsumerConfig ConsumerConfig { get; } = new();
-    public Action<ConsumerBuilder<string, string>> ConfigureConsumerBuilders { get; internal set; } = _ => {};
+    public Action<ConsumerBuilder<string, byte[]>> ConfigureConsumerBuilders { get; internal set; } = _ => {};
 
     public AdminClientConfig AdminClientConfig { get; } = new();
     public Action<AdminClientBuilder> ConfigureAdminClientBuilders { get; internal set; } = _ => {};
@@ -76,16 +76,16 @@ public override IEnumerable<PropertyColumn> DiagnosticColumns()
         yield break;
     }
 
-    internal IProducer<string, string> CreateProducer(ProducerConfig? config)
+    internal IProducer<string, byte[]> CreateProducer(ProducerConfig? config)
     {
-        var producerBuilder = new ProducerBuilder<string, string>(config ?? ProducerConfig);
+        var producerBuilder = new ProducerBuilder<string, byte[]>(config ?? ProducerConfig);
         ConfigureProducerBuilders(producerBuilder);
         return producerBuilder.Build();
     }
 
-    internal IConsumer<string, string> CreateConsumer(ConsumerConfig? config)
+    internal IConsumer<string, byte[]> CreateConsumer(ConsumerConfig? config)
     {
-        var consumerBuilder = new ConsumerBuilder<string, string>(config ?? ConsumerConfig);
+        var consumerBuilder = new ConsumerBuilder<string, byte[]>(config ?? ConsumerConfig);
         ConfigureConsumerBuilders(consumerBuilder);
         return consumerBuilder.Build();
     }
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaSenderProtocol.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaSenderProtocol.cs
index b1e082d22..e783a7b00 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaSenderProtocol.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaSenderProtocol.cs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ namespace Wolverine.Kafka;
 public class KafkaSenderProtocol : ISenderProtocol, IDisposable
 {
     private readonly KafkaTopic _topic;
-    private readonly IProducer<string,string> _producer;
+    private readonly IProducer<string, byte[]> _producer;
 
     public KafkaSenderProtocol(KafkaTopic topic)
     {
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTopic.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTopic.cs
index cd1a4dc63..8d665cc8a 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTopic.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTopic.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 using Confluent.Kafka;
 using Confluent.Kafka.Admin;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.Logging;
+using System.Text;
 using Wolverine.Configuration;
 using Wolverine.Kafka.Internals;
 using Wolverine.Runtime;
@@ -70,10 +71,10 @@ public async ValueTask<bool> CheckAsync()
         try
         {
             using var client = Parent.CreateProducer(ProducerConfig);
-            await client.ProduceAsync(TopicName, new Message<string, string>
+            await client.ProduceAsync(TopicName, new Message<string, byte[]>
             {
                 Key = "ping",
-                Value = "ping"
+                Value = Encoding.Default.GetBytes("ping")
             });
 
 
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExpression.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExpression.cs
index 485e92f07..c3172986e 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExpression.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExpression.cs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ public KafkaTransportExpression ConfigureProducers(Action<ProducerConfig> config
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="configure"></param>
     /// <returns></returns>
-    public KafkaTransportExpression ConfigureProducerBuilders(Action<ProducerBuilder<string, string>> configure)
+    public KafkaTransportExpression ConfigureProducerBuilders(Action<ProducerBuilder<string, byte[]>> configure)
     {
         _transport.ConfigureProducerBuilders = configure;
         return this;
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public KafkaTransportExpression ConfigureConsumers(Action<ConsumerConfig> config
     /// </summary>
     /// <param name="configure"></param>
     /// <returns></returns>
-    public KafkaTransportExpression ConfigureConsumerBuilders(Action<ConsumerBuilder<string, string>> configure)
+    public KafkaTransportExpression ConfigureConsumerBuilders(Action<ConsumerBuilder<string, byte[]>> configure)
     {
         _transport.ConfigureConsumerBuilders = configure;
         return this;
diff --git a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExtensions.cs b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExtensions.cs
index 71d07aaff..585153553 100644
--- a/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/Transports/Kafka/Wolverine.Kafka/KafkaTransportExtensions.cs
@@ -110,12 +110,12 @@ public static KafkaSubscriberConfiguration ToKafkaTopics(this IPublishToExpressi
         return new KafkaSubscriberConfiguration(topic);
     }
 
-    internal static Envelope CreateEnvelope(this IKafkaEnvelopeMapper mapper, string topicName, Message<string, string> message)
+    internal static Envelope CreateEnvelope(this IKafkaEnvelopeMapper mapper, string topicName, Message<string, byte[]> message)
     {
         var envelope = new Envelope
         {
             PartitionKey = message.Key,
-            Data = Encoding.Default.GetBytes(message.Value),
+            Data = message.Value,
             TopicName = topicName
         };
 
@@ -126,12 +126,12 @@ internal static Envelope CreateEnvelope(this IKafkaEnvelopeMapper mapper, string
         return envelope;
     }
 
-    internal static Message<string, string> CreateMessage(this IKafkaEnvelopeMapper mapper, Envelope envelope)
+    internal static Message<string, byte[]> CreateMessage(this IKafkaEnvelopeMapper mapper, Envelope envelope)
     {
-        var message = new Message<string, string>
+        var message = new Message<string, byte[]>
         {
             Key = !string.IsNullOrEmpty(envelope.PartitionKey) ? envelope.PartitionKey : envelope.Id.ToString(),
-            Value = Encoding.Default.GetString(envelope.Data),
+            Value = envelope.Data,
             Headers = new Headers()
         };