diff --git a/upub/core/src/model/job.rs b/upub/core/src/model/job.rs
index 30a5570d..1cc0c6e8 100644
--- a/upub/core/src/model/job.rs
+++ b/upub/core/src/model/job.rs
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ pub struct Model {
 	pub actor: String,
 	pub target: Option<String>,
 	pub activity: String,
-	pub payload: Option<String>,
+	pub payload: Option<serde_json::Value>,
 	pub published: ChronoDateTimeUtc,
 	pub not_before: ChronoDateTimeUtc,
 	pub attempt: i16,
diff --git a/upub/migrations/src/m20240605_000001_add_jobs_table.rs b/upub/migrations/src/m20240605_000001_add_jobs_table.rs
index 9aabbc4b..cdbf4b06 100644
--- a/upub/migrations/src/m20240605_000001_add_jobs_table.rs
+++ b/upub/migrations/src/m20240605_000001_add_jobs_table.rs
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ impl MigrationTrait for Migration {
 					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Actor).string().not_null())
 					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Target).string().null())
 					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Activity).string().not_null())
-					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Payload).string().null())
+					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Payload).json_binary().null())
 					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Published).timestamp_with_time_zone().not_null().default(Expr::current_timestamp()))
 					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::NotBefore).timestamp_with_time_zone().not_null().default(Expr::current_timestamp()))
 					.col(ColumnDef::new(Jobs::Attempt).small_integer().not_null().default(0))
diff --git a/upub/routes/src/activitypub/actor/outbox.rs b/upub/routes/src/activitypub/actor/outbox.rs
index 8a3e3c74..e8b9ea49 100644
--- a/upub/routes/src/activitypub/actor/outbox.rs
+++ b/upub/routes/src/activitypub/actor/outbox.rs
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ pub async fn post(
 				published: Set(chrono::Utc::now()),
 				not_before: Set(chrono::Utc::now()),
 				attempt: Set(0),
-				payload: Set(Some(serde_json::to_string(&activity).expect("failed serializing back json object"))),
+				payload: Set(Some(activity)),
 			};
 
 			model::job::Entity::insert(job).exec(ctx.db()).await?;
diff --git a/upub/routes/src/activitypub/inbox.rs b/upub/routes/src/activitypub/inbox.rs
index b9646919..4d645947 100644
--- a/upub/routes/src/activitypub/inbox.rs
+++ b/upub/routes/src/activitypub/inbox.rs
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ pub async fn post(
 		actor: Set(uid),
 		target: Set(None),
 		activity: Set(aid),
-		payload: Set(Some(serde_json::to_string(&activity).expect("failed serializing json payload"))),
+		payload: Set(Some(activity)),
 		published: Set(chrono::Utc::now()),
 		not_before: Set(chrono::Utc::now()),
 		attempt: Set(0)
diff --git a/upub/worker/src/inbound.rs b/upub/worker/src/inbound.rs
index 9431706e..4ac4002a 100644
--- a/upub/worker/src/inbound.rs
+++ b/upub/worker/src/inbound.rs
@@ -3,18 +3,14 @@ use upub::traits::Processor;
 
 
 pub async fn process(ctx: upub::Context, job: &upub::model::job::Model) -> crate::JobResult<()> {
-	let Some(ref payload) = job.payload else {
+	let Some(ref activity) = job.payload else {
 		tracing::error!("abandoning inbound job without payload: {job:#?}");
 		return Ok(());
 	};
 
-	let Ok(activity) = serde_json::from_str::<serde_json::Value>(payload) else {
-		tracing::error!("abandoning inbound job with invalid payload: {job:#?}");
-		return Ok(());
-	};
-
 	let tx = ctx.db().begin().await?;
-	ctx.process(activity, &tx).await?;
+	// TODO can we get rid of this clone?
+	ctx.process(activity.clone(), &tx).await?;
 	tx.commit().await?;
 
 	Ok(())
diff --git a/upub/worker/src/outbound.rs b/upub/worker/src/outbound.rs
index 438040ac..f2b97612 100644
--- a/upub/worker/src/outbound.rs
+++ b/upub/worker/src/outbound.rs
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ use upub::{model, traits::{Addresser, Processor}, Context};
 
 
 pub async fn process(ctx: Context, job: &model::job::Model) -> crate::JobResult<()> {
-	let payload = job.payload.as_ref().ok_or(crate::JobError::MissingPayload)?;
-	let mut activity : serde_json::Value = serde_json::from_str(payload)?;
+	// TODO can we get rid of this cloned??
+	let mut activity = job.payload.as_ref().cloned().ok_or(crate::JobError::MissingPayload)?;
 	let mut t = activity.object_type()?;
 	let tx = ctx.db().begin().await?;