diff --git a/components/forwarder/envelope.go b/components/forwarder/envelope.go
index b8de18763..a0bc3fd3e 100644
--- a/components/forwarder/envelope.go
+++ b/components/forwarder/envelope.go
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 package forwarder
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
-
 	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill"
 	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill/message"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
@@ -40,13 +38,17 @@ func (e *messageEnvelope) validate() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-func wrapMessageInEnvelope(destinationTopic string, msg *message.Message) (*message.Message, error) {
+func wrapMessageInEnvelope(
+	destinationTopic string,
+	msg *message.Message,
+	marshal func(any) ([]byte, error),
+) (*message.Message, error) {
 	envelope, err := newMessageEnvelope(destinationTopic, msg)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cannot envelope a message")
 	}
 
-	envelopedMessage, err := json.Marshal(envelope)
+	envelopedMessage, err := marshal(envelope)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cannot marshal a message")
 	}
@@ -57,9 +59,12 @@ func wrapMessageInEnvelope(destinationTopic string, msg *message.Message) (*mess
 	return wrappedMsg, nil
 }
 
-func unwrapMessageFromEnvelope(msg *message.Message) (destinationTopic string, unwrappedMsg *message.Message, err error) {
+func unwrapMessageFromEnvelope(
+	msg *message.Message,
+	unmarshal func(data []byte, v any) error,
+) (destinationTopic string, unwrappedMsg *message.Message, err error) {
 	envelopedMsg := messageEnvelope{}
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(msg.Payload, &envelopedMsg); err != nil {
+	if err := unmarshal(msg.Payload, &envelopedMsg); err != nil {
 		return "", nil, errors.Wrap(err, "cannot unmarshal message wrapped in an envelope")
 	}
 
diff --git a/components/forwarder/envelope_test.go b/components/forwarder/envelope_test.go
index 1d3a706e0..ea3380fc1 100644
--- a/components/forwarder/envelope_test.go
+++ b/components/forwarder/envelope_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package forwarder
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill"
@@ -14,6 +15,8 @@ type contextKey string
 
 func TestEnvelope(t *testing.T) {
 	expectedUUID := watermill.NewUUID()
+	marshal := json.Marshal
+	unmarshal := json.Unmarshal
 	expectedPayload := message.Payload("msg content")
 	expectedMetadata := message.Metadata{"key": "value"}
 	expectedDestinationTopic := "dest_topic"
@@ -24,14 +27,14 @@ func TestEnvelope(t *testing.T) {
 	msg.Metadata = expectedMetadata
 	msg.SetContext(ctx)
 
-	wrappedMsg, err := wrapMessageInEnvelope(expectedDestinationTopic, msg)
+	wrappedMsg, err := wrapMessageInEnvelope(expectedDestinationTopic, msg, marshal)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotNil(t, wrappedMsg)
 	v, ok := wrappedMsg.Context().Value(contextKey("key")).(string)
 	require.True(t, ok)
 	require.Equal(t, "value", v)
 
-	destinationTopic, unwrappedMsg, err := unwrapMessageFromEnvelope(wrappedMsg)
+	destinationTopic, unwrappedMsg, err := unwrapMessageFromEnvelope(wrappedMsg, unmarshal)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotNil(t, unwrappedMsg)
 	assert.Equal(t, expectedUUID, unwrappedMsg.UUID)
diff --git a/components/forwarder/forwarder.go b/components/forwarder/forwarder.go
index 09fb26b56..2bc5f4675 100644
--- a/components/forwarder/forwarder.go
+++ b/components/forwarder/forwarder.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package forwarder
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"time"
 
 	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill"
@@ -29,7 +30,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// If not provided, a new router will be created.
 	//
 	// If router is provided, it's not necessary to call `Forwarder.Run()` if the router is started with `router.Run()`.
-	Router *message.Router
+	Router    *message.Router
+	Unmarshal func(data []byte, v any) error
 }
 
 func (c *Config) setDefaults() {
@@ -39,6 +41,9 @@ func (c *Config) setDefaults() {
 	if c.ForwarderTopic == "" {
 		c.ForwarderTopic = defaultForwarderTopic
 	}
+	if c.Unmarshal == nil {
+		c.Unmarshal = json.Unmarshal
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *Config) Validate() error {
@@ -64,7 +69,12 @@ type Forwarder struct {
 //
 // Note: Keep in mind that by default the forwarder will nack all messages which weren't sent using a decorated publisher.
 // You can change this behavior by passing a middleware which will ack them instead.
-func NewForwarder(subscriberIn message.Subscriber, publisherOut message.Publisher, logger watermill.LoggerAdapter, config Config) (*Forwarder, error) {
+func NewForwarder(
+	subscriberIn message.Subscriber,
+	publisherOut message.Publisher,
+	logger watermill.LoggerAdapter,
+	config Config,
+) (*Forwarder, error) {
 	config.setDefaults()
 
 	routerConfig := message.RouterConfig{CloseTimeout: config.CloseTimeout}
@@ -117,7 +127,7 @@ func (f *Forwarder) Running() chan struct{} {
 }
 
 func (f *Forwarder) forwardMessage(msg *message.Message) error {
-	destTopic, unwrappedMsg, err := unwrapMessageFromEnvelope(msg)
+	destTopic, unwrappedMsg, err := unwrapMessageFromEnvelope(msg, f.config.Unmarshal)
 	if err != nil {
 		f.logger.Error("Could not unwrap a message from an envelope", err, watermill.LogFields{
 			"uuid":     msg.UUID,
diff --git a/components/forwarder/publisher.go b/components/forwarder/publisher.go
index 9d1836791..ef43048fe 100644
--- a/components/forwarder/publisher.go
+++ b/components/forwarder/publisher.go
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package forwarder
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
+
 	"github.com/ThreeDotsLabs/watermill/message"
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
 )
@@ -9,12 +11,16 @@ type PublisherConfig struct {
 	// ForwarderTopic is a topic which the forwarder is listening to. Publisher will send enveloped messages to this topic.
 	// Defaults to `forwarder_topic`.
 	ForwarderTopic string
+	Marshal        func(v any) ([]byte, error)
 }
 
 func (c *PublisherConfig) setDefaults() {
 	if c.ForwarderTopic == "" {
 		c.ForwarderTopic = defaultForwarderTopic
 	}
+	if c.Marshal == nil {
+		c.Marshal = json.Marshal
+	}
 }
 
 func (c *PublisherConfig) Validate() error {
@@ -44,7 +50,7 @@ func NewPublisher(publisher message.Publisher, config PublisherConfig) *Publishe
 func (p *Publisher) Publish(topic string, messages ...*message.Message) error {
 	envelopedMessages := make([]*message.Message, 0, len(messages))
 	for _, msg := range messages {
-		envelopedMsg, err := wrapMessageInEnvelope(topic, msg)
+		envelopedMsg, err := wrapMessageInEnvelope(topic, msg, p.config.Marshal)
 		if err != nil {
 			return errors.Wrapf(err, "cannot wrap message, target topic: '%s', uuid: '%s'", topic, msg.UUID)
 		}