diff --git a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/EffectSupport.scala b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/EffectSupport.scala
index b9fb83cdd..a3bcfadf3 100644
--- a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/EffectSupport.scala
+++ b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/EffectSupport.scala
@@ -16,9 +16,15 @@ import kalix.protocol.component
 @InternalApi
 private[impl] object EffectSupport {
 
-  def asProtocol(messageReply: MessageReplyImpl[JavaPbAny]): component.Reply =
-    component.Reply(
-      Some(ScalaPbAny.fromJavaProto(messageReply.message)),
-      MetadataImpl.toProtocol(messageReply.metadata))
+  def asProtocol(messageReply: MessageReplyImpl[_]): component.Reply = {
+    val scalaPbAny =
+      messageReply.message match {
+        case pb: ScalaPbAny => pb
+        case pb: JavaPbAny  => ScalaPbAny.fromJavaProto(pb)
+        case other          => throw new IllegalStateException(s"Expected PbAny, but was [${other.getClass.getName}]")
+      }
+
+    component.Reply(Some(scalaPbAny), MetadataImpl.toProtocol(messageReply.metadata))
+  }
 
 }
diff --git a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/SecondaryEffectImpl.scala b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/SecondaryEffectImpl.scala
index 203299af3..45ab658d7 100644
--- a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/SecondaryEffectImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/effect/SecondaryEffectImpl.scala
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ package akka.javasdk.impl.effect
 
 import akka.annotation.InternalApi
 import akka.javasdk.Metadata
-import com.google.protobuf.{ Any => JavaPbAny }
 import kalix.protocol.component.ClientAction
 
 /**
@@ -16,7 +15,7 @@ import kalix.protocol.component.ClientAction
 private[javasdk] sealed trait SecondaryEffectImpl {
   final def replyToClientAction(commandId: Long): Option[ClientAction] = {
     this match {
-      case message: MessageReplyImpl[JavaPbAny] @unchecked =>
+      case message: MessageReplyImpl[_] =>
         Some(ClientAction(ClientAction.Action.Reply(EffectSupport.asProtocol(message))))
       case failure: ErrorReplyImpl =>
         Some(
diff --git a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/keyvalueentity/KeyValueEntitiesImpl.scala b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/keyvalueentity/KeyValueEntitiesImpl.scala
index 842ff6a0c..9732c59f1 100644
--- a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/keyvalueentity/KeyValueEntitiesImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/keyvalueentity/KeyValueEntitiesImpl.scala
@@ -168,8 +168,10 @@ private[impl] final class KeyValueEntitiesImpl(
             val cmdPayloadPbAny = command.payload.getOrElse(
               // FIXME smuggling 0 arity method called from component client through here
               ScalaPbAny.defaultInstance.withTypeUrl(AnySupport.JsonTypeUrlPrefix).withValue(ByteString.empty()))
-            val cmdBytesPayload = AnySupport.toSpiBytesPayload(cmdPayloadPbAny)
-            val cmd = service.serializer.fromBytes(cmdBytesPayload)
+            // FIXME shall we deserialize here or in the router? the router needs the contentType as well.
+//            val cmdBytesPayload = AnySupport.toSpiBytesPayload(cmdPayloadPbAny)
+//            val cmd = service.serializer.fromBytes(cmdBytesPayload)
+            val cmd = cmdPayloadPbAny
 
             val context =
               new CommandContextImpl(thisEntityId, command.name, command.id, metadata, span, tracerFactory)
diff --git a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/view/ViewsImpl.scala b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/view/ViewsImpl.scala
index 3587cb64a..7f6a6473f 100644
--- a/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/view/ViewsImpl.scala
+++ b/akka-javasdk/src/main/scala/akka/javasdk/impl/view/ViewsImpl.scala
@@ -99,8 +99,10 @@ final class ViewsImpl(_services: Map[String, ViewService[_]], sdkDispatcherName:
                 }
 
               val commandName = receiveEvent.commandName
-              val bytesPayload = AnySupport.toSpiBytesPayload(receiveEvent.getPayload)
-              val msg = service.serializer.fromBytes(bytesPayload)
+              // FIXME shall we deserialize here or in the router? the router needs the contentType as well.
+//              val bytesPayload = AnySupport.toSpiBytesPayload(receiveEvent.getPayload)
+//              val msg = service.serializer.fromBytes(bytesPayload)
+              val msg = receiveEvent.getPayload
               val metadata = MetadataImpl.of(receiveEvent.metadata.map(_.entries.toVector).getOrElse(Nil))
               val addedToMDC = metadata.traceId match {
                 case Some(traceId) =>