diff --git a/src/api/client_server/to_device.rs b/src/api/client_server/to_device.rs
index 65fb198c..663908b4 100644
--- a/src/api/client_server/to_device.rs
+++ b/src/api/client_server/to_device.rs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ use ruma::{
         client::{error::ErrorKind, to_device::send_event_to_device},
         federation::{self, transactions::edu::DirectDeviceContent},
     },
+    serde::Raw,
     to_device::DeviceIdOrAllDevices,
 };
 
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn send_event_to_device_route(
 
                 services().sending.send_reliable_edu(
                     target_user_id.server_name(),
-                    serde_json::to_vec(
+                    Raw::new(
                         &federation::transactions::edu::Edu::DirectToDevice(
                             DirectDeviceContent {
                                 sender: sender_user.clone(),
diff --git a/src/database/key_value/sending.rs b/src/database/key_value/sending.rs
index c620b40f..10d437dd 100644
--- a/src/database/key_value/sending.rs
+++ b/src/database/key_value/sending.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use ruma::{ServerName, UserId};
+use ruma::{serde::Raw, ServerName, UserId};
 
 use crate::{
     database::KeyValueDatabase,
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ impl service::sending::Data for KeyValueDatabase {
                 );
             }
             let value = if let SendingEventType::Edu(value) = &event {
-                &**value
+                value.json().get().as_bytes()
             } else {
                 &[]
             };
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ impl service::sending::Data for KeyValueDatabase {
     ) -> Result<()> {
         for (e, key) in events {
             let value = if let SendingEventType::Edu(value) = &e {
-                &**value
+                value.json().get().as_bytes()
             } else {
                 &[]
             };
@@ -205,7 +205,13 @@ fn parse_servercurrentevent(
         if value.is_empty() {
             SendingEventType::Pdu(PduId::new(event.to_vec()))
         } else {
-            SendingEventType::Edu(value)
+            SendingEventType::Edu(
+                Raw::from_json_string(
+                    String::from_utf8(value)
+                        .expect("EDU content in database should be a string"),
+                )
+                .expect("EDU content in database should be valid JSON"),
+            )
         },
     ))
 }
diff --git a/src/service/sending.rs b/src/service/sending.rs
index 9aa1d684..bc4c33d6 100644
--- a/src/service/sending.rs
+++ b/src/service/sending.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,10 @@ use ruma::{
         push_rules::PushRulesEvent, receipt::ReceiptType,
         AnySyncEphemeralRoomEvent, GlobalAccountDataEventType,
     },
-    push, uint, MilliSecondsSinceUnixEpoch, OwnedServerName, OwnedUserId,
-    ServerName, UInt, UserId,
+    push,
+    serde::Raw,
+    uint, MilliSecondsSinceUnixEpoch, OwnedServerName, OwnedUserId, ServerName,
+    UInt, UserId,
 };
 use tokio::{
     select,
@@ -81,12 +83,12 @@ impl Destination {
     }
 }
 
-#[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
+#[derive(Clone, Debug)]
 pub(crate) enum SendingEventType {
     // pduid
     Pdu(PduId),
     // pdu json
-    Edu(Vec<u8>),
+    Edu(Raw<Edu>),
 }
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
@@ -444,7 +446,7 @@ impl Service {
     pub(crate) fn select_edus(
         &self,
         server_name: &ServerName,
-    ) -> Result<(Vec<Vec<u8>>, u64)> {
+    ) -> Result<(Vec<Raw<Edu>>, u64)> {
         // u64: count of last edu
         let since = self.db.get_latest_educount(server_name)?;
         let mut events = Vec::new();
@@ -532,7 +534,7 @@ impl Service {
                     };
 
                 events.push(
-                    serde_json::to_vec(&federation_event)
+                    Raw::new(&federation_event)
                         .expect("json can be serialized"),
                 );
 
@@ -555,9 +557,7 @@ impl Service {
                 keys: None,
             });
 
-            events.push(
-                serde_json::to_vec(&edu).expect("json can be serialized"),
-            );
+            events.push(Raw::new(&edu).expect("json can be serialized"));
         }
 
         Ok((events, max_edu_count))
@@ -622,7 +622,7 @@ impl Service {
     pub(crate) fn send_reliable_edu(
         &self,
         server: &ServerName,
-        serialized: Vec<u8>,
+        serialized: Raw<Edu>,
         id: u64,
     ) -> Result<()> {
         let destination = Destination::Normal(server.to_owned());
@@ -759,7 +759,9 @@ async fn handle_appservice_event(
                     &events
                         .iter()
                         .map(|e| match e {
-                            SendingEventType::Edu(b) => &**b,
+                            SendingEventType::Edu(b) => {
+                                b.json().get().as_bytes()
+                            }
                             SendingEventType::Pdu(b) => b.as_bytes(),
                         })
                         .collect::<Vec<_>>(),
@@ -885,9 +887,7 @@ async fn handle_federation_event(
                 ));
             }
             SendingEventType::Edu(edu) => {
-                if let Ok(raw) = serde_json::from_slice(edu) {
-                    edu_jsons.push(raw);
-                }
+                edu_jsons.push(edu.clone());
             }
         }
     }
@@ -906,7 +906,9 @@ async fn handle_federation_event(
                     &events
                         .iter()
                         .map(|e| match e {
-                            SendingEventType::Edu(b) => &**b,
+                            SendingEventType::Edu(b) => {
+                                b.json().get().as_bytes()
+                            }
                             SendingEventType::Pdu(b) => b.as_bytes(),
                         })
                         .collect::<Vec<_>>(),