diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 84ae53c1a8..e5d2da8846 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,8 +7,13 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+- **Breaking**: The `WakuMessage` APIs have been changed to move `contentTopic` out of the optional parameters.
+
 ### Removed
 - Examples (web-chat): Remove broken `/fleet` command.
+- **Breaking**: Removed `DefaultContentTopic` as developers must choose a content topic for their app;
+  recommendations for content topic can be found at https://rfc.vac.dev/spec/23/.
 
 ## [0.9.0] - 2021-07-26
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ef426d12ff..4e40a1681d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ However, it does not give you any delivery information.
 ```ts
 import { WakuMessage } from 'js-waku';
 
-const msg = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String("Here is a message!", { contentTopic: "/my-cool-app/1/my-use-case/proto" })
+const msg = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String("Here is a message!", "/my-cool-app/1/my-use-case/proto")
 await waku.relay.send(msg);
 ```
 
@@ -157,19 +157,18 @@ const symKey = generatePrivateKey();
 To encrypt your waku messages, simply pass the encryption key when creating it:
 
 ```ts
-import { WakuMessage } from 'js-waku';
+import { WakuMessage } from "js-waku";
 
 // Asymmetric
-const message = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
-    contentTopic: myAppContentTopic,
-    encPublicKey: publicKey,
-  });
+const message1 = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, myAppContentTopic, {
+  encPublicKey: publicKey,
+});
 
 // Symmetric
-const message = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
-    contentTopic: myAppContentTopic,
-    symKey: symKey,
-  });
+const message2 = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, myAppContentTopic, {
+  symKey: symKey,
+});
+
 ```
 
 #### Decrypt Waku Messages
@@ -212,23 +211,22 @@ In the case where your app does not need encryption then you could use symmetric
 Signature keys can be generated the same way asymmetric keys for encryption are:
 
 ```ts
-import { generatePrivateKey, getPublicKey, WakuMessage } from 'js-waku';
+import { generatePrivateKey, getPublicKey, WakuMessage } from "js-waku";
 
 const signPrivateKey = generatePrivateKey();
 
 // Asymmetric Encryption
-const message = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
-    contentTopic: myAppContentTopic,
-    encPublicKey: recipientPublicKey,
-    sigPrivKey: signPrivateKey
-  });
+const message1 = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, myAppContentTopic, {
+  encPublicKey: recipientPublicKey,
+  sigPrivKey: signPrivateKey,
+});
 
 // Symmetric Encryption
-const message = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
-    contentTopic: myAppContentTopic,
-    encPublicKey: symKey,
-    sigPrivKey: signPrivateKey
-  });
+const message2 = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, myAppContentTopic, {
+  encPublicKey: symKey,
+  sigPrivKey: signPrivateKey,
+});
+
 ```
 
 #### Verify Waku Message signatures
diff --git a/src/lib/waku.ts b/src/lib/waku.ts
index 5369e4a0c0..49c813cd5b 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku.ts
@@ -246,9 +246,9 @@ export class Waku {
 
     if (relayPeriodSecs !== 0) {
       this.relayKeepAliveTimers[peerIdStr] = setInterval(() => {
-        WakuMessage.fromBytes(new Uint8Array(), {
-          contentTopic: RelayPingContentTopic,
-        }).then((wakuMsg) => this.relay.send(wakuMsg));
+        WakuMessage.fromBytes(new Uint8Array(), RelayPingContentTopic).then(
+          (wakuMsg) => this.relay.send(wakuMsg)
+        );
       }, relayPeriodSecs * 1000);
     }
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_light_push/index.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_light_push/index.spec.ts
index f653db86a6..fa7b7f110a 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_light_push/index.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_light_push/index.spec.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,8 @@ import { delay } from '../delay';
 import { Waku } from '../waku';
 import { WakuMessage } from '../waku_message';
 
+const TestContentTopic = '/test/1/waku-light-push/utf8';
+
 describe('Waku Light Push', () => {
   let waku: Waku;
   let nimWaku: NimWaku;
@@ -35,7 +37,10 @@ describe('Waku Light Push', () => {
     });
 
     const messageText = 'Light Push works!';
-    const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+    const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+      messageText,
+      TestContentTopic
+    );
 
     const pushResponse = await waku.lightPush.push(message);
     expect(pushResponse?.isSuccess).to.be.true;
@@ -75,7 +80,10 @@ describe('Waku Light Push', () => {
     const nimPeerId = await nimWaku.getPeerId();
 
     const messageText = 'Light Push works!';
-    const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+    const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+      messageText,
+      TestContentTopic
+    );
 
     const pushResponse = await waku.lightPush.push(message, {
       peerId: nimPeerId,
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_message/index.browser.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_message/index.browser.spec.ts
index ffb76e6a78..0b8bf5c540 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_message/index.browser.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_message/index.browser.spec.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import { getPublicKey } from './version_1';
 
 import { WakuMessage } from './index';
 
+const TestContentTopic = '/test/1/waku-message/utf8';
+
 describe('Waku Message: Browser & Node', function () {
   it('Waku message round trip binary serialization [clear]', async function () {
     await fc.assert(
       fc.asyncProperty(fc.string(), async (s) => {
-        const msg = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(s);
+        const msg = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(s, TestContentTopic);
         const binary = msg.encode();
         const actual = await WakuMessage.decode(binary);
 
@@ -21,7 +23,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Browser & Node', function () {
   it('Payload to utf-8', async function () {
     await fc.assert(
       fc.asyncProperty(fc.string(), async (s) => {
-        const msg = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(s);
+        const msg = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(s, TestContentTopic);
         const utf8 = msg.payloadAsUtf8;
 
         return utf8 === s;
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Browser & Node', function () {
         async (payload, privKey) => {
           const publicKey = getPublicKey(privKey);
 
-          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
+          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, TestContentTopic, {
             encPublicKey: publicKey,
           });
 
@@ -60,7 +62,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Browser & Node', function () {
           const sigPubKey = getPublicKey(sigPrivKey);
           const encPubKey = getPublicKey(encPrivKey);
 
-          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
+          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, TestContentTopic, {
             encPublicKey: encPubKey,
             sigPrivKey: sigPrivKey,
           });
@@ -81,7 +83,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Browser & Node', function () {
         fc.uint8Array({ minLength: 1 }),
         fc.uint8Array({ minLength: 32, maxLength: 32 }),
         async (payload, key) => {
-          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
+          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, TestContentTopic, {
             symKey: key,
           });
 
@@ -103,7 +105,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Browser & Node', function () {
         async (payload, sigPrivKey, symKey) => {
           const sigPubKey = getPublicKey(sigPrivKey);
 
-          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, {
+          const msg = await WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, TestContentTopic, {
             symKey: symKey,
             sigPrivKey: sigPrivKey,
           });
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_message/index.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_message/index.spec.ts
index 77c2c36bff..7cb6a6ae79 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_message/index.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_message/index.spec.ts
@@ -16,10 +16,12 @@ import { Waku } from '../waku';
 
 import { generatePrivateKey, getPublicKey } from './version_1';
 
-import { DefaultContentTopic, WakuMessage } from './index';
+import { WakuMessage } from './index';
 
 const dbg = debug('waku:test:message');
 
+const TestContentTopic = '/test/1/waku-message/utf8';
+
 describe('Waku Message: Node only', function () {
   describe('Interop: Nim', function () {
     let waku: Waku;
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Node only', function () {
 
       const messageText = 'Here is an encrypted message.';
       const message: WakuRelayMessage = {
-        contentTopic: DefaultContentTopic,
+        contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
         payload: Buffer.from(messageText, 'utf-8').toString('hex'),
       };
 
@@ -89,9 +91,13 @@ describe('Waku Message: Node only', function () {
       const publicKey = hexToBuf(keyPair.publicKey);
 
       const messageText = 'This is a message I am going to encrypt';
-      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText, {
-        encPublicKey: publicKey,
-      });
+      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        messageText,
+        TestContentTopic,
+        {
+          encPublicKey: publicKey,
+        }
+      );
 
       await waku.relay.send(message);
 
@@ -112,7 +118,7 @@ describe('Waku Message: Node only', function () {
 
       const messageText = 'Here is a message encrypted in a symmetric manner.';
       const message: WakuRelayMessage = {
-        contentTopic: DefaultContentTopic,
+        contentTopic: TestContentTopic,
         payload: Buffer.from(messageText, 'utf-8').toString('hex'),
       };
 
@@ -143,9 +149,13 @@ describe('Waku Message: Node only', function () {
 
       const messageText =
         'This is a message I am going to encrypt with a symmetric key';
-      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText, {
-        symKey: symKey,
-      });
+      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        messageText,
+        TestContentTopic,
+        {
+          symKey: symKey,
+        }
+      );
 
       await waku.relay.send(message);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_message/index.ts b/src/lib/waku_message/index.ts
index 5de1e73a7c..1f3289fcc9 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_message/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_message/index.ts
@@ -9,16 +9,10 @@ import * as proto from '../../proto/waku/v2/message';
 
 import * as version_1 from './version_1';
 
-export const DefaultContentTopic = '/waku/2/default-content/proto';
 const DefaultVersion = 0;
 const dbg = debug('waku:message');
 
 export interface Options {
-  /**
-   * Content topic to set on the message, defaults to {@link DefaultContentTopic}
-   * if not passed.
-   */
-  contentTopic?: string;
   /**
    * Timestamp to set on the message, defaults to now if not passed.
    */
@@ -54,10 +48,11 @@ export class WakuMessage {
    */
   static async fromUtf8String(
     utf8: string,
+    contentTopic: string,
     opts?: Options
   ): Promise<WakuMessage> {
     const payload = Buffer.from(utf8, 'utf-8');
-    return WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, opts);
+    return WakuMessage.fromBytes(payload, contentTopic, opts);
   }
 
   /**
@@ -74,13 +69,13 @@ export class WakuMessage {
    */
   static async fromBytes(
     payload: Uint8Array,
+    contentTopic: string,
     opts?: Options
   ): Promise<WakuMessage> {
-    const { timestamp, contentTopic, encPublicKey, symKey, sigPrivKey } =
-      Object.assign(
-        { timestamp: new Date(), contentTopic: DefaultContentTopic },
-        opts ? opts : {}
-      );
+    const { timestamp, encPublicKey, symKey, sigPrivKey } = Object.assign(
+      { timestamp: new Date() },
+      opts ? opts : {}
+    );
 
     let _payload = payload;
     let version = DefaultVersion;
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts
index d9c0c9eb15..cd1fdd6153 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_relay/index.spec.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import { DefaultPubsubTopic } from './index';
 
 const log = debug('waku:test');
 
+const TestContentTopic = '/test/1/waku-relay/utf8';
+
 describe('Waku Relay', () => {
   describe('js only', () => {
     afterEach(function () {
@@ -81,9 +83,13 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
 
       const messageText = 'JS to JS communication works';
       const messageTimestamp = new Date('1995-12-17T03:24:00');
-      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText, {
-        timestamp: messageTimestamp,
-      });
+      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        messageText,
+        TestContentTopic,
+        {
+          timestamp: messageTimestamp,
+        }
+      );
 
       const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
         (resolve) => {
@@ -108,12 +114,14 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
 
       const fooMessageText = 'Published on content topic foo';
       const barMessageText = 'Published on content topic bar';
-      const fooMessage = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(fooMessageText, {
-        contentTopic: 'foo',
-      });
-      const barMessage = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(barMessageText, {
-        contentTopic: 'bar',
-      });
+      const fooMessage = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        fooMessageText,
+        'foo'
+      );
+      const barMessage = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        barMessageText,
+        'bar'
+      );
 
       const receivedBarMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
         (resolve) => {
@@ -148,9 +156,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
 
       const messageText =
         'Published on content topic with added then deleted observer';
-      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText, {
-        contentTopic: 'added-then-deleted-observer',
-      });
+      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        messageText,
+        'added-then-deleted-observer'
+      );
 
       // The promise **fails** if we receive a message on this observer.
       const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
@@ -207,7 +216,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
       ]);
 
       const messageText = 'Communicating using a custom pubsub topic';
-      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+      const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        messageText,
+        TestContentTopic
+      );
 
       const waku2ReceivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
         (resolve) => {
@@ -278,7 +290,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
         this.timeout(5000);
 
         const messageText = 'This is a message';
-        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+          messageText,
+          TestContentTopic
+        );
 
         await waku.relay.send(message);
 
@@ -297,7 +312,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
       it('Nim publishes to js', async function () {
         this.timeout(5000);
         const messageText = 'Here is another message.';
-        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+          messageText,
+          TestContentTopic
+        );
 
         const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
           (resolve) => {
@@ -363,7 +381,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
         this.timeout(30000);
 
         const messageText = 'This is a message';
-        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+          messageText,
+          TestContentTopic
+        );
         await delay(1000);
         await waku.relay.send(message);
 
@@ -384,7 +405,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
         await delay(200);
 
         const messageText = 'Here is another message.';
-        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(messageText);
+        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+          messageText,
+          TestContentTopic
+        );
 
         const receivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
           (resolve) => {
@@ -466,7 +490,10 @@ describe('Waku Relay', () => {
         ).to.be.false;
 
         const msgStr = 'Hello there!';
-        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(msgStr);
+        const message = await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+          msgStr,
+          TestContentTopic
+        );
 
         const waku2ReceivedMsgPromise: Promise<WakuMessage> = new Promise(
           (resolve) => {
diff --git a/src/lib/waku_store/index.spec.ts b/src/lib/waku_store/index.spec.ts
index 79a6d9436e..53cc942b34 100644
--- a/src/lib/waku_store/index.spec.ts
+++ b/src/lib/waku_store/index.spec.ts
@@ -12,13 +12,15 @@ import {
 } from '../../test_utils';
 import { delay } from '../delay';
 import { Waku } from '../waku';
-import { DefaultContentTopic, WakuMessage } from '../waku_message';
+import { WakuMessage } from '../waku_message';
 import { generatePrivateKey, getPublicKey } from '../waku_message/version_1';
 
 import { Direction } from './history_rpc';
 
 const dbg = debug('waku:test:store');
 
+const TestContentTopic = '/test/1/waku-store/utf8';
+
 describe('Waku Store', () => {
   let waku: Waku;
   let nimWaku: NimWaku;
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ describe('Waku Store', () => {
     for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
       expect(
         await nimWaku.sendMessage(
-          await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(`Message ${i}`)
+          await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(`Message ${i}`, TestContentTopic)
         )
       ).to.be.true;
     }
@@ -73,7 +75,7 @@ describe('Waku Store', () => {
     for (let i = 0; i < 15; i++) {
       expect(
         await nimWaku.sendMessage(
-          await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(`Message ${i}`)
+          await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(`Message ${i}`, TestContentTopic)
         )
       ).to.be.true;
     }
@@ -90,7 +92,7 @@ describe('Waku Store', () => {
     });
 
     const messages = await waku.store.queryHistory({
-      contentTopics: [DefaultContentTopic],
+      contentTopics: [],
       direction: Direction.FORWARD,
     });
 
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ describe('Waku Store', () => {
     for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
       expect(
         await nimWaku.sendMessage(
-          await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(`Message ${i}`),
+          await WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(`Message ${i}`, TestContentTopic),
           customPubSubTopic
         )
       ).to.be.true;
@@ -171,14 +173,22 @@ describe('Waku Store', () => {
       clearMessage,
       otherEncMessage,
     ] = await Promise.all([
-      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(encryptedAsymmetricMessageText, {
-        encPublicKey: publicKey,
-      }),
-      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(encryptedSymmetricMessageText, {
-        symKey: symKey,
-      }),
-      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(clearMessageText),
-      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(otherEncMessageText, {
+      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        encryptedAsymmetricMessageText,
+        TestContentTopic,
+        {
+          encPublicKey: publicKey,
+        }
+      ),
+      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(
+        encryptedSymmetricMessageText,
+        TestContentTopic,
+        {
+          symKey: symKey,
+        }
+      ),
+      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(clearMessageText, TestContentTopic),
+      WakuMessage.fromUtf8String(otherEncMessageText, TestContentTopic, {
         encPublicKey: getPublicKey(generatePrivateKey()),
       }),
     ]);