diff --git a/waku/common/protobuf.nim b/waku/common/protobuf.nim
index 050ebef9d..54bd7f8f6 100644
--- a/waku/common/protobuf.nim
+++ b/waku/common/protobuf.nim
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ proc write3*(proto: var ProtoBuffer, field: int, value: auto) =
   when value is Option:
     if value.isSome():
       proto.write(field, value.get())
+  elif value is bool:
+    proto.write(field, zint(value))
   else:
     proto.write(field, value)
 
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/client.nim b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/client.nim
index ac708f7ec..9e8b63733 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/client.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/client.nim
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ proc initProtocolHandler(wf: WakuFilterClient) =
     let rpc = decodeReqRes.get()
     trace "filter message received"
 
-    if rpc.push == MessagePush():
+    if rpc.push.isNone():
       waku_filter_errors.inc(labelValues = [emptyMessagePushFailure])
       # TODO: Manage the empty push message error. Perform any action?
       return
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ proc initProtocolHandler(wf: WakuFilterClient) =
     let
       peerId = conn.peerId
       requestId = rpc.requestId 
-      push = rpc.push
+      push = rpc.push.get()
 
     info "received filter message push", peerId=conn.peerId, requestId=requestId
     wf.handleMessagePush(peerId, requestId, push)
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ proc sendFilterRequestRpc(wf: WakuFilterClient,
 
   let rpc = FilterRpc(
     requestId: requestId,
-    request: FilterRequest(
+    request: some(FilterRequest(
       subscribe: subscribe, 
       pubSubTopic: pubsubTopic, 
       contentFilters: contentFilters
-    )
+    ))
   )
 
   let sendRes = await wf.sendFilterRpc(rpc, peer)
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/protocol.nim b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/protocol.nim
index 8d215a5cd..d062b7076 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/protocol.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/protocol.nim
@@ -72,9 +72,9 @@ type
 proc handleFilterRequest(wf: WakuFilter, peerId: PeerId, rpc: FilterRPC) =
   let 
     requestId = rpc.requestId
-    subscribe = rpc.request.subscribe
-    pubsubTopic =  rpc.request.pubsubTopic
-    contentTopics = rpc.request.contentFilters.mapIt(it.contentTopic)
+    subscribe = rpc.request.get().subscribe
+    pubsubTopic =  rpc.request.get().pubsubTopic
+    contentTopics = rpc.request.get().contentFilters.mapIt(it.contentTopic)
 
   if subscribe:
     info "added filter subscritpiton", peerId=peerId, pubsubTopic=pubsubTopic, contentTopics=contentTopics
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ proc initProtocolHandler(wf: WakuFilter) =
 
     ## Filter request
     # Subscription/unsubscription request
-    if rpc.request == FilterRequest():
+    if rpc.request.isNone():
       waku_filter_errors.inc(labelValues = [emptyFilterRequestFailure])
       # TODO: Manage the empty filter request message error. Perform any action?
       return
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ proc handleMessage*(wf: WakuFilter, pubsubTopic: PubsubTopic, msg: WakuMessage)
 
     let rpc = FilterRPC(
       requestId: sub.requestId,
-      push: MessagePush(messages: @[msg])
+      push: some(MessagePush(messages: @[msg]))
     )
 
     let res = await wf.sendFilterRpc(rpc, sub.peer)
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc.nim b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc.nim
index daf7f8933..39c842421 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc.nim
@@ -1,12 +1,21 @@
-import ../waku_message
+when (NimMajor, NimMinor) < (1, 4):
+  {.push raises: [Defect].}
+else:
+  {.push raises: [].}
+
+import
+  std/options
+import 
+  ../waku_message
+
 
 type
   ContentFilter* = object
-    contentTopic*: ContentTopic
+    contentTopic*: string
 
   FilterRequest* = object
     contentFilters*: seq[ContentFilter]
-    pubSubTopic*: string
+    pubsubTopic*: string
     subscribe*: bool
 
   MessagePush* = object
@@ -14,5 +23,5 @@ type
 
   FilterRPC* = object
     requestId*: string
-    request*: FilterRequest
-    push*: MessagePush
+    request*: Option[FilterRequest]
+    push*: Option[MessagePush]
diff --git a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc_codec.nim b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc_codec.nim
index 20f8bdac0..db128229e 100644
--- a/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc_codec.nim
+++ b/waku/v2/protocol/waku_filter/rpc_codec.nim
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ when (NimMajor, NimMinor) < (1, 4):
 else:
   {.push raises: [].}
 
+import
+  std/options
 import
   ../../../common/protobuf,
   ../waku_message,
@@ -24,17 +26,21 @@ proc encode*(filter: ContentFilter): ProtoBuffer =
 
 proc decode*(T: type ContentFilter, buffer: seq[byte]): ProtoResult[T] =
   let pb = initProtoBuffer(buffer)
+  var rpc = ContentFilter()
 
-  var contentTopic: ContentTopic
-  discard ?pb.getField(1, contentTopic)
+  var contentTopic: string
+  if not ?pb.getField(1, contentTopic):
+    return err(ProtoError.RequiredFieldMissing)
+  else:
+    rpc.contentTopic = contentTopic
 
-  ok(ContentFilter(contentTopic: contentTopic))
+  ok(rpc)
 
 
 proc encode*(rpc: FilterRequest): ProtoBuffer =
   var pb = initProtoBuffer()
 
-  pb.write3(1, uint64(rpc.subscribe))
+  pb.write3(1, rpc.subscribe)
   pb.write3(2, rpc.pubSubTopic)
 
   for filter in rpc.contentFilters:
@@ -46,20 +52,27 @@ proc encode*(rpc: FilterRequest): ProtoBuffer =
 
 proc decode*(T: type FilterRequest, buffer: seq[byte]): ProtoResult[T] =
   let pb = initProtoBuffer(buffer)
-  var rpc = FilterRequest(contentFilters: @[], pubSubTopic: "")
+  var rpc = FilterRequest()
 
   var subflag: uint64
-  if ?pb.getField(1, subflag):
+  if not ?pb.getField(1, subflag):
+    return err(ProtoError.RequiredFieldMissing)
+  else:
     rpc.subscribe = bool(subflag)
 
-  var pubSubTopic: PubsubTopic
-  discard ?pb.getField(2, pubSubTopic)
-  rpc.pubSubTopic = pubSubTopic
+  var pubsubTopic: string
+  if not ?pb.getField(2, pubsubTopic):
+    return err(ProtoError.RequiredFieldMissing)
+  else:
+    rpc.pubsubTopic = pubsubTopic
 
   var buffs: seq[seq[byte]]
-  discard ?pb.getRepeatedField(3, buffs)
-  for buf in buffs:
-    rpc.contentFilters.add(?ContentFilter.decode(buf))
+  if not ?pb.getRepeatedField(3, buffs):
+    return err(ProtoError.RequiredFieldMissing)
+  else:
+    for buf in buffs:
+      let filter = ?ContentFilter.decode(buf)
+      rpc.contentFilters.add(filter)
 
   ok(rpc)
 
@@ -76,23 +89,25 @@ proc encode*(push: MessagePush): ProtoBuffer =
 
 proc decode*(T: type MessagePush, buffer: seq[byte]): ProtoResult[T] =
   let pb = initProtoBuffer(buffer)
-  var push = MessagePush()
+  var rpc = MessagePush()
 
   var messages: seq[seq[byte]]
-  discard ?pb.getRepeatedField(1, messages)
+  if not ?pb.getRepeatedField(1, messages):
+    return err(ProtoError.RequiredFieldMissing)
+  else:
+    for buf in messages:
+      let msg = ?WakuMessage.decode(buf)
+      rpc.messages.add(msg)
 
-  for buf in messages:
-    push.messages.add(?WakuMessage.decode(buf))
-
-  ok(push)
+  ok(rpc)
 
 
 proc encode*(rpc: FilterRPC): ProtoBuffer =
   var pb = initProtoBuffer()
 
   pb.write3(1, rpc.requestId)
-  pb.write3(2, rpc.request.encode())
-  pb.write3(3, rpc.push.encode())
+  pb.write3(2, rpc.request.map(encode))
+  pb.write3(3, rpc.push.map(encode))
   pb.finish3()
 
   pb
@@ -102,15 +117,23 @@ proc decode*(T: type FilterRPC, buffer: seq[byte]): ProtoResult[T] =
   var rpc = FilterRPC()
 
   var requestId: string
-  discard ?pb.getField(1, requestId)
-  rpc.requestId = requestId
+  if not ?pb.getField(1, requestId):
+    return err(ProtoError.RequiredFieldMissing)
+  else:
+    rpc.requestId = requestId
 
   var requestBuffer: seq[byte]
-  discard ?pb.getField(2, requestBuffer)
-  rpc.request = ?FilterRequest.decode(requestBuffer)
+  if not ?pb.getField(2, requestBuffer):
+    rpc.request = none(FilterRequest)
+  else:
+    let request = ?FilterRequest.decode(requestBuffer)
+    rpc.request = some(request)
 
   var pushBuffer: seq[byte]
-  discard ?pb.getField(3, pushBuffer)
-  rpc.push = ?MessagePush.decode(pushBuffer)
+  if not ?pb.getField(3, pushBuffer):
+    rpc.push = none(MessagePush)
+  else:
+    let push = ?MessagePush.decode(pushBuffer)
+    rpc.push = some(push)
 
   ok(rpc)