diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5e0334e..b351aae 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/status-im/status-js#readme",
   "dependencies": {
     "bip39": "^2.5.0",
+    "bourne": "^1.1.2",
     "chance": "^1.0.16",
     "ethereum-hdwallet": "0.0.19",
     "ethereumjs-util": "^6.0.0",
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 03731d6..eb83fbe 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import web3Lib from "web3";
 import utils from "./utils.js";
 import mailservers from "./mailservers";
 import constants from "./constants";
+import Bourne from "bourne";
 
 declare global {
   interface Window { web3: any; }
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ class StatusJS {
     const messageHandler = (data: any) => {
       try {
         const username = utils.generateUsernameFromSeed(data.sig);
-        const payloadArray = JSON.parse(hexToAscii(data.payload));
+        const payloadArray = Bourne.parse(hexToAscii(data.payload));
         if (this.channels[channelName].lastClockValue < payloadArray[1][3]) {
           this.channels[channelName].lastClockValue = payloadArray[1][3];
         }
@@ -235,7 +236,7 @@ class StatusJS {
       }
 
       try {
-        const payloadArray = JSON.parse(hexToAscii(data.payload));
+        const payloadArray = Bourne.parse(hexToAscii(data.payload));
         if (this.contacts[data.sig].lastClockValue < payloadArray[1][3]) {
           this.contacts[data.sig].lastClockValue = payloadArray[1][3];
         }
diff --git a/src/types.d.ts b/src/types.d.ts
index 7635f08..3ce448a 100644
--- a/src/types.d.ts
+++ b/src/types.d.ts
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 declare module "chance";
+declare module "bourne";
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 6bcab8c..566b469 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1214,6 +1214,11 @@ body-parser@1.18.3, body-parser@^1.16.0:
     raw-body "2.3.3"
     type-is "~1.6.16"
 
+bourne@^1.1.2:
+  version "1.1.2"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/bourne/-/bourne-1.1.2.tgz#e290b5bd7166635632eaf8ef12b006b2d4a75b83"
+  integrity sha512-b2dgVkTZhkQirNMohgC00rWfpVqEi9y5tKM1k3JvoNx05ODtfQoPPd4js9CYFQoY0IM8LAmnJulEuWv74zjUOg==
+
 brace-expansion@^1.1.7:
   version "1.1.11"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/brace-expansion/-/brace-expansion-1.1.11.tgz#3c7fcbf529d87226f3d2f52b966ff5271eb441dd"