diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 1542d9a4c2..bbba8d3e8f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
 
 env:
-  NWAKU_VERSION: "v0.15.0"
+  NWAKU_VERSION: "v0.16.0"
   NODE_JS: "18"
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/nwaku b/nwaku
index 9debd44e2a..03f0de365c 160000
--- a/nwaku
+++ b/nwaku
@@ -1 +1 @@
-Subproject commit 9debd44e2aebf07eaf96b4525a4497c69aaf4445
+Subproject commit 03f0de365cfee3a946257a6ce8a61fe19284976c
diff --git a/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts b/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts
index 0c2bc5abd2..39831559b2 100644
--- a/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts
+++ b/packages/tests/src/nwaku.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ export class Nwaku {
     }
 
     return {
-      payload: Buffer.from(message.payload).toString("base64url"),
+      payload: Buffer.from(message.payload).toString("base64"),
       contentTopic: message.contentTopic,
       timestamp,
     };