diff --git a/src/raft/api.rs b/src/raft/api.rs
index d16e16eb91..5767d82b6c 100644
--- a/src/raft/api.rs
+++ b/src/raft/api.rs
@@ -484,3 +484,9 @@ impl From<tokio::time::error::Elapsed> for APIError {
         Self::Timeout
     }
 }
+
+impl From<simd_json::Error> for APIError {
+    fn from(e: simd_json::Error) -> Self {
+        Self::Other(e.to_string())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/raft/api/kv.rs b/src/raft/api/kv.rs
index ed04628ec3..cfbd5a8737 100644
--- a/src/raft/api/kv.rs
+++ b/src/raft/api/kv.rs
@@ -16,8 +16,9 @@ use crate::raft::{
     api::{APIError, APIRequest, APIResult, ToAPIResult},
     store::TremorSet,
 };
-use axum::{extract, routing::post, Router};
+use axum::{extract, routing::post, Json, Router};
 use http::StatusCode;
+use simd_json::OwnedValue;
 use tokio::time::timeout;
 
 use super::API_WORKER_TIMEOUT;
@@ -29,14 +30,24 @@ pub(crate) fn endpoints() -> Router<APIRequest> {
         .route("/consistent_read", post(consistent_read))
 }
 
+#[derive(Deserialize)]
+struct KVSet {
+    key: String,
+    value: OwnedValue,
+}
+
 async fn write(
     extract::State(state): extract::State<APIRequest>,
     extract::OriginalUri(uri): extract::OriginalUri,
-    extract::Json(body): extract::Json<TremorSet>,
+    extract::Json(body): extract::Json<KVSet>,
 ) -> APIResult<Vec<u8>> {
+    let tremor_set = TremorSet {
+        key: body.key,
+        value: simd_json::to_vec(&body.value)?,
+    };
     let res = state
         .raft
-        .client_write(body.into())
+        .client_write(tremor_set.into())
         .await
         .to_api_result(&uri, &state)
         .await?;
@@ -48,10 +59,10 @@ async fn write(
 async fn read(
     extract::State(state): extract::State<APIRequest>,
     extract::Json(key): extract::Json<String>,
-) -> APIResult<Vec<u8>> {
+) -> APIResult<Json<OwnedValue>> {
     let value = timeout(API_WORKER_TIMEOUT, state.raft_manager.kv_get_local(key)).await??;
-    if let Some(value) = value {
-        Ok(value)
+    if let Some(mut value) = value {
+        Ok(Json(simd_json::from_slice(&mut value)?))
     } else {
         Err(APIError::HTTP {
             status: StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
@@ -65,15 +76,15 @@ async fn consistent_read(
     extract::State(state): extract::State<APIRequest>,
     extract::OriginalUri(uri): extract::OriginalUri,
     extract::Json(key): extract::Json<String>,
-) -> APIResult<Vec<u8>> {
+) -> APIResult<Json<OwnedValue>> {
     // this will fail if we are not a leader
     state.ensure_leader(Some(uri.clone())).await?;
     // here we are safe to read
     let value = timeout(API_WORKER_TIMEOUT, state.raft_manager.kv_get_local(key)).await??;
     // Ensure that we are still the leader at the end of the read so we can guarantee freshness
     state.ensure_leader(Some(uri)).await?;
-    if let Some(value) = value {
-        Ok(value)
+    if let Some(mut value) = value {
+        Ok(Json(simd_json::from_slice(&mut value)?))
     } else {
         Err(APIError::HTTP {
             status: StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,