diff --git a/component/credentialstatus/credentialstatus_service_test.go b/component/credentialstatus/credentialstatus_service_test.go
index c4cf609d1..2f325aa06 100644
--- a/component/credentialstatus/credentialstatus_service_test.go
+++ b/component/credentialstatus/credentialstatus_service_test.go
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ func validateEvent(e *spi.Event) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf(unexpectedFieldFmt, "DataContentType")
 	}
 
-	if len(e.Data) == 0 {
+	if len(e.Data.(map[string]interface{})) == 0 {
 		return fmt.Errorf(unexpectedFieldFmt, "Data")
 	}
 
diff --git a/component/event/event.go b/component/event/event.go
index 2c5d2d9c4..cf73bee0a 100644
--- a/component/event/event.go
+++ b/component/event/event.go
@@ -98,7 +98,12 @@ func (b *Bus) handleEvent(e *spi.Event) error { //nolint:gocognit
 
 	payload := eventPayload{}
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(e.Data, &payload); err != nil {
+	jsonData, err := json.Marshal(e.Data.(map[string]interface{}))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(jsonData, &payload); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/event/spi/spi.go b/pkg/event/spi/spi.go
index ec43c980b..f7d2e400e 100644
--- a/pkg/event/spi/spi.go
+++ b/pkg/event/spi/spi.go
@@ -11,8 +11,11 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	utiltime "github.com/trustbloc/did-go/doc/util/time"
+	"github.com/trustbloc/logutil-go/pkg/log"
 )
 
+var logger = log.New("event")
+
 const (
 	// VerifierEventTopic verifier topic name.
 	VerifierEventTopic = "vcs-verifier"
@@ -74,7 +77,7 @@ type Event struct {
 	DataContentType string `json:"datacontenttype,omitempty"`
 
 	// Data defines message(optional).
-	Data json.RawMessage `json:"data,omitempty"`
+	Data interface{} `json:"data,omitempty"`
 
 	// TransactionID defines transaction ID(optional).
 	TransactionID string `json:"txnid,omitempty"`
@@ -109,7 +112,12 @@ func (m *Event) Copy() *Event {
 func NewEventWithPayload(uuid string, source string, eventType EventType, payload Payload) *Event {
 	event := NewEvent(uuid, source, eventType)
 
-	event.Data = json.RawMessage(payload)
+	var data map[string]interface{}
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(payload, &data); err != nil {
+		logger.Error(err.Error())
+	}
+
+	event.Data = data
 
 	// vcs components always use json
 	event.DataContentType = "application/json"
diff --git a/pkg/restapi/v1/issuer/controller_test.go b/pkg/restapi/v1/issuer/controller_test.go
index e0df37b7a..87fec10ec 100644
--- a/pkg/restapi/v1/issuer/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/restapi/v1/issuer/controller_test.go
@@ -840,7 +840,11 @@ func TestController_InitiateCredentialIssuance(t *testing.T) {
 							assert.Equal(t, msg.Type, spi.IssuerOIDCInteractionFailed)
 
 							ep := &oidc4ci.EventPayload{}
-							assert.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, ep))
+
+							jsonData, errMarshal := json.Marshal(msg.Data.(map[string]interface{}))
+							require.NoError(t, errMarshal)
+
+							assert.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(jsonData, ep))
 
 							assert.Equal(t, string(resterr.SystemError), ep.ErrorCode)
 							assert.Equal(t, resterr.IssuerProfileSvcComponent, ep.ErrorComponent)
@@ -869,7 +873,11 @@ func TestController_InitiateCredentialIssuance(t *testing.T) {
 							assert.Equal(t, msg.Type, spi.IssuerOIDCInteractionFailed)
 
 							ep := &oidc4ci.EventPayload{}
-							assert.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, ep))
+
+							jsonData, errMarshal := json.Marshal(msg.Data.(map[string]interface{}))
+							require.NoError(t, errMarshal)
+
+							assert.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(jsonData, ep))
 
 							assert.Equal(t, string(resterr.ProfileNotFound), ep.ErrorCode)
 							assert.Empty(t, ep.ErrorComponent)
diff --git a/pkg/restapi/v1/verifier/controller_test.go b/pkg/restapi/v1/verifier/controller_test.go
index 2bd50926b..882ae8f45 100644
--- a/pkg/restapi/v1/verifier/controller_test.go
+++ b/pkg/restapi/v1/verifier/controller_test.go
@@ -679,7 +679,11 @@ func TestController_CheckAuthorizationResponse(t *testing.T) {
 				assert.Equal(t, msg.Type, spi.VerifierOIDCInteractionFailed)
 
 				ep := &oidc4ci.EventPayload{}
-				assert.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, ep))
+
+				jsonData, err := json.Marshal(msg.Data.(map[string]interface{}))
+				require.NoError(t, err)
+
+				assert.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(jsonData, ep))
 
 				assert.Equal(t, string(resterr.InvalidValue), ep.ErrorCode)
 				assert.Empty(t, ep.ErrorComponent)
diff --git a/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service.go b/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service.go
index 519d59453..709523d0e 100644
--- a/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service.go
+++ b/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service.go
@@ -88,7 +88,12 @@ func (s *Service) HandleEvent(ctx context.Context, event *spi.Event) error { //n
 
 	payload := credentialstatus.UpdateCredentialStatusEventPayload{}
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(event.Data, &payload); err != nil {
+	jsonData, err := json.Marshal(event.Data.(map[string]interface{}))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(jsonData, &payload); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service_test.go b/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service_test.go
index f4c5164cb..0bf7bee9d 100644
--- a/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/service/credentialstatus/eventhandler/eventhandler_service_test.go
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func TestService_HandleEvent(t *testing.T) {
 		event := createStatusUpdatedEvent(
 			t, cslURL, profileID, profileVersion, statusBytePositionIndex, true)
 
-		event.Data = []byte(`   123`)
+		event.Data = map[string]interface{}{}
 
 		s := New(&Config{
 			DocumentLoader: loader,
diff --git a/pkg/service/oidc4ci/oidc4ci_service_test.go b/pkg/service/oidc4ci/oidc4ci_service_test.go
index f88879bde..610d97d8e 100644
--- a/pkg/service/oidc4ci/oidc4ci_service_test.go
+++ b/pkg/service/oidc4ci/oidc4ci_service_test.go
@@ -1956,7 +1956,11 @@ func expectedPublishErrorEventFunc(
 		require.Equal(t, spi.IssuerOIDCInteractionFailed, messages[0].Type)
 
 		var ep oidc4ci.EventPayload
-		require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(messages[0].Data, &ep))
+
+		jsonData, err := json.Marshal(messages[0].Data.(map[string]interface{}))
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(jsonData, &ep))
 
 		assert.Equalf(t, string(errCode), ep.ErrorCode, "unexpected error code")
 		assert.Equalf(t, errComponent, ep.ErrorComponent, "unexpected error component")