diff --git a/sdk/azcore/CHANGELOG.md b/sdk/azcore/CHANGELOG.md
index 6c2ef0c5cf07..2fc41a00887e 100644
--- a/sdk/azcore/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/sdk/azcore/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 * Added function `SanitizePagerPollerPath` to the `server` package to centralize sanitization and formalize the contract.
 
 ### Breaking Changes
+
+* `messaging.CloudEvent` deserializes JSON objects as `[]byte`, instead of `json.RawMessage`. See the documentation for CloudEvent.Data for more information.
+
 > These changes affect only code written against beta versions `v1.7.0-beta.2` and `v1.8.0-beta.1`.
 * Removed parameter from method `Span.End()` and its type `tracing.SpanEndOptions`. This API GA'ed in `v1.2.0` so we cannot change it.
 
diff --git a/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event.go b/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event.go
index 22d5855a0dd3..7cac3ed26342 100644
--- a/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event.go
+++ b/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event.go
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ type CloudEvent struct {
 	// Data is the payload for the event.
 	// * []byte will be serialized and deserialized as []byte.
 	// * Any other type will be serialized to a JSON object and deserialized into
-	//   a [json.RawMessage].
+	//   a []byte, containing the JSON text.
 	//
-	// To deserialize a [json.RawMessage] into your chosen type:
+	// To deserialize into your chosen type:
 	//
 	//   var yourData *YourType
-	//   json.Unmarshal(cloudEvent.Data.(json.RawMessage), &yourData)
+	//   json.Unmarshal(cloudEvent.Data.([]byte), &yourData)
 	//
 	Data any
 
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ func updateFieldFromValue(ce *CloudEvent, k string, raw json.RawMessage) error {
 	//
 	case "data":
 		// let the user deserialize so they can put it into their own native type.
-		ce.Data = raw
+		ce.Data = []byte(raw)
 	case "datacontenttype":
 		return json.Unmarshal(raw, &ce.DataContentType)
 	case "dataschema":
diff --git a/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event_test.go b/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event_test.go
index 1cd168ad1471..4e8567b81df1 100644
--- a/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event_test.go
+++ b/sdk/azcore/messaging/cloud_event_test.go
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ func TestCloudEventJSONData(t *testing.T) {
 	actualCE := roundTrip(t, ce)
 
 	var dest *map[string]string
-	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(actualCE.Data.(json.RawMessage), &dest))
+	require.NoError(t, json.Unmarshal(actualCE.Data.([]byte), &dest))
 
 	require.Equal(t, data, *dest)
 }
diff --git a/sdk/azcore/messaging/example_usingcloudevent_test.go b/sdk/azcore/messaging/example_usingcloudevent_test.go
index 1f262db6df1e..0766f0d49f40 100644
--- a/sdk/azcore/messaging/example_usingcloudevent_test.go
+++ b/sdk/azcore/messaging/example_usingcloudevent_test.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func Example_usingCloudEvent() {
 
 	var receivedData *sampleType
 
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(receivedEvent.Data.(json.RawMessage), &receivedData); err != nil {
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(receivedEvent.Data.([]byte), &receivedData); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/client_test.go b/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/client_test.go
index 0d1441b5972d..98d8ed0235ca 100644
--- a/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/client_test.go
+++ b/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/client_test.go
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ func TestPublishingAndReceivingCloudEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		SpecVersion: "1.0",
 		Source:      "hello-source",
 		Type:        "eventType",
-		Data:        json.RawMessage("\"hello world 1\""),
+		Data:        []byte("\"hello world 1\""),
 	}, resp.Value[0].Event)
 
 	requireEqualCloudEvent(t, messaging.CloudEvent{
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ func TestPublishingAndReceivingCloudEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		Source:          "hello-source",
 		Type:            "eventType",
 		DataSchema:      to.Ptr("https://dataschema"),
-		Data:            json.RawMessage("\"hello world 2\""),
+		Data:            []byte("\"hello world 2\""),
 		DataContentType: to.Ptr("data content type"),
 		Subject:         to.Ptr("subject"),
 		Extensions: map[string]any{
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ func TestPublishingAndReceivingCloudEvents(t *testing.T) {
 		SpecVersion: "1.0",
 		Source:      "hello-source",
 		Type:        "eventType",
-		Data:        json.RawMessage(bytes),
+		Data:        []byte(bytes),
 	}, resp.Value[2].Event)
 
 	ackArgs := azeventgrid.AcknowledgeOptions{}
diff --git a/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/example_publish_and_receive_test.go b/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/example_publish_and_receive_test.go
index 5060af75b631..bad8775ed79f 100644
--- a/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/example_publish_and_receive_test.go
+++ b/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/example_publish_and_receive_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ package azeventgrid_test
 
 import (
 	"context"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
@@ -22,32 +21,54 @@ func Example_publishAndReceiveCloudEvents() {
 	topicName := os.Getenv("EVENTGRID_TOPIC")
 	subscriptionName := os.Getenv("EVENTGRID_SUBSCRIPTION")
 
+	if endpoint == "" || key == "" || topicName == "" || subscriptionName == "" {
+		return
+	}
+
 	client, err := azeventgrid.NewClientWithSharedKeyCredential(endpoint, key, nil)
 
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
+	//
+	// Publish an event with a string payload
+	//
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Published event with a string payload 'hello world'\n")
 	eventWithString, err := publishAndReceiveEvent(client, topicName, subscriptionName, "hello world")
 
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("ID: %s\n", eventWithString.Event.ID)
-	fmt.Printf("  Body: %s\n", eventWithString.Event.Data.(string))
-	fmt.Printf("  Delivery count: %d\n", eventWithString.BrokerProperties.DeliveryCount)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Received an event with a string payload\n")
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ID: %s\n", eventWithString.Event.ID)
+
+	var str *string
+
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(eventWithString.Event.Data.([]byte), &str); err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Body: %s\n", *str) // prints 'Body: hello world'
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Delivery count: %d\n", eventWithString.BrokerProperties.DeliveryCount)
 
+	//
+	// Publish an event with a []byte payload
+	//
 	eventWithBytes, err := publishAndReceiveEvent(client, topicName, subscriptionName, []byte{0, 1, 2})
 
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("ID: %s\n", eventWithBytes.Event.ID)
-	fmt.Printf("  Body: %s\n", hex.EncodeToString(eventWithBytes.Event.Data.([]byte)))
-	fmt.Printf("  Delivery count: %d\n", eventWithBytes.BrokerProperties.DeliveryCount)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ID: %s\n", eventWithBytes.Event.ID)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Body: %#v\n", eventWithBytes.Event.Data.([]byte)) // prints 'Body: []byte{0x0, 0x1, 0x2}'
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Delivery count: %d\n", eventWithBytes.BrokerProperties.DeliveryCount)
 
+	//
+	// Publish an event with a struct as the payload
+	//
 	type SampleData struct {
 		Name string `json:"name"`
 	}
@@ -59,13 +80,15 @@ func Example_publishAndReceiveCloudEvents() {
 	}
 
 	var sampleData *SampleData
-	if err := json.Unmarshal(eventWithStruct.Event.Data.(json.RawMessage), &sampleData); err != nil {
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(eventWithStruct.Event.Data.([]byte), &sampleData); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
-	fmt.Printf("ID: %s\n", eventWithStruct.Event.ID)
-	fmt.Printf("  Body: %#v\n", sampleData)
-	fmt.Printf("  Delivery count: %d\n", eventWithStruct.BrokerProperties.DeliveryCount)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "ID: %s\n", eventWithStruct.Event.ID)
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Body: %#v\n", sampleData) // prints 'Body: &azeventgrid_test.SampleData{Name:"hello"}'
+	fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "  Delivery count: %d\n", eventWithStruct.BrokerProperties.DeliveryCount)
+
+	// Output:
 }
 
 func publishAndReceiveEvent(client *azeventgrid.Client, topicName string, subscriptionName string, payload any) (azeventgrid.ReceiveDetails, error) {
diff --git a/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/go.mod b/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/go.mod
index aaef664ce88e..5c5f59692a01 100644
--- a/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/go.mod
+++ b/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid/go.mod
@@ -3,12 +3,17 @@ module github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/messaging/azeventgrid
 go 1.18
 
 require (
-	github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/azcore v1.8.0-beta.1
+	github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/azcore v1.8.0-beta.2
 	github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/internal v1.3.0
 	github.com/joho/godotenv v1.5.1
 	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0
 )
 
+replace (
+	// temporary until we officially release the next beta.
+	github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-go/sdk/azcore v1.8.0-beta.2 => ../../azcore
+)
+
 require (
 	github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 // indirect
 	github.com/dnaeon/go-vcr v1.1.0 // indirect