diff --git a/src/signing.ts b/src/signing.ts
index 4348471..f497285 100644
--- a/src/signing.ts
+++ b/src/signing.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export interface DagJWS {
   payload: string
   signatures: Array<JWSSignature>
   link?: CID
+  pld?: Record<string, any>
 }
 
 export interface EncodedSignature {
@@ -52,11 +53,6 @@ function encodeSignature(signature: JWSSignature): EncodedSignature {
 
 export function encode(jws: DagJWS): EncodedJWS {
   const payload = fromBase64url(jws.payload)
-  try {
-    CID.decode(payload)
-  } catch (e) {
-    throw new Error('Not a valid DagJWS')
-  }
   return {
     payload,
     signatures: jws.signatures.map(encodeSignature),
@@ -77,6 +73,41 @@ export function decode(encoded: EncodedJWS): DagJWS {
     payload: toBase64url(encoded.payload),
     signatures: encoded.signatures.map(decodeSignature),
   }
-  decoded.link = CID.decode(new Uint8Array(encoded.payload))
-  return decoded
+  try {
+    decoded.pld = replaceCIDs(payloadToJSON(encoded.payload)) as Record<string, any>
+    return decoded
+  } catch (e) {
+    try {
+      decoded.link = CID.decode(new Uint8Array(encoded.payload))
+      return decoded
+    } catch (e) {
+      throw new Error('Invalid payload, must be either JSON or CID')
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+function replaceCIDs(data: Record<string, any> | any): Record<string, any> | any {
+  if (typeof data === 'string') {
+    if (data.startsWith('ipfs://')) {
+      return CID.parse(data.slice(7))
+    }
+  } else if (Array.isArray(data)) {
+    return data.map(replaceCIDs) as any
+  } else if (isObject(data)) {
+    const newObj = {} as Record<string, any>
+    for (const key in data) {
+      // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-unsafe-assignment
+      newObj[key] = replaceCIDs(data[key])
+    }
+    return newObj
+  }
+  return data
+}
+
+function isObject(data: any): data is Record<string, any> {
+  return typeof data === 'object'
+}
+
+function payloadToJSON(data: Uint8Array): any {
+  return JSON.parse(new TextDecoder().decode(data))
 }
diff --git a/test/__fixtures__/signing.fixtures.ts b/test/__fixtures__/signing.fixtures.ts
index 20c63f6..be65ef8 100644
--- a/test/__fixtures__/signing.fixtures.ts
+++ b/test/__fixtures__/signing.fixtures.ts
@@ -18,22 +18,38 @@ export const fixtures = {
   dagJws: {
     oneSig: [{
       payload: 'AXASIN69ets85WVE0ipva5M5b2mAqAZ8LME08PeAG2MxCSuV', // signed by key 0
-    link: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
+      link: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
       signatures: [ { protected: 'eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ', signature: 'SiYGXW7Yi-KxbpIlLNmu0lEhrayV7ypaAC49GAcQ_qpTstZW89Mz6Cp8VlUEX-qVsgYjc-9-1zvLcDYlxOsr1g' } ]
     }, {
       payload: 'AXASIN69ets85WVE0ipva5M5b2mAqAZ8LME08PeAG2MxCSuV', // signed by key 1
-    link: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
+      link: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
       signatures: [ { protected: 'eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ', signature: 'Q8PdTE5A5N3a0ktO2wNdUymumHlSxNF9Si38IvzsMaSZC63yQw-bJNpKf-UeJFPH7cDzY7jLg2G_viejp7NqXg' } ]
     }],
     multipleSig: {
       payload: 'AXASIN69ets85WVE0ipva5M5b2mAqAZ8LME08PeAG2MxCSuV',
-    link: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
+      link: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
       signatures: [{
         protected: 'eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ', signature: 'SiYGXW7Yi-KxbpIlLNmu0lEhrayV7ypaAC49GAcQ_qpTstZW89Mz6Cp8VlUEX-qVsgYjc-9-1zvLcDYlxOsr1g'
       }, {
         protected: 'eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ', signature: 'Q8PdTE5A5N3a0ktO2wNdUymumHlSxNF9Si38IvzsMaSZC63yQw-bJNpKf-UeJFPH7cDzY7jLg2G_viejp7NqXg'
       }]
     },
+    withPayload: {
+      payload: 'eyJ0ZXN0IjoicGF5bG9hZCIsImFMaW5rIjoiaXBmczovL2JhZnliZWlnNnh2NW53cGhmbXZjbmVrdHBub2p0czMzanFjdWFtN2JteWUycGI1NGFkbnJ0Y2NqbHN1IiwiYXJyIjpbImlwZnM6Ly9iYWZ5YmVpZzZ4djVud3BoZm12Y25la3Rwbm9qdHMzM2pxY3VhbTdibXllMnBiNTRhZG5ydGNjamxzdSIsIml0ZW0xIiwiaXRlbTIiXSwibmVzdGVkIjp7ImFMaW5rIjoiaXBmczovL2JhZnliZWlnNnh2NW53cGhmbXZjbmVrdHBub2p0czMzanFjdWFtN2JteWUycGI1NGFkbnJ0Y2NqbHN1IiwiYXJyIjpbImlwZnM6Ly9iYWZ5YmVpZzZ4djVud3BoZm12Y25la3Rwbm9qdHMzM2pxY3VhbTdibXllMnBiNTRhZG5ydGNjamxzdSIsIml0ZW0xIiwiaXRlbTIiXX19',
+      signatures: [{
+        protected: 'eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksifQ',
+        signature: 'IY8AHhQB0n5QpO1opse83d6HrXWfofPjW6if5vVB7Dky3wj2-daT8I1xHX5s4PbuC3owZo2rr8C-nGQsftHE-w'
+      }],
+      pld: {
+        test: 'payload',
+        aLink: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
+        arr: [ CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'), 'item1', 'item2' ],
+        nested: {
+          aLink: CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'),
+          arr: [ CID.parse('bafybeig6xv5nwphfmvcnektpnojts33jqcuam7bmye2pb54adnrtccjlsu'), 'item1', 'item2' ],
+        }
+      }
+    },
   },
   encodedJws: {
     oneSig: [{
@@ -59,6 +75,15 @@ export const fixtures = {
         protected: bytes.fromHex('7b22616c67223a2245533235364b227d'),
       }]
     },
+    withPayload: {
+      payload: bytes.fromHex('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'),
+      signatures: [
+        {
+          protected: bytes.fromHex('7b22616c67223a2245533235364b227d'),
+          signature: bytes.fromHex('218f001e1401d27e50a4ed68a6c7bcddde87ad759fa1f3e35ba89fe6f541ec3932df08f6f9d693f08d711d7e6ce0f6ee0b7a30668dabafc0be9c642c7ed1c4fb')
+        }
+      ]
+    }
   },
   blockEncoded: {
     oneSig: [
diff --git a/test/signing.test.ts b/test/signing.test.ts
index 575d60c..bfb24ff 100644
--- a/test/signing.test.ts
+++ b/test/signing.test.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe('Signing support', () => {
   })
 
   describe('decode', () => {
-    it('Decodes general encoding, one signature', () => {
+    it('CID, Decodes general encoding, one signature', () => {
       let decoded
       decoded = signing.decode(fixtures.encodedJws.oneSig[0])
       expect(decoded).toEqual(fixtures.dagJws.oneSig[0])
@@ -60,14 +60,19 @@ describe('Signing support', () => {
       expect(decoded).toEqual(fixtures.dagJws.oneSig[1])
     })
 
-    it('Decodes general encoding, multiple signatures', () => {
+    it('CID, Decodes general encoding, multiple signatures', () => {
       const decoded = signing.decode(fixtures.encodedJws.multipleSig)
       expect(decoded).toEqual(fixtures.dagJws.multipleSig)
     })
+
+    it('JSON, Decodes jws with payload', () => {
+      const decoded = signing.decode(fixtures.encodedJws.withPayload)
+      expect(decoded).toEqual(fixtures.dagJws.withPayload)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('encode', () => {
-    it('Encodes dag encoding, one signature', () => {
+    it('CID, Encodes dag encoding, one signature', () => {
       let encoded
       encoded = signing.encode(fixtures.dagJws.oneSig[0])
       expect(encoded).toEqual(fixtures.encodedJws.oneSig[0])
@@ -76,15 +81,14 @@ describe('Signing support', () => {
       expect(encoded).toEqual(fixtures.encodedJws.oneSig[1])
     })
 
-    it('Encodes dag encoding, multiple signatures', () => {
+    it('CID, Encodes dag encoding, multiple signatures', () => {
       const encoded = signing.encode(fixtures.dagJws.multipleSig)
       expect(encoded).toEqual(fixtures.encodedJws.multipleSig)
     })
 
-    it('Throws if payload is not a CID', async () => {
-      const payload = toBase64url(bytes.fromString(JSON.stringify({ json: 'payload' })))
-      const notDagJws = Object.assign({}, fixtures.dagJws.oneSig[0], { payload })
-      expect(() => signing.encode(notDagJws)).toThrow('Not a valid DagJWS')
+    it('JSON, Encodes jws with payload', () => {
+      const encoded = signing.encode(fixtures.dagJws.withPayload)
+      expect(encoded).toEqual(fixtures.encodedJws.withPayload)
     })
   })