diff --git a/cmd/ssh-portal/serve.go b/cmd/ssh-portal/serve.go
index 5c46625c..dd498d28 100644
--- a/cmd/ssh-portal/serve.go
+++ b/cmd/ssh-portal/serve.go
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ func (cmd *ServeCmd) Run(log *slog.Logger) error {
 	ctx, stop := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), syscall.SIGTERM)
 	defer stop()
 	// get nats server connection
-	nconn, err := nats.Connect(cmd.NATSServer,
+	nc, err := nats.Connect(cmd.NATSServer,
 		nats.Name("ssh-portal"),
 		// exit on connection close
 		nats.ClosedHandler(func(_ *nats.Conn) {
@@ -52,10 +52,6 @@ func (cmd *ServeCmd) Run(log *slog.Logger) error {
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't connect to NATS server: %v", err)
 	}
-	nc, err := nats.NewEncodedConn(nconn, "json")
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't get encoded conn: %v", err)
-	}
 	defer nc.Close()
 	// start listening on TCP port
 	l, err := net.Listen("tcp", fmt.Sprintf(":%d", cmd.SSHServerPort))
@@ -83,7 +79,15 @@ func (cmd *ServeCmd) Run(log *slog.Logger) error {
 	eg.Go(func() error {
 		// start serving SSH connection requests
 		return sshserver.Serve(
-			ctx, log, nc, l, c, hostkeys, cmd.LogAccessEnabled, cmd.Banner)
+			ctx,
+			log,
+			nc,
+			l,
+			c,
+			hostkeys,
+			cmd.LogAccessEnabled,
+			cmd.Banner,
+		)
 	})
 	return eg.Wait()
 }
diff --git a/internal/sshportalapi/server.go b/internal/sshportalapi/server.go
index 826a7aec..d1dd6da2 100644
--- a/internal/sshportalapi/server.go
+++ b/internal/sshportalapi/server.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func ServeNATS(
 	wg := sync.WaitGroup{}
 	wg.Add(1)
 	// connect to NATS server
-	nconn, err := nats.Connect(natsURL,
+	nc, err := nats.Connect(natsURL,
 		nats.Name("ssh-portal-api"),
 		// synchronise exiting ServeNATS()
 		nats.ClosedHandler(func(_ *nats.Conn) {
@@ -67,14 +67,13 @@ func ServeNATS(
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't connect to NATS server: %v", err)
 	}
-	nc, err := nats.NewEncodedConn(nconn, "json")
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't get encoded conn: %v", err)
-	}
 	defer nc.Close()
-	// set up request/response callback for sshportal
-	_, err = nc.QueueSubscribe(bus.SubjectSSHAccessQuery, queue,
-		sshportal(ctx, log, nc, p, l, k))
+	// configure callback
+	_, err = nc.QueueSubscribe(
+		bus.SubjectSSHAccessQuery,
+		queue,
+		sshportal(ctx, log, nc, p, l, k),
+	)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("couldn't subscribe to queue: %v", err)
 	}
diff --git a/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal.go b/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal.go
index ef1be73a..583a3f41 100644
--- a/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal.go
+++ b/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package sshportalapi
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"errors"
 	"log/slog"
 	"time"
@@ -23,20 +24,30 @@ var (
 	})
 )
 
+var (
+	falseResponse = []byte(`false`)
+	trueResponse  = []byte(`true`)
+)
+
 func sshportal(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	log *slog.Logger,
-	c *nats.EncodedConn,
+	c *nats.Conn,
 	p *rbac.Permission,
 	l LagoonDBService,
 	k KeycloakService,
-) nats.Handler {
-	return func(_, replySubject string, query *bus.SSHAccessQuery) {
+) nats.MsgHandler {
+	return func(msg *nats.Msg) {
 		var realmRoles, userGroups []string
 		// set up tracing and update metrics
 		ctx, span := otel.Tracer(pkgName).Start(ctx, bus.SubjectSSHAccessQuery)
 		defer span.End()
 		requestsCounter.Inc()
+		var query bus.SSHAccessQuery
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &query); err != nil {
+			log.Warn("couldn't unmarshal query", slog.Any("query", msg.Data))
+			return
+		}
 		log := log.With(slog.Any("query", query))
 		// sanity check the query
 		if query.SSHFingerprint == "" || query.NamespaceName == "" {
@@ -48,7 +59,7 @@ func sshportal(
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, lagoondb.ErrNoResult) {
 				log.Warn("unknown namespace name", slog.Any("error", err))
-				if err = c.Publish(replySubject, false); err != nil {
+				if err = c.Publish(msg.Reply, falseResponse); err != nil {
 					log.Error("couldn't publish reply", slog.Any("error", err))
 				}
 				return
@@ -65,7 +76,7 @@ func sshportal(
 			log.Warn("ID mismatch in environment identification",
 				slog.Any("env", env),
 				slog.Any("error", err))
-			if err = c.Publish(replySubject, false); err != nil {
+			if err = c.Publish(msg.Reply, falseResponse); err != nil {
 				log.Error("couldn't publish reply", slog.Any("error", err))
 			}
 			return
@@ -75,7 +86,7 @@ func sshportal(
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, lagoondb.ErrNoResult) {
 				log.Debug("unknown SSH Fingerprint", slog.Any("error", err))
-				if err = c.Publish(replySubject, false); err != nil {
+				if err = c.Publish(msg.Reply, falseResponse); err != nil {
 					log.Error("couldn't publish reply", slog.Any("error", err))
 				}
 				return
@@ -115,10 +126,13 @@ func sshportal(
 		ok := p.UserCanSSHToEnvironment(
 			ctx, env, realmRoles, userGroups, groupNameProjectIDsMap)
 		var logMsg string
+		var response []byte
 		if ok {
 			logMsg = "SSH access authorized"
+			response = trueResponse
 		} else {
 			logMsg = "SSH access not authorized"
+			response = falseResponse
 		}
 		log.Info(logMsg,
 			slog.Int("environmentID", env.ID),
@@ -127,7 +141,7 @@ func sshportal(
 			slog.String("projectName", env.ProjectName),
 			slog.String("userUUID", user.UUID.String()),
 		)
-		if err = c.Publish(replySubject, ok); err != nil {
+		if err = c.Publish(msg.Reply, response); err != nil {
 			log.Error("couldn't publish reply",
 				slog.String("userUUID", user.UUID.String()),
 				slog.Any("error", err))
diff --git a/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal_test.go b/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5bfff60f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/sshportalapi/sshportal_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+package sshportalapi
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestResponseMarshal(t *testing.T) {
+	var testCases = map[string]struct {
+		input  []byte
+		expect bool
+	}{
+		"true":  {input: trueResponse, expect: true},
+		"false": {input: falseResponse, expect: false},
+	}
+	for name, tc := range testCases {
+		t.Run(name, func(tt *testing.T) {
+			var value bool
+			if err := json.Unmarshal(tc.input, &value); err != nil {
+				tt.Fatalf("error unmarshaling data %v to bool", tc.input)
+			}
+			if value != tc.expect {
+				tt.Fatalf("expected %v, got %v", tc.expect, value)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/sshserver/authhandler.go b/internal/sshserver/authhandler.go
index f1e35dcc..0694cfbb 100644
--- a/internal/sshserver/authhandler.go
+++ b/internal/sshserver/authhandler.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package sshserver
 
 import (
+	"encoding/json"
 	"log/slog"
 	"time"
 
@@ -40,8 +41,11 @@ var (
 
 // pubKeyAuth returns a ssh.PublicKeyHandler which queries the remote
 // ssh-portal-api for Lagoon SSH authorization.
-func pubKeyAuth(log *slog.Logger, nc *nats.EncodedConn,
-	c *k8s.Client) ssh.PublicKeyHandler {
+func pubKeyAuth(
+	log *slog.Logger,
+	nc *nats.Conn,
+	c *k8s.Client,
+) ssh.PublicKeyHandler {
 	return func(ctx ssh.Context, key ssh.PublicKey) bool {
 		authAttemptsTotal.Inc()
 		log := log.With(slog.String("sessionID", ctx.SessionID()))
@@ -60,21 +64,29 @@ func pubKeyAuth(log *slog.Logger, nc *nats.EncodedConn,
 		}
 		// construct ssh access query
 		fingerprint := gossh.FingerprintSHA256(pubKey)
-		q := bus.SSHAccessQuery{
+		queryData, err := json.Marshal(bus.SSHAccessQuery{
 			SSHFingerprint: fingerprint,
 			NamespaceName:  ctx.User(),
 			ProjectID:      pid,
 			EnvironmentID:  eid,
 			SessionID:      ctx.SessionID(),
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Warn("couldn't marshal NATS request", slog.Any("error", err))
+			return false
 		}
 		// send query
-		var ok bool
-		err = nc.Request(bus.SubjectSSHAccessQuery, q, &ok, natsTimeout)
+		msg, err := nc.Request(bus.SubjectSSHAccessQuery, queryData, natsTimeout)
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Warn("couldn't make NATS request", slog.Any("error", err))
 			return false
 		}
 		// handle response
+		var ok bool
+		if err := json.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &ok); err != nil {
+			log.Warn("couldn't unmarshal response", slog.Any("response", msg.Data))
+			return false
+		}
 		if !ok {
 			log.Debug("SSH access not authorized",
 				slog.String("fingerprint", fingerprint),
diff --git a/internal/sshserver/serve.go b/internal/sshserver/serve.go
index 3a868a20..137baddf 100644
--- a/internal/sshserver/serve.go
+++ b/internal/sshserver/serve.go
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func disableSHA1Kex(_ ssh.Context) *gossh.ServerConfig {
 func Serve(
 	ctx context.Context,
 	log *slog.Logger,
-	nc *nats.EncodedConn,
+	nc *nats.Conn,
 	l net.Listener,
 	c *k8s.Client,
 	hostKeys [][]byte,