diff --git a/src/lib/components/payload-input.svelte b/src/lib/components/payload-input.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..390e233cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/components/payload-input.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+  import { onDestroy } from 'svelte';
+
+  import Alert from '$lib/holocene/alert.svelte';
+  import Card from '$lib/holocene/card.svelte';
+  import CodeBlock from '$lib/holocene/code-block.svelte';
+  import Input from '$lib/holocene/input/input.svelte';
+  import Label from '$lib/holocene/label.svelte';
+  import { translate } from '$lib/i18n/translate';
+
+  export let input: string;
+  export let encoding: string;
+  export let error = false;
+  export let resetValues = false;
+
+  let codeBlock: CodeBlock;
+
+  const handleInputChange = (event: CustomEvent<string>): void => {
+    input = event.detail;
+  };
+
+  const isValidInput = (value: string) => {
+    if (!input) {
+      return true;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      JSON.parse(value);
+      return true;
+    } catch (e) {
+      return false;
+    }
+  };
+
+  $: error = !isValidInput(input);
+
+  const clearValues = () => {
+    encoding = 'json/plain';
+    input = '';
+    codeBlock?.resetView(input);
+    input = '';
+  };
+
+  $: {
+    if (resetValues) {
+      clearValues();
+    }
+  }
+
+  onDestroy(() => {
+    clearValues();
+  });
+</script>
+
+<h5>Input</h5>
+<Card class="flex flex-col gap-2">
+  <div class="flex items-end gap-2">
+    <Input
+      id="payload-encoding"
+      label="Encoding"
+      class="w-full"
+      required
+      bind:value={encoding}
+    />
+    <slot />
+  </div>
+  <div class="flex flex-col gap-2">
+    <div class="flex items-center gap-1">
+      <Label
+        for="payload-input"
+        label={translate('workflows.signal-payload-input-label')}
+      />
+      <span class="text-xs font-light italic">
+        {translate('workflows.signal-payload-input-label-hint')}
+      </span>
+    </div>
+    <CodeBlock
+      id="payload-input"
+      maxHeight={320}
+      content={input}
+      on:change={handleInputChange}
+      editable
+      copyable={false}
+      bind:this={codeBlock}
+    />
+    {#if error}
+      <Alert intent="error" title={translate('common.input-valid-json')} />
+    {/if}
+  </div>
+</Card>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-form-view.svelte b/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-form-view.svelte
index 44cac18b9..93f404060 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-form-view.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-form-view.svelte
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
   let workflowId = decodedWorkflow?.workflowId ?? '';
   let taskQueue = decodedWorkflow?.taskQueue?.name ?? '';
   let input = '';
+  let encoding = '';
   let daysOfWeek: string[] = [];
   let daysOfMonth: number[] = [];
   let months: string[] = [];
@@ -90,6 +91,7 @@
       workflowId,
       taskQueue,
       input,
+      encoding,
       hour,
       minute,
       second,
@@ -163,7 +165,6 @@
       <h1>{title}</h1>
     </header>
     <form class="mb-4 flex w-full flex-col gap-4 md:w-2/3 xl:w-1/2">
-      <Alert intent="error" title={$error} hidden={!$error} />
       <div class="w-full">
         <Input
           id="name"
@@ -212,8 +213,8 @@
       </div>
       <ScheduleInputPayload
         bind:input
+        bind:encoding
         payloads={schedule?.action?.startWorkflow?.input}
-        error={errors['input']}
       />
       <AddSearchAttributes
         bind:attributesToAdd={searchAttributesInput}
@@ -243,6 +244,7 @@
           >
         </div>
       </SchedulesCalendarView>
+      <Alert intent="error" title={$error} hidden={!$error} />
     </form>
   {/if}
 </div>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-input-payload.svelte b/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-input-payload.svelte
index 4797a08d5..c37f505b0 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-input-payload.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/schedule/schedule-input-payload.svelte
@@ -1,45 +1,30 @@
 <script lang="ts">
-  import CodeBlock from '$lib/holocene/code-block.svelte';
-  import Label from '$lib/holocene/label.svelte';
-  import { translate } from '$lib/i18n/translate';
   import type { Payloads } from '$lib/types';
+  import { atob } from '$lib/utilities/atob';
   import { getSinglePayload } from '$lib/utilities/encode-payload';
 
   import PayloadDecoder from '../event/payload-decoder.svelte';
+  import PayloadInput from '../payload-input.svelte';
 
   export let input: string;
+  export let encoding: string;
   export let payloads: Payloads;
-  export let error = false;
 
-  const handleInputChange = (event: CustomEvent<string>) => {
-    input = event.detail;
-  };
+  let loading = true;
 
   const setInitialInput = (decodedValue: string): void => {
     input = getSinglePayload(decodedValue);
+    encoding = atob(
+      String(payloads?.payloads[0]?.metadata?.encoding ?? 'json/plain'),
+    );
+    loading = false;
   };
 </script>
 
 <div class="flex flex-col gap-1">
-  <Label for="schedule-input" label={translate('workflows.input')} />
-  <PayloadDecoder
-    value={payloads}
-    let:decodedValue
-    key="payloads"
-    onDecode={setInitialInput}
-  >
-    {#key decodedValue}
-      <CodeBlock
-        id="schedule-input"
-        maxHeight={320}
-        content={getSinglePayload(decodedValue)}
-        on:change={handleInputChange}
-        editable
-        copyable={false}
-      />
+  <PayloadDecoder value={payloads} key="payloads" onDecode={setInitialInput}>
+    {#key loading}
+      <PayloadInput bind:input bind:encoding />
     {/key}
   </PayloadDecoder>
-  <span class="text-xs font-light italic" class:text-red-700={error}>
-    {translate('workflows.signal-payload-input-label-hint')}
-  </span>
 </div>
diff --git a/src/lib/components/workflow/client-actions/signal-confirmation-modal.svelte b/src/lib/components/workflow/client-actions/signal-confirmation-modal.svelte
index 74d5eecda..b1342fa2a 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/workflow/client-actions/signal-confirmation-modal.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/workflow/client-actions/signal-confirmation-modal.svelte
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <script lang="ts">
   import type { Writable } from 'svelte/store';
 
-  import CodeBlock from '$lib/holocene/code-block.svelte';
+  import PayloadInput from '$lib/components/payload-input.svelte';
   import Input from '$lib/holocene/input/input.svelte';
   import Modal from '$lib/holocene/modal.svelte';
   import { translate } from '$lib/i18n/translate';
@@ -18,14 +18,13 @@
   let error: string = '';
   let loading = false;
   let name = '';
+
+  let encoding = 'json/plain';
   let input = '';
-  let codeBlock: CodeBlock;
 
   const hideSignalModal = () => {
     open = false;
-    input = '';
     name = '';
-    codeBlock?.resetView(input);
   };
 
   const signal = async () => {
@@ -36,6 +35,7 @@
         namespace,
         workflow,
         input,
+        encoding,
         name,
       });
       $refresh = Date.now();
@@ -52,10 +52,6 @@
       loading = false;
     }
   };
-
-  const handleInputChange = (event: CustomEvent<string>): void => {
-    input = event.detail;
-  };
 </script>
 
 <Modal
@@ -66,7 +62,7 @@
   {loading}
   confirmText={translate('common.submit')}
   cancelText={translate('common.cancel')}
-  confirmDisabled={!name}
+  confirmDisabled={!name || !encoding}
   on:cancelModal={hideSignalModal}
   on:confirmModal={signal}
 >
@@ -78,21 +74,6 @@
       required
       bind:value={name}
     />
-    <div>
-      <span class="text-sm font-medium"
-        >{translate('workflows.signal-payload-input-label')}</span
-      >
-      <span class="text-xs font-light italic">
-        {translate('workflows.signal-payload-input-label-hint')}
-      </span>
-      <CodeBlock
-        maxHeight={320}
-        content={input}
-        on:change={handleInputChange}
-        editable
-        copyable={false}
-        bind:this={codeBlock}
-      />
-    </div>
+    <PayloadInput bind:input bind:encoding resetValues={!open} />
   </div>
 </Modal>
diff --git a/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/workflows.ts b/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/workflows.ts
index b73bcc729..1fd5a4cdc 100644
--- a/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/workflows.ts
+++ b/src/lib/i18n/locales/en/workflows.ts
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export const Strings = {
     'Are you sure you want to terminate this workflow? This action cannot be undone.',
   'signal-modal-title': 'Send a Signal',
   'signal-name-label': 'Signal name',
-  'signal-payload-input-label': 'Input',
+  'signal-payload-input-label': 'Payload',
   'signal-payload-input-label-hint': '(only single JSON payload supported)',
   'cancel-request-sent': 'Cancel Request Sent',
   'cancel-request-sent-description':
diff --git a/src/lib/pages/schedule-edit.svelte b/src/lib/pages/schedule-edit.svelte
index c61b73824..69eaa2ebd 100644
--- a/src/lib/pages/schedule-edit.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/pages/schedule-edit.svelte
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
       workflowId,
       taskQueue,
       input,
+      encoding,
       hour,
       minute,
       second,
@@ -54,6 +55,7 @@
       workflowId,
       taskQueue,
       input,
+      encoding,
       searchAttributes,
     };
     const spec: Partial<ScheduleSpecParameters> = {
diff --git a/src/lib/pages/schedules-create.svelte b/src/lib/pages/schedules-create.svelte
index 60750bf1d..047127cae 100644
--- a/src/lib/pages/schedules-create.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/pages/schedules-create.svelte
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
       workflowId,
       taskQueue,
       input,
+      encoding,
       hour,
       minute,
       second,
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@
       workflowId,
       taskQueue,
       input,
+      encoding,
       searchAttributes,
     };
     const spec: Partial<ScheduleSpecParameters> = {
diff --git a/src/lib/pages/start-workflow.svelte b/src/lib/pages/start-workflow.svelte
index efcbef130..3200d8fb1 100644
--- a/src/lib/pages/start-workflow.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/pages/start-workflow.svelte
@@ -5,13 +5,12 @@
   import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
   import { page } from '$app/stores';
 
+  import PayloadInput from '$lib/components/payload-input.svelte';
   import AddSearchAttributes from '$lib/components/workflow/add-search-attributes.svelte';
   import Alert from '$lib/holocene/alert.svelte';
   import Button from '$lib/holocene/button.svelte';
-  import CodeBlock from '$lib/holocene/code-block.svelte';
   import FileInput from '$lib/holocene/file-input.svelte';
   import Input from '$lib/holocene/input/input.svelte';
-  import Label from '$lib/holocene/label.svelte';
   import Link from '$lib/holocene/link.svelte';
   import Tooltip from '$lib/holocene/tooltip.svelte';
   import { translate } from '$lib/i18n/translate';
@@ -39,11 +38,11 @@
   let taskQueue = '';
   let workflowType = '';
   let input = '';
+  let encoding = 'json/plain';
   let inputRetrieved = 0;
 
   let initialWorkflowId = '';
   let initialWorkflowType = '';
-  let initialInput = '';
 
   let error = '';
   let pollerCount: undefined | number = undefined;
@@ -65,10 +64,6 @@
     }
   });
 
-  const handleInputChange = (event: CustomEvent<string>) => {
-    input = event.detail;
-  };
-
   const onWorkflowStart = async () => {
     try {
       error = '';
@@ -78,6 +73,7 @@
         taskQueue,
         workflowType,
         input,
+        encoding,
         searchAttributes,
       });
       goto(routeForWorkflows({ namespace }));
@@ -109,8 +105,8 @@
       workflowId: id,
       workflowType: type,
     });
-    initialInput = initialValues.input;
-    input = initialInput;
+    input = initialValues.input;
+    encoding = initialValues.encoding;
     inputRetrieved = Date.now();
     if (initialValues?.searchAttributes) {
       const customSAKeys = Object.keys($customSearchAttributes);
@@ -232,31 +228,13 @@
       label="Workflow Type"
       on:blur={(e) => onInputChange(e, 'workflowType')}
     />
-    <div
-      class="flex w-full flex-col items-end justify-between gap-4 md:flex-row"
-    >
-      <div class="flex w-full flex-col gap-2">
-        <div class="flex w-full items-end justify-between">
-          <Label for="workflow-input" label={translate('workflows.input')} />
-          <Tooltip text={translate('common.upload-json')} left>
-            <FileInput id="start-workflow-input-file-upload" {onUpload} />
-          </Tooltip>
-        </div>
-        {#key inputRetrieved}
-          <CodeBlock
-            id="workflow-input"
-            minHeight={120}
-            content={input}
-            on:change={handleInputChange}
-            editable
-            copyable={false}
-          />
-        {/key}
-        {#if !inputValid}
-          <Alert intent="error" title={translate('common.input-valid-json')} />
-        {/if}
-      </div>
-    </div>
+    {#key inputRetrieved}
+      <PayloadInput bind:input bind:encoding>
+        <Tooltip text={translate('common.upload-json')} topRight>
+          <FileInput id="start-workflow-input-file-upload" {onUpload} />
+        </Tooltip>
+      </PayloadInput>
+    {/key}
     {#if viewAdvancedOptions}
       <AddSearchAttributes bind:attributesToAdd={searchAttributes} />
     {/if}
diff --git a/src/lib/services/workflow-service.ts b/src/lib/services/workflow-service.ts
index 5ce0a2876..a7046f055 100644
--- a/src/lib/services/workflow-service.ts
+++ b/src/lib/services/workflow-service.ts
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import type {
   ListWorkflowExecutionsResponse,
   WorkflowExecution,
 } from '$lib/types/workflows';
+import { atob } from '$lib/utilities/atob';
 import {
   cloneAllPotentialPayloadsWithCodec,
   type PotentiallyDecodable,
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ type SignalWorkflowOptions = {
   workflow: WorkflowExecution;
   name: string;
   input: string;
+  encoding: string;
 };
 
 type StartWorkflowOptions = {
@@ -90,6 +92,7 @@ type StartWorkflowOptions = {
   taskQueue: string;
   workflowType: string;
   input: string;
+  encoding: string;
   searchAttributes: SearchAttributeInput[];
 };
 
@@ -316,13 +319,14 @@ export async function signalWorkflow({
   workflow: { id: workflowId, runId },
   name,
   input,
+  encoding,
 }: SignalWorkflowOptions) {
   const route = routeForApi('workflow.signal', {
     namespace,
     workflowId,
     signalName: name,
   });
-  const payloads = await encodePayloads(input);
+  const payloads = await encodePayloads(input, encoding);
   const settings = get(page).data.settings;
   const version = settings?.version ?? '';
   const newVersion = isVersionNewer(version, '2.22');
@@ -481,7 +485,9 @@ export const setSearchAttributes = (
 
   const searchAttributes: SearchAttribute = {};
   attributes.forEach((attribute) => {
-    searchAttributes[attribute.attribute] = setBase64Payload(attribute.value);
+    searchAttributes[attribute.attribute] = setBase64Payload(
+      String(attribute.value),
+    );
   });
 
   return searchAttributes;
@@ -493,6 +499,7 @@ export async function startWorkflow({
   taskQueue,
   workflowType,
   input,
+  encoding,
   searchAttributes,
 }: StartWorkflowOptions) {
   const route = routeForApi('workflow', {
@@ -503,7 +510,7 @@ export async function startWorkflow({
 
   if (input) {
     try {
-      payloads = await encodePayloads(input);
+      payloads = await encodePayloads(input, encoding);
     } catch (_) {
       console.error('Could not decode input for starting workflow');
     }
@@ -547,12 +554,17 @@ export const fetchInitialValuesForStartWorkflow = async ({
   workflowId?: string;
 }): Promise<{
   input: string;
+  encoding: string;
   searchAttributes: Record<string, string | Payload> | undefined;
 }> => {
   const handleError: ErrorCallback = (err) => {
     console.error(err);
   };
-  const emptyValues = { input: '', searchAttributes: undefined };
+  const emptyValues = {
+    input: '',
+    encoding: 'json/plain',
+    searchAttributes: undefined,
+  };
   try {
     let query = '';
     if (workflowType && workflowId) {
@@ -590,8 +602,15 @@ export const fetchInitialValuesForStartWorkflow = async ({
     )) as PotentiallyDecodable;
 
     const input = stringifyWithBigInt(convertedAttributes?.payloads[0]);
+    const encoding = atob(
+      String(
+        convertedAttributes?.payloads[0]?.metadata?.encoding ?? 'json/plain',
+      ),
+    );
+
     return {
       input,
+      encoding,
       searchAttributes: workflow?.searchAttributes?.indexedFields,
     };
   } catch (e) {
diff --git a/src/lib/stores/schedules.ts b/src/lib/stores/schedules.ts
index 4a61e8fd1..872b5d109 100644
--- a/src/lib/stores/schedules.ts
+++ b/src/lib/stores/schedules.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export const submitCreateSchedule = async ({
     workflowType,
     taskQueue,
     input,
+    encoding,
     searchAttributes,
   } = action;
 
@@ -95,7 +96,7 @@ export const submitCreateSchedule = async ({
 
   if (input) {
     try {
-      payloads = await encodePayloads(input);
+      payloads = await encodePayloads(input, encoding);
     } catch (e) {
       error.set(`${translate('data-encoder.encode-error')}: ${e?.message}`);
       return;
@@ -163,6 +164,7 @@ export const submitEditSchedule = async (
     workflowType,
     taskQueue,
     input,
+    encoding,
     searchAttributes,
   } = action;
 
@@ -170,7 +172,7 @@ export const submitEditSchedule = async (
 
   if (input) {
     try {
-      payloads = await encodePayloads(input);
+      payloads = await encodePayloads(input, encoding);
     } catch (e) {
       error.set(`${translate('data-encoder.encode-error')}: ${e?.message}`);
       return;
diff --git a/src/lib/types/schedule.ts b/src/lib/types/schedule.ts
index 932989948..ca9632b31 100644
--- a/src/lib/types/schedule.ts
+++ b/src/lib/types/schedule.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ export type ScheduleActionParameters = {
   workflowId: string;
   taskQueue: string;
   input: string;
+  encoding: string;
   searchAttributes: SearchAttributeInput[];
 };
 
diff --git a/src/lib/utilities/decode-payload.ts b/src/lib/utilities/decode-payload.ts
index ec96a7e8b..70ac764a6 100644
--- a/src/lib/utilities/decode-payload.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utilities/decode-payload.ts
@@ -61,15 +61,15 @@ export function decodePayload(
 
   const encoding = atob(String(payload?.metadata?.encoding ?? ''));
 
-  if (encoding?.startsWith('json/')) {
-    try {
-      const data = parseWithBigInt(atob(String(payload?.data ?? '')));
-      return returnDataOnly ? data : { ...payload, data };
-    } catch (_e) {
-      console.warn('Could not parse payload: ', _e);
-      // Couldn't correctly decode this just let the user deal with the data as is
-    }
+  // if (encoding?.startsWith('json/')) {
+  try {
+    const data = parseWithBigInt(atob(String(payload?.data ?? '')));
+    return returnDataOnly ? data : { ...payload, data };
+  } catch (_e) {
+    console.warn('Could not parse payload: ', _e);
+    // Couldn't correctly decode this just let the user deal with the data as is
   }
+  // }
 
   if (encoding === 'binary/null') {
     return returnDataOnly ? null : { ...payload, data: null };
diff --git a/src/lib/utilities/encode-payload.ts b/src/lib/utilities/encode-payload.ts
index d4bf31cb0..4557d22a9 100644
--- a/src/lib/utilities/encode-payload.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utilities/encode-payload.ts
@@ -19,22 +19,21 @@ export const getSinglePayload = (decodedValue: string): string => {
   return '';
 };
 
-export const setBase64Payload = (payload: unknown) => {
+export const setBase64Payload = (payload: string, encoding = 'json/plain') => {
   return {
     metadata: {
-      encoding: btoa('json/plain'),
+      encoding: btoa(encoding),
     },
     data: btoa(JSON.stringify(payload)),
   };
 };
 
-export const encodePayloads = async (input: string) => {
+export const encodePayloads = async (input: string, encoding: string) => {
   let payloads = null;
 
   if (input) {
     const parsedInput = JSON.parse(input);
-    payloads = [setBase64Payload(parsedInput)];
-
+    payloads = [setBase64Payload(parsedInput, encoding)];
     const endpoint = get(dataEncoder).endpoint;
     if (endpoint) {
       const awaitData = await encodePayloadsWithCodec({
diff --git a/src/routes/(app)/nexus/[id]/edit/+page.svelte b/src/routes/(app)/nexus/[id]/edit/+page.svelte
index 9386bfe13..6827ca723 100644
--- a/src/routes/(app)/nexus/[id]/edit/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/(app)/nexus/[id]/edit/+page.svelte
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 
     const payloads = await encodePayloads(
       JSON.stringify(body.spec.descriptionString),
+      'json/plain',
     );
     body.spec.description = payloads[0];
 
diff --git a/src/routes/(app)/nexus/create/+page.svelte b/src/routes/(app)/nexus/create/+page.svelte
index ffdf28588..e6688d887 100644
--- a/src/routes/(app)/nexus/create/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/(app)/nexus/create/+page.svelte
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
       const body = { ...$endpointForm };
       const payloads = await encodePayloads(
         JSON.stringify(body.spec.descriptionString),
+        'json/plain',
       );
       body.spec.description = payloads[0];