diff --git a/internal/processor/json-decode.go b/internal/processor/json-decode.go
index 406acf1..11a805f 100644
--- a/internal/processor/json-decode.go
+++ b/internal/processor/json-decode.go
@@ -13,15 +13,20 @@ type JsonDecode struct {
 }
 
 func (jd *JsonDecode) Process(ctx context.Context, payload any) (any, error) {
-	payloadString, ok := GetAnyAs[string](payload)
+
+	payloadBytes, ok := GetAnyAsByteSlice(payload)
 
 	if !ok {
-		return nil, errors.New("json.decode processor only accepts a string")
+		payloadString, ok := GetAnyAs[string](payload)
+		if !ok {
+			return nil, errors.New("json.decode can only process a string or []byte")
+		}
+		payloadBytes = []byte(payloadString)
 	}
 
 	payloadJson := make(map[string]any)
 
-	err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(payloadString), &payloadJson)
+	err := json.Unmarshal(payloadBytes, &payloadJson)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/processor/processor.go b/internal/processor/processor.go
index be016a7..b0b605e 100644
--- a/internal/processor/processor.go
+++ b/internal/processor/processor.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package processor
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
+	"reflect"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/jwetzell/showbridge-go/internal/common"
@@ -47,6 +49,52 @@ func GetAnyAs[T any](p any) (T, bool) {
 	return typed, ok
 }
 
+func GetAnyAsByteSlice(p any) ([]byte, bool) {
+	v := reflect.ValueOf(p)
+	if v.Kind() != reflect.Slice {
+		return nil, false
+	}
+
+	result := make([]byte, v.Len())
+	for i := 0; i < v.Len(); i++ {
+		elem := v.Index(i).Interface()
+		byteValue, ok := elem.(byte)
+		if ok {
+			result[i] = byteValue
+			continue
+		}
+		uintValue, ok := elem.(uint)
+		if ok {
+			if uintValue > 255 {
+				return nil, false
+			}
+			result[i] = byte(uintValue)
+			continue
+		}
+		intValue, ok := elem.(int)
+		if ok {
+			if intValue < 0 || intValue > 255 {
+				return nil, false
+			}
+			result[i] = byte(intValue)
+			continue
+		}
+		floatValue, ok := elem.(float64)
+		if ok {
+			if floatValue != math.Floor(floatValue) {
+				return nil, false
+			}
+			if floatValue < 0 || floatValue > 255 {
+				return nil, false
+			}
+			result[i] = byte(floatValue)
+			continue
+		}
+		return nil, false
+	}
+	return result, true
+}
+
 type TemplateData struct {
 	Payload any
 	Modules any
diff --git a/internal/processor/test/json-decode_test.go b/internal/processor/test/json-decode_test.go
index 6a5f1f5..602b3e5 100644
--- a/internal/processor/test/json-decode_test.go
+++ b/internal/processor/test/json-decode_test.go
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ func TestBadJsonDecode(t *testing.T) {
 		errorString string
 	}{
 		{
-			name:        "non-string input",
-			payload:     []byte("hello"),
-			errorString: "json.decode processor only accepts a string",
+			name:        "non-string or byte input",
+			payload:     123,
+			errorString: "json.decode can only process a string or []byte",
 		},
 		{
 			name:        "invalid json",