diff --git a/tractor/ipc/_ringbuf/__init__.py b/tractor/ipc/_ringbuf/__init__.py
index 0d96d1a3..f9a88813 100644
--- a/tractor/ipc/_ringbuf/__init__.py
+++ b/tractor/ipc/_ringbuf/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ IPC Reliable RingBuffer implementation
 from __future__ import annotations
 import struct
 from typing import (
+    TypeVar,
     ContextManager,
     AsyncContextManager
 )
@@ -34,6 +35,10 @@ from msgspec import (
     Struct,
     to_builtins
 )
+from msgspec.msgpack import (
+    Encoder,
+    Decoder,
+)
 
 from tractor.log import get_logger
 from tractor._exceptions import (
@@ -277,7 +282,10 @@ next full payload.
 '''
 
 
-class RingBufferSendChannel(trio.abc.SendChannel[bytes]):
+PayloadT = TypeVar('PayloadT')
+
+
+class RingBufferSendChannel(trio.abc.SendChannel[PayloadT]):
     '''
     Ring Buffer sender side implementation
 
@@ -298,7 +306,8 @@ class RingBufferSendChannel(trio.abc.SendChannel[bytes]):
         self,
         token: RBToken,
         batch_size: int = 1,
-        cleanup: bool = False
+        cleanup: bool = False,
+        encoder: Encoder | None = None
     ):
         self._token = RBToken.from_msg(token)
         self.batch_size = batch_size
@@ -319,6 +328,8 @@ class RingBufferSendChannel(trio.abc.SendChannel[bytes]):
         # close shm & fds on exit?
         self._cleanup: bool = cleanup
 
+        self._enc: Encoder | None = encoder
+
         # have we closed this ringbuf?
         # set to `False` on `.open()`
         self._is_closed: bool = True
@@ -415,15 +426,22 @@ class RingBufferSendChannel(trio.abc.SendChannel[bytes]):
             if new_batch_size:
                 self.batch_size = new_batch_size
 
-    async def send(self, value: bytes) -> None:
+    async def send(self, value: PayloadT) -> None:
         if self.closed:
             raise trio.ClosedResourceError
 
         if self._send_lock.locked():
             raise trio.BusyResourceError
 
+        raw_value: bytes = (
+            value
+            if isinstance(value, bytes)
+            else
+            self._enc.encode(value)
+        )
+
         async with self._send_lock:
-            msg: bytes = struct.pack("<I", len(value)) + value
+            msg: bytes = struct.pack("<I", len(raw_value)) + raw_value
             if self.batch_size == 1:
                 if len(self._batch) > 0:
                     await self.flush()
@@ -475,7 +493,7 @@ class RingBufferSendChannel(trio.abc.SendChannel[bytes]):
         return self
 
 
-class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[bytes]):
+class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[PayloadT]):
     '''
     Ring Buffer receiver side implementation
 
@@ -487,6 +505,7 @@ class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[bytes]):
         self,
         token: RBToken,
         cleanup: bool = True,
+        decoder: Decoder | None = None
     ):
         self._token = RBToken.from_msg(token)
 
@@ -513,6 +532,8 @@ class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[bytes]):
         # set to `False` on `.open()`
         self._is_closed: bool = True
 
+        self._dec: Decoder | None = decoder
+
         # ensure no concurrent `.receive_some()` calls
         self._receive_some_lock = trio.StrictFIFOLock()
 
@@ -648,7 +669,11 @@ class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[bytes]):
                         self._write_ptr += delta
                         # yield lock and re-enter
 
-                    except (EFDReadCancelled, trio.Cancelled):
+                    except (
+                        EFDReadCancelled,  # read was cancelled with cscope
+                        trio.Cancelled,  # read got cancelled from outside
+                        trio.BrokenResourceError  # OSError EBADF happened while reading
+                    ):
                         # while waiting for new data `self._write_event` was closed
                         try:
                             # if eof was signaled receive no wait will not raise
@@ -699,7 +724,7 @@ class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[bytes]):
 
             return payload
 
-    async def receive(self) -> bytes:
+    async def receive(self, raw: bool = False) -> PayloadT:
         '''
         Receive a complete payload or raise EOC
 
@@ -717,7 +742,27 @@ class RingBufferReceiveChannel(trio.abc.ReceiveChannel[bytes]):
             if size == 0:
                 raise trio.EndOfChannel
 
-            return await self.receive_exactly(size)
+            raw_msg = await self.receive_exactly(size)
+            if raw:
+                return raw_msg
+
+            return (
+                raw_msg
+                if not self._dec
+                else self._dec.decode(raw_msg)
+            )
+
+    async def iter_raw_pairs(self) -> tuple[bytes, PayloadT]:
+        if not self._dec:
+            raise RuntimeError('iter_raw_pair requires decoder')
+
+        while True:
+            try:
+                raw = await self.receive(raw=True)
+                yield raw, self._dec.decode(raw)
+
+            except trio.EndOfChannel:
+                break
 
     def open(self):
         try:
@@ -782,7 +827,8 @@ async def _maybe_obtain_shared_resources(token: RBToken):
 async def attach_to_ringbuf_receiver(
 
     token: RBToken,
-    cleanup: bool = True
+    cleanup: bool = True,
+    decoder: Decoder | None = None
 
 ) -> AsyncContextManager[RingBufferReceiveChannel]:
     '''
@@ -800,7 +846,8 @@ async def attach_to_ringbuf_receiver(
         trio.open_nursery(strict_exception_groups=False) as n,
         RingBufferReceiveChannel(
             token,
-            cleanup=cleanup
+            cleanup=cleanup,
+            decoder=decoder
         ) as receiver
     ):
         n.start_soon(receiver._eof_monitor_task)
@@ -812,7 +859,8 @@ async def attach_to_ringbuf_sender(
 
     token: RBToken,
     batch_size: int = 1,
-    cleanup: bool = True
+    cleanup: bool = True,
+    encoder: Encoder | None = None
 
 ) -> AsyncContextManager[RingBufferSendChannel]:
     '''
@@ -828,7 +876,8 @@ async def attach_to_ringbuf_sender(
     async with RingBufferSendChannel(
         token,
         batch_size=batch_size,
-        cleanup=cleanup
+        cleanup=cleanup,
+        encoder=encoder
     ) as sender:
         yield sender
 
@@ -901,6 +950,8 @@ async def attach_to_ringbuf_channel(
     batch_size: int = 1,
     cleanup_in: bool = True,
     cleanup_out: bool = True,
+    encoder: Encoder | None = None,
+    decoder: Decoder | None = None
 ) -> AsyncContextManager[trio.StapledStream]:
     '''
     Attach to two previously opened `RBToken`s and return a `RingBufferChannel`
@@ -909,12 +960,14 @@ async def attach_to_ringbuf_channel(
     async with (
         attach_to_ringbuf_receiver(
             token_in,
-            cleanup=cleanup_in
+            cleanup=cleanup_in,
+            decoder=decoder
         ) as receiver,
         attach_to_ringbuf_sender(
             token_out,
             batch_size=batch_size,
-            cleanup=cleanup_out
+            cleanup=cleanup_out,
+            encoder=encoder
         ) as sender,
     ):
         yield RingBufferChannel(sender, receiver)