diff --git a/api/api.go b/api/api.go
index c1f1698..45f22c4 100644
--- a/api/api.go
+++ b/api/api.go
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 package api
 
 import (
-	"encoding/json"
+	"bytes"
+	"encoding/gob"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
@@ -11,9 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"code.dumpstack.io/tools/out-of-tree/artifact"
 	"code.dumpstack.io/tools/out-of-tree/distro"
 
-	"github.com/davecgh/go-spew/spew"
 	"github.com/google/uuid"
-	"github.com/rs/zerolog/log"
 )
 
 var ErrInvalid = errors.New("")
@@ -106,9 +105,12 @@ type Req struct {
 	Data []byte
 }
 
-func (r *Req) SetData(data any) {
+func (r *Req) SetData(data any) (err error) {
 	r.Type = fmt.Sprintf("%v", reflect.TypeOf(data))
-	r.Data = Marshal(data)
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err = gob.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(data)
+	r.Data = buf.Bytes()
+	return
 }
 
 func (r *Req) GetData(data any) (err error) {
@@ -122,32 +124,16 @@ func (r *Req) GetData(data any) (err error) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	log.Trace().Msgf("unmarshal %v", string(r.Data))
-	err = json.Unmarshal(r.Data, &data)
-	return
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(r.Data)
+	return gob.NewDecoder(buf).Decode(data)
 }
 
-func (r Req) Encode(conn net.Conn) {
-	log.Debug().Msgf("encode %v", r.Command)
-	err := json.NewEncoder(conn).Encode(&r)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Msgf("encode %v", r.Command)
-	}
+func (r *Req) Encode(conn net.Conn) (err error) {
+	return gob.NewEncoder(conn).Encode(r)
 }
 
 func (r *Req) Decode(conn net.Conn) (err error) {
-	err = json.NewDecoder(conn).Decode(r)
-	return
-}
-
-func (r Req) Marshal() (bytes []byte) {
-	return Marshal(r)
-}
-
-func (Req) Unmarshal(data []byte) (r Req, err error) {
-	err = json.Unmarshal(data, &r)
-	log.Trace().Msgf("unmarshal %v", spew.Sdump(r))
-	return
+	return gob.NewDecoder(conn).Decode(r)
 }
 
 type Resp struct {
@@ -166,9 +152,12 @@ func NewResp() (resp Resp) {
 	return
 }
 
-func (r *Resp) SetData(data any) {
+func (r *Resp) SetData(data any) (err error) {
 	r.Type = fmt.Sprintf("%v", reflect.TypeOf(data))
-	r.Data = Marshal(data)
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	err = gob.NewEncoder(&buf).Encode(data)
+	r.Data = buf.Bytes()
+	return
 }
 
 func (r *Resp) GetData(data any) (err error) {
@@ -182,48 +171,19 @@ func (r *Resp) GetData(data any) (err error) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	log.Trace().Msgf("unmarshal %v", string(r.Data))
-	err = json.Unmarshal(r.Data, &data)
-	return
+	buf := bytes.NewBuffer(r.Data)
+	return gob.NewDecoder(buf).Decode(data)
 }
 
-func (r *Resp) Encode(conn net.Conn) {
+func (r *Resp) Encode(conn net.Conn) (err error) {
 	if r.Err != nil && r.Err != ErrInvalid && r.Error == "" {
 		r.Error = fmt.Sprintf("%v", r.Err)
 	}
-	log.Debug().Msgf("encode %v", r.UUID)
-	err := json.NewEncoder(conn).Encode(r)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Msgf("encode %v", r.UUID)
-	}
+	return gob.NewEncoder(conn).Encode(r)
 }
 
 func (r *Resp) Decode(conn net.Conn) (err error) {
-	err = json.NewDecoder(conn).Decode(r)
+	err = gob.NewDecoder(conn).Decode(r)
 	r.Err = ErrInvalid
 	return
 }
-
-func (r *Resp) Marshal() (bytes []byte) {
-	if r.Err != nil && r.Err != ErrInvalid && r.Error == "" {
-		r.Error = fmt.Sprintf("%v", r.Err)
-	}
-
-	return Marshal(r)
-}
-
-func (Resp) Unmarshal(data []byte) (r Resp, err error) {
-	err = json.Unmarshal(data, &r)
-	log.Trace().Msgf("unmarshal %v", spew.Sdump(r))
-	r.Err = ErrInvalid
-	return
-}
-
-func Marshal(data any) (bytes []byte) {
-	bytes, err := json.Marshal(data)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal().Err(err).Msgf("marshal %v", data)
-	}
-	log.Trace().Msgf("marshal %v", string(bytes))
-	return
-}
diff --git a/api/api_test.go b/api/api_test.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 544a5ae..0000000
--- a/api/api_test.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,49 +0,0 @@
-package api
-
-import (
-	"testing"
-
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
-)
-
-func TestReq(t *testing.T) {
-	req := Req{}
-
-	req.Command = ListRepos
-	req.SetData(&Job{ID: 999, RepoName: "test"})
-
-	bytes := req.Marshal()
-
-	req2, err := Req{}.Unmarshal(bytes)
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
-
-	assert.Equal(t, req, req2)
-
-	job := Job{}
-	err = req2.GetData(&job)
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
-
-	assert.Equal(t, req2.Type, "*api.Job")
-}
-
-func TestResp(t *testing.T) {
-	resp := Resp{}
-
-	resp.Error = "abracadabra"
-	resp.SetData(&[]Repo{{}, {}})
-
-	bytes := resp.Marshal()
-
-	resp2, err := Resp{}.Unmarshal(bytes)
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
-
-	resp2.Err = nil // non-marshallable
-
-	assert.Equal(t, resp, resp2)
-
-	var repos []Repo
-	err = resp2.GetData(&repos)
-	assert.Nil(t, err)
-
-	assert.Equal(t, resp2.Type, "*[]api.Repo")
-}
diff --git a/daemon/db/job.go b/daemon/db/job.go
index 28e7d9d..7e5dd8d 100644
--- a/daemon/db/job.go
+++ b/daemon/db/job.go
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 package db
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"database/sql"
-	"encoding/json"
+	"encoding/gob"
 	"time"
 
 	"code.dumpstack.io/tools/out-of-tree/api"
@@ -37,8 +38,19 @@ func AddJob(db *sql.DB, job *api.Job) (err error) {
 
 	defer stmt.Close()
 
-	config := api.Marshal(job.Artifact)
-	target := api.Marshal(job.Target)
+	var abuf bytes.Buffer
+	err = gob.NewEncoder(&abuf).Encode(job.Artifact)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	config := abuf.Bytes()
+
+	var tbuf bytes.Buffer
+	err = gob.NewEncoder(&tbuf).Encode(job.Target)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	target := tbuf.Bytes()
 
 	res, err := stmt.Exec(time.Now().Unix(), job.UUID, job.Group,
 		job.RepoName, job.Commit, config, target,
@@ -65,8 +77,19 @@ func UpdateJob(db *sql.DB, job *api.Job) (err error) {
 	}
 	defer stmt.Close()
 
-	config := api.Marshal(job.Artifact)
-	target := api.Marshal(job.Target)
+	var abuf bytes.Buffer
+	err = gob.NewEncoder(&abuf).Encode(job.Artifact)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	config := abuf.Bytes()
+
+	var tbuf bytes.Buffer
+	err = gob.NewEncoder(&tbuf).Encode(job.Target)
+	if err != nil {
+		return
+	}
+	target := tbuf.Bytes()
 
 	_, err = stmt.Exec(time.Now().Unix(), job.UUID, job.Group,
 		job.RepoName, job.Commit,
@@ -86,12 +109,14 @@ func scanJob(scan func(dest ...any) error) (job api.Job, err error) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	err = json.Unmarshal(config, &job.Artifact)
+	abuf := bytes.NewBuffer(config)
+	err = gob.NewDecoder(abuf).Decode(&job.Artifact)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}
 
-	err = json.Unmarshal(target, &job.Target)
+	tbuf := bytes.NewBuffer(target)
+	err = gob.NewDecoder(tbuf).Decode(&job.Target)
 	if err != nil {
 		return
 	}