diff --git a/SingleInstanceHelper/ApplicationActivator.cs b/SingleInstanceHelper/ApplicationActivator.cs
index 5c441fd..8e93d53 100644
--- a/SingleInstanceHelper/ApplicationActivator.cs
+++ b/SingleInstanceHelper/ApplicationActivator.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 using System.Diagnostics;
 using System.IO.Pipes;
 using System.Linq;
+using System.Runtime.Serialization.Json;
 using System.Security.Cryptography;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Threading;
@@ -51,7 +52,7 @@ public static bool LaunchOrReturn(Action<string[]> otherInstanceCallback, string
             else
             {
                 // We are not the first instance, send the named pipe message with our payload and stop loading
-                var namedPipeXmlPayload = new NamedPipeXmlPayload
+                var namedPipeXmlPayload = new Payload
                 {
                     CommandLineArguments = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs().ToList()
                 };
@@ -87,7 +88,7 @@ private static bool IsApplicationFirstInstance()
         ///     Uses a named pipe to send the currently parsed options to an already running instance.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="namedPipePayload"></param>
-        private static void NamedPipeClientSendOptions(NamedPipeXmlPayload namedPipePayload)
+        private static void NamedPipeClientSendOptions(Payload namedPipePayload)
         {
             try
             {
@@ -95,8 +96,8 @@ private static void NamedPipeClientSendOptions(NamedPipeXmlPayload namedPipePayl
                 {
                     namedPipeClientStream.Connect(3000); // Maximum wait 3 seconds
 
-                    var xmlSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(NamedPipeXmlPayload));
-                    xmlSerializer.Serialize(namedPipeClientStream, namedPipePayload);
+                    var ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(Payload));
+                    ser.WriteObject(namedPipeClientStream, namedPipePayload);
                 }
             }
             catch (Exception)
@@ -134,17 +135,17 @@ private static void NamedPipeServerConnectionCallback(IAsyncResult iAsyncResult)
                 // End waiting for the connection
                 _namedPipeServerStream.EndWaitForConnection(iAsyncResult);
 
-                var xmlSerializer = new XmlSerializer(typeof(NamedPipeXmlPayload));
-                var namedPipeXmlPayload = (NamedPipeXmlPayload)xmlSerializer.Deserialize(_namedPipeServerStream);
+                var ser = new DataContractJsonSerializer(typeof(Payload));
+                var payload = (Payload)ser.ReadObject(_namedPipeServerStream);
 
-                // namedPipeXmlPayload contains the data sent from the other instance
+                // payload contains the data sent from the other instance
                 if (_syncContext != null)
                 {
-                    _syncContext.Post(_ => _otherInstanceCallback(namedPipeXmlPayload.CommandLineArguments.ToArray()), null);
+                    _syncContext.Post(_ => _otherInstanceCallback(payload.CommandLineArguments.ToArray()), null);
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    _otherInstanceCallback(namedPipeXmlPayload.CommandLineArguments.ToArray());
+                    _otherInstanceCallback(payload.CommandLineArguments.ToArray());
                 }
             }
             catch (ObjectDisposedException)
diff --git a/SingleInstanceHelper/NamedPipeXmlPayload.cs b/SingleInstanceHelper/Payload.cs
similarity index 76%
rename from SingleInstanceHelper/NamedPipeXmlPayload.cs
rename to SingleInstanceHelper/Payload.cs
index 9fbdce7..e25fe36 100644
--- a/SingleInstanceHelper/NamedPipeXmlPayload.cs
+++ b/SingleInstanceHelper/Payload.cs
@@ -1,16 +1,18 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Runtime.Serialization;
 using System.Text;
 using System.Xml.Serialization;
 
 namespace SingleInstanceHelper
 {
-    internal class NamedPipeXmlPayload
+    [DataContract]
+    internal class Payload
     {
         /// <summary>
         ///     A list of command line arguments.
         /// </summary>
-        [XmlElement("CommandLineArguments")]
+        [DataMember]
         public List<string> CommandLineArguments { get; set; } = new List<string>();
     }
 }
diff --git a/WinFormsTestApp/Program.cs b/WinFormsTestApp/Program.cs
index 87c2f5f..0f956a3 100644
--- a/WinFormsTestApp/Program.cs
+++ b/WinFormsTestApp/Program.cs
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ static void Main(string[] args)
             Application.EnableVisualStyles();
             Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(false);
 
-            var first = ApplicationActivator.LaunchOrReturn(otherInstance => { MessageBox.Show("got data"); }, args);
+            var first = ApplicationActivator.LaunchOrReturn(otherInstance => { MessageBox.Show("got data: " + otherInstance.Skip(1).FirstOrDefault()); }, args);
             if(!first)
                 return; 
             Application.Run(new Form1());