diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index dfe669a..79933d8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -194,6 +194,7 @@ The following options are allowed:
 
 - `key`: the name of the key to pub/sub events on as prefix (`socket.io`)
 - `requestsTimeout`: optional, after this timeout the adapter will stop waiting from responses to request (`5000ms`)
+- `parser`: optional, parser to use for encoding and decoding messages passed through Redis ([`notepack.io`](https://www.npmjs.com/package/notepack.io))
 
 ### RedisAdapter
 
@@ -205,6 +206,7 @@ that a regular `Adapter` does not
 - `pubClient`
 - `subClient`
 - `requestsTimeout`
+- `parser`
 
 ### RedisAdapter#sockets(rooms: Set<String>)
 
diff --git a/lib/index.ts b/lib/index.ts
index 413d69b..60da9b9 100644
--- a/lib/index.ts
+++ b/lib/index.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@ interface AckRequest {
   ack: (...args: any[]) => void;
 }
 
+interface Parser {
+  decode: (msg: any) => any;
+  encode: (msg: any) => any;
+}
+
 const isNumeric = (str) => !isNaN(str) && !isNaN(parseFloat(str));
 
 export interface RedisAdapterOptions {
@@ -62,6 +67,11 @@ export interface RedisAdapterOptions {
    * @default false
    */
   publishOnSpecificResponseChannel: boolean;
+  /**
+   * The parser to use for encoding and decoding messages sent to Redis.
+   * This option defaults to using `notepack.io`, a MessagePack implementation.
+   */
+  parser: Parser;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -87,6 +97,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
   public readonly uid;
   public readonly requestsTimeout: number;
   public readonly publishOnSpecificResponseChannel: boolean;
+  public readonly parser: Parser;
 
   private readonly channel: string;
   private readonly requestChannel: string;
@@ -115,6 +126,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
     this.uid = uid2(6);
     this.requestsTimeout = opts.requestsTimeout || 5000;
     this.publishOnSpecificResponseChannel = !!opts.publishOnSpecificResponseChannel;
+    this.parser = opts.parser || msgpack;
 
     const prefix = opts.key || "socket.io";
 
@@ -181,7 +193,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
       return debug("ignore unknown room %s", room);
     }
 
-    const args = msgpack.decode(msg);
+    const args = this.parser.decode(msg);
 
     const [uid, packet, opts] = args;
     if (this.uid === uid) return debug("ignore same uid");
@@ -226,7 +238,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
       if (msg[0] === 0x7b) {
         request = JSON.parse(msg.toString());
       } else {
-        request = msgpack.decode(msg);
+        request = this.parser.decode(msg);
       }
     } catch (err) {
       debug("ignoring malformed request");
@@ -424,7 +436,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
 
             this.publishResponse(
               request,
-              msgpack.encode({
+              this.parser.encode({
                 type: RequestType.BROADCAST_ACK,
                 requestId: request.requestId,
                 packet: arg,
@@ -467,7 +479,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
       if (msg[0] === 0x7b) {
         response = JSON.parse(msg.toString());
       } else {
-        response = msgpack.decode(msg);
+        response = this.parser.decode(msg);
       }
     } catch (err) {
       debug("ignoring malformed response");
@@ -596,7 +608,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
         except: [...new Set(opts.except)],
         flags: opts.flags,
       };
-      const msg = msgpack.encode([this.uid, packet, rawOpts]);
+      const msg = this.parser.encode([this.uid, packet, rawOpts]);
       let channel = this.channel;
       if (opts.rooms && opts.rooms.size === 1) {
         channel += opts.rooms.keys().next().value + "#";
@@ -626,7 +638,7 @@ export class RedisAdapter extends Adapter {
         flags: opts.flags,
       };
 
-      const request = msgpack.encode({
+      const request = this.parser.encode({
         uid: this.uid,
         requestId,
         type: RequestType.BROADCAST,
diff --git a/test/custom-parser.ts b/test/custom-parser.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb7077f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/custom-parser.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import { createServer } from "http";
+import { Server, Socket as ServerSocket } from "socket.io";
+import { io as ioc, Socket as ClientSocket } from "socket.io-client";
+import { createAdapter } from "../lib";
+import { createClient } from "redis";
+import { AddressInfo } from "net";
+import { times } from "./util";
+import expect = require("expect.js");
+
+const NODES_COUNT = 3;
+
+describe("custom parser", () => {
+  let servers: Server[] = [],
+    serverSockets: ServerSocket[] = [],
+    clientSockets: ClientSocket[] = [],
+    redisClients: any[] = [];
+
+  beforeEach(async () => {
+    for (let i = 1; i <= NODES_COUNT; i++) {
+      const httpServer = createServer();
+      const pubClient = createClient();
+      const subClient = createClient();
+
+      await Promise.all([pubClient.connect(), subClient.connect()]);
+
+      redisClients.push(pubClient, subClient);
+
+      const io = new Server(httpServer, {
+        adapter: createAdapter(pubClient, subClient, {
+          parser: {
+            decode(msg) {
+              return JSON.parse(msg);
+            },
+            encode(msg) {
+              return JSON.stringify(msg);
+            },
+          },
+        }),
+      });
+
+      await new Promise((resolve) => {
+        httpServer.listen(() => {
+          const port = (httpServer.address() as AddressInfo).port;
+          const clientSocket = ioc(`http://localhost:${port}`);
+
+          io.on("connection", async (socket) => {
+            clientSockets.push(clientSocket);
+            serverSockets.push(socket);
+            servers.push(io);
+            resolve();
+          });
+        });
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    servers.forEach((server) => {
+      // @ts-ignore
+      server.httpServer.close();
+      server.of("/").adapter.close();
+    });
+    clientSockets.forEach((socket) => {
+      socket.disconnect();
+    });
+    redisClients.forEach((redisClient) => {
+      redisClient.disconnect();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it("broadcasts", (done) => {
+    const partialDone = times(3, done);
+
+    clientSockets.forEach((clientSocket) => {
+      clientSocket.on("test", (arg1, arg2, arg3) => {
+        expect(arg1).to.eql(1);
+        expect(arg2).to.eql("2");
+        expect(arg3).to.eql([3]);
+        partialDone();
+      });
+    });
+
+    servers[0].emit("test", 1, "2", [3]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/index.ts b/test/index.ts
index 9c39496..78d3cfd 100644
--- a/test/index.ts
+++ b/test/index.ts
@@ -562,3 +562,5 @@ function cleanup(done) {
   }
   done();
 }
+
+require("./custom-parser");
diff --git a/test/util.ts b/test/util.ts
index f3844af..5446b2f 100644
--- a/test/util.ts
+++ b/test/util.ts
@@ -20,3 +20,13 @@ Assertion.prototype.contain = function (...args) {
   }
   return contain.apply(this, args);
 };
+
+export function times(count: number, fn: () => void) {
+  let i = 0;
+  return () => {
+    i++;
+    if (i === count) {
+      fn();
+    }
+  };
+}