diff --git a/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/GraphQLSubscriptionMapper.java b/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/GraphQLSubscriptionMapper.java
index 1e4c8459..e0dc28a2 100644
--- a/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/GraphQLSubscriptionMapper.java
+++ b/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/GraphQLSubscriptionMapper.java
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonProcessingException;
 import graphql.ExecutionResult;
+import graphql.GraphQLException;
 import graphql.kickstart.execution.GraphQLObjectMapper;
 import graphql.kickstart.execution.GraphQLRequest;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import lombok.RequiredArgsConstructor;
 
 @RequiredArgsConstructor
@@ -12,7 +14,17 @@ public class GraphQLSubscriptionMapper {
 
   private final GraphQLObjectMapper graphQLObjectMapper;
 
-  public GraphQLRequest readGraphQLRequest(Object payload) {
+  public GraphQLRequest readGraphQLRequest(String payload) {
+    Objects.requireNonNull(payload, "Payload is required");
+    try {
+      return graphQLObjectMapper.getJacksonMapper().readValue(payload, GraphQLRequest.class);
+    } catch (JsonProcessingException e) {
+      throw new GraphQLException("Cannot read GraphQL request from payload '" + payload + "'", e);
+    }
+  }
+
+  public GraphQLRequest convertGraphQLRequest(Object payload) {
+    Objects.requireNonNull(payload, "Payload is required");
     return graphQLObjectMapper.getJacksonMapper().convertValue(payload, GraphQLRequest.class);
   }
 
@@ -20,8 +32,8 @@ public ExecutionResult sanitizeErrors(ExecutionResult executionResult) {
     return graphQLObjectMapper.sanitizeErrors(executionResult);
   }
 
-  public boolean areErrorsPresent(ExecutionResult executionResult) {
-    return graphQLObjectMapper.areErrorsPresent(executionResult);
+  public boolean hasNoErrors(ExecutionResult executionResult) {
+    return !graphQLObjectMapper.areErrorsPresent(executionResult);
   }
 
   public Map<String, Object> convertSanitizedExecutionResult(ExecutionResult executionResult) {
diff --git a/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/apollo/SubscriptionStartCommand.java b/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/apollo/SubscriptionStartCommand.java
index e7d0db3f..0f9ec377 100644
--- a/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/apollo/SubscriptionStartCommand.java
+++ b/graphql-java-kickstart/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/execution/subscriptions/apollo/SubscriptionStartCommand.java
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ public void apply(SubscriptionSession session, OperationMessage message) {
 
   private CompletableFuture<ExecutionResult> executeAsync(Object payload, SubscriptionSession session) {
     Objects.requireNonNull(payload, "Payload is required");
-    GraphQLRequest graphQLRequest = mapper.readGraphQLRequest(payload);
+    GraphQLRequest graphQLRequest = mapper.convertGraphQLRequest(payload);
 
     GraphQLSingleInvocationInput invocationInput = invocationInputFactory.create(graphQLRequest, session);
     return graphQLInvoker.executeAsync(invocationInput);
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ private CompletableFuture<ExecutionResult> executeAsync(Object payload, Subscrip
 
   private void handleSubscriptionStart(SubscriptionSession session, String id, ExecutionResult executionResult) {
     ExecutionResult sanitizedExecutionResult = mapper.sanitizeErrors(executionResult);
-    if (!mapper.areErrorsPresent(sanitizedExecutionResult)) {
+    if (mapper.hasNoErrors(sanitizedExecutionResult)) {
       session.subscribe(id, sanitizedExecutionResult.getData());
     } else {
       Object payload = mapper.convertSanitizedExecutionResult(sanitizedExecutionResult);
diff --git a/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/GraphQLWebsocketServlet.java b/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/GraphQLWebsocketServlet.java
index 30b745b9..7673cb42 100644
--- a/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/GraphQLWebsocketServlet.java
+++ b/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/GraphQLWebsocketServlet.java
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ public void modifyHandshake(ServerEndpointConfig sec, HandshakeRequest request,
       response.getHeaders().put(HandshakeRequest.SEC_WEBSOCKET_PROTOCOL,
           new ArrayList<>(asList(subscriptionProtocolFactory.getProtocol())));
     }
+
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/subscriptions/FallbackSubscriptionConsumer.java b/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/subscriptions/FallbackSubscriptionConsumer.java
index 81bd69bd..92a28907 100644
--- a/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/subscriptions/FallbackSubscriptionConsumer.java
+++ b/graphql-java-servlet/src/main/java/graphql/kickstart/servlet/subscriptions/FallbackSubscriptionConsumer.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ public void accept(String text) {
     executionResult.thenAccept(result -> handleSubscriptionStart(session, UUID.randomUUID().toString(), result));
   }
 
-  private CompletableFuture<ExecutionResult> executeAsync(Object payload, SubscriptionSession session) {
+  private CompletableFuture<ExecutionResult> executeAsync(String payload, SubscriptionSession session) {
     Objects.requireNonNull(payload, "Payload is required");
     GraphQLRequest graphQLRequest = mapper.readGraphQLRequest(payload);
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ private CompletableFuture<ExecutionResult> executeAsync(Object payload, Subscrip
 
   private void handleSubscriptionStart(SubscriptionSession session, String id, ExecutionResult executionResult) {
     ExecutionResult sanitizedExecutionResult = mapper.sanitizeErrors(executionResult);
-    if (!mapper.areErrorsPresent(sanitizedExecutionResult)) {
+    if (mapper.hasNoErrors(sanitizedExecutionResult)) {
       session.subscribe(id, sanitizedExecutionResult.getData());
     } else {
       Object payload = mapper.convertSanitizedExecutionResult(sanitizedExecutionResult);