diff --git a/backend/src/app/loggers/zmq.clj b/backend/src/app/loggers/zmq.clj
index 09d3abc1f..3f43cab99 100644
--- a/backend/src/app/loggers/zmq.clj
+++ b/backend/src/app/loggers/zmq.clj
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 (ns app.loggers.zmq
   "A generic ZMQ listener."
   (:require
+   [app.common.exceptions :as ex]
    [app.common.logging :as l]
    [app.common.spec :as us]
    [app.util.json :as json]
@@ -14,7 +15,8 @@
    [clojure.core.async :as a]
    [clojure.spec.alpha :as s]
    [cuerdas.core :as str]
-   [integrant.core :as ig])
+   [integrant.core :as ig]
+   [jsonista.core :as j])
   (:import
    org.zeromq.SocketType
    org.zeromq.ZMQ$Socket
@@ -33,7 +35,7 @@
   (l/info :msg "intializing ZMQ receiver" :bind endpoint)
   (let [buffer (a/chan 1)
         output (a/chan 1 (comp (filter map?)
-                               (map prepare)))
+                               (keep prepare)))
         mult   (a/mult output)]
     (when endpoint
       (a/thread (start-rcv-loop {:out buffer :endpoint endpoint})))
@@ -52,6 +54,11 @@
   [_ f]
   (a/close! (::buffer (meta f))))
 
+(def json-mapper
+  (j/object-mapper
+    {:encode-key-fn str/camel
+     :decode-key-fn (comp keyword str/kebab)}))
+
 (defn- start-rcv-loop
   ([] (start-rcv-loop nil))
   ([{:keys [out endpoint] :or {endpoint "tcp://localhost:5556"}}]
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@
      (.. socket (setReceiveTimeOut 5000))
      (loop []
        (let [msg (.recv ^ZMQ$Socket socket)
-             msg (json/decode msg)
+             msg (ex/ignoring (j/read-value msg json-mapper))
              msg (if (nil? msg) :empty msg)]
          (if (a/>!! out msg)
            (recur)
@@ -71,18 +78,35 @@
              (.close ^java.lang.AutoCloseable socket)
              (.close ^java.lang.AutoCloseable zctx))))))))
 
+
+(s/def ::logger-name string?)
+(s/def ::level string?)
+(s/def ::thread string?)
+(s/def ::time-millis integer?)
+(s/def ::message string?)
+(s/def ::context-map map?)
+(s/def ::throw map?)
+
+(s/def ::log4j-event
+  (s/keys :req-un [::logger-name ::level ::thread ::time-millis ::message]
+          :opt-un [::context-map ::thrown]))
+
 (defn- prepare
   [event]
-  (merge
-   {:logger     (:loggerName event)
-    :level      (str/lower (:level event))
-    :thread     (:thread event)
-    :created-at (dt/instant (:timeMillis event))
-    :message    (:message event)}
-   (when-let [ctx (:contextMap event)]
-     {:context ctx})
-   (when-let [thrown (:thrown event)]
-     {:error
-      {:class (:name thrown)
-       :message (:message thrown)
-       :trace (:extendedStackTrace thrown)}})))
+  (if (s/valid? ::log4j-event event)
+    (merge
+     {:logger     (:logger-name event)
+      :level      (str/lower (:level event))
+      :thread     (:thread event)
+      :created-at (dt/instant (:time-millis event))
+      :message    (:message event)}
+     (when-let [ctx (:context-map event)]
+       {:context ctx})
+     (when-let [thrown (:thrown event)]
+       {:error
+        {:class (:name thrown)
+         :message (:message thrown)
+         :trace (:extended-stack-trace thrown)}}))
+    (do
+      (l/warn :hint "invalid event" :event event)
+      nil)))