diff --git a/handler/handler.go b/handler/handler.go
index d1c6f9b..d1b904a 100644
--- a/handler/handler.go
+++ b/handler/handler.go
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ import (
 // data is the msgpack-decoded map. Return a response map (or nil for no reply).
 type MessageHandler func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg, data map[string]any) (map[string]any, error)
 
+// TypedMessageHandler processes the raw NATS message without pre-decoding to
+// map[string]any. Services unmarshal msg.Data into their own typed structs,
+// avoiding the double-decode overhead. Return any msgpack-serialisable value
+// (a typed struct, map, or nil for no reply).
+type TypedMessageHandler func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg) (any, error)
+
 // SetupFunc is called once before the handler starts processing messages.
 type SetupFunc func(ctx context.Context) error
 
@@ -35,10 +41,11 @@ type Handler struct {
 	Subject    string
 	QueueGroup string
 
-	onSetup    SetupFunc
-	onTeardown TeardownFunc
-	onMessage  MessageHandler
-	running    bool
+	onSetup        SetupFunc
+	onTeardown     TeardownFunc
+	onMessage      MessageHandler
+	onTypedMessage TypedMessageHandler
+	running        bool
 }
 
 // New creates a Handler for the given NATS subject.
@@ -70,6 +77,11 @@ func (h *Handler) OnTeardown(fn TeardownFunc) { h.onTeardown = fn }
 // OnMessage registers the message handler callback.
 func (h *Handler) OnMessage(fn MessageHandler) { h.onMessage = fn }
 
+// OnTypedMessage registers a typed message handler. It replaces OnMessage —
+// wrapHandler will skip the map[string]any decode and let the callback
+// unmarshal msg.Data directly.
+func (h *Handler) OnTypedMessage(fn TypedMessageHandler) { h.onTypedMessage = fn }
+
 // Run starts the handler: telemetry, health server, NATS subscription, and blocks until SIGTERM/SIGINT.
 func (h *Handler) Run() error {
 	// Structured logging
@@ -119,7 +131,7 @@ func (h *Handler) Run() error {
 	}
 
 	// Subscribe
-	if h.onMessage == nil {
+	if h.onMessage == nil && h.onTypedMessage == nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("no message handler registered")
 	}
 	if err := h.NATS.Subscribe(h.Subject, h.wrapHandler(ctx), h.QueueGroup); err != nil {
@@ -148,8 +160,41 @@ func (h *Handler) Run() error {
 	return nil
 }
 
-// wrapHandler creates a nats.MsgHandler that decodes msgpack and dispatches to the user handler.
+// wrapHandler creates a nats.MsgHandler that dispatches to the registered callback.
+// If OnTypedMessage was used, msg.Data is passed directly without map decode.
+// If OnMessage was used, msg.Data is decoded to map[string]any first.
 func (h *Handler) wrapHandler(ctx context.Context) nats.MsgHandler {
+	if h.onTypedMessage != nil {
+		return h.wrapTypedHandler(ctx)
+	}
+	return h.wrapMapHandler(ctx)
+}
+
+// wrapTypedHandler dispatches to the TypedMessageHandler (no map decode).
+func (h *Handler) wrapTypedHandler(ctx context.Context) nats.MsgHandler {
+	return func(msg *nats.Msg) {
+		response, err := h.onTypedMessage(ctx, msg)
+		if err != nil {
+			slog.Error("handler error", "subject", msg.Subject, "error", err)
+			if msg.Reply != "" {
+				_ = h.NATS.Publish(msg.Reply, map[string]any{
+					"error":   true,
+					"message": err.Error(),
+					"type":    fmt.Sprintf("%T", err),
+				})
+			}
+			return
+		}
+		if response != nil && msg.Reply != "" {
+			if err := h.NATS.Publish(msg.Reply, response); err != nil {
+				slog.Error("failed to publish reply", "error", err)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// wrapMapHandler dispatches to the legacy MessageHandler (decodes to map first).
+func (h *Handler) wrapMapHandler(ctx context.Context) nats.MsgHandler {
 	return func(msg *nats.Msg) {
 		data, err := natsutil.DecodeMsgpackMap(msg.Data)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/handler/handler_test.go b/handler/handler_test.go
index d7b21ee..84a1eb0 100644
--- a/handler/handler_test.go
+++ b/handler/handler_test.go
@@ -73,6 +73,19 @@ func TestCallbackRegistration(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestTypedMessageRegistration(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := config.Load()
+	h := New("ai.test", cfg)
+
+	h.OnTypedMessage(func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg) (any, error) {
+		return map[string]any{"ok": true}, nil
+	})
+
+	if h.onTypedMessage == nil {
+		t.Error("onTypedMessage should not be nil after registration")
+	}
+}
+
 // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // wrapHandler dispatch tests (unit test the message decode + dispatch logic)
 // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -173,6 +186,71 @@ func TestWrapHandler_NilResponse(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 }
 
+// ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+// wrapHandler dispatch tests — typed handler path
+// ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+func TestWrapTypedHandler_ValidMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := config.Load()
+	h := New("ai.test", cfg)
+
+	type testReq struct {
+		RequestID string `msgpack:"request_id"`
+		Message   string `msgpack:"message"`
+	}
+
+	var received testReq
+	h.OnTypedMessage(func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg) (any, error) {
+		if err := msgpack.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &received); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		return map[string]any{"status": "ok"}, nil
+	})
+
+	encoded, _ := msgpack.Marshal(map[string]any{
+		"request_id": "typed-001",
+		"message":    "hello typed",
+	})
+
+	handler := h.wrapHandler(context.Background())
+	handler(&nats.Msg{Subject: "ai.test", Data: encoded})
+
+	if received.RequestID != "typed-001" {
+		t.Errorf("RequestID = %q", received.RequestID)
+	}
+	if received.Message != "hello typed" {
+		t.Errorf("Message = %q", received.Message)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestWrapTypedHandler_Error(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := config.Load()
+	h := New("ai.test", cfg)
+
+	h.OnTypedMessage(func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg) (any, error) {
+		return nil, context.DeadlineExceeded
+	})
+
+	encoded, _ := msgpack.Marshal(map[string]any{"key": "val"})
+	handler := h.wrapHandler(context.Background())
+
+	// Should not panic.
+	handler(&nats.Msg{Subject: "ai.test", Data: encoded})
+}
+
+func TestWrapTypedHandler_NilResponse(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg := config.Load()
+	h := New("ai.test", cfg)
+
+	h.OnTypedMessage(func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg) (any, error) {
+		return nil, nil
+	})
+
+	encoded, _ := msgpack.Marshal(map[string]any{"x": 1})
+	handler := h.wrapHandler(context.Background())
+	handler(&nats.Msg{Subject: "ai.test", Data: encoded})
+}
+
 // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 // Benchmark: message decode + dispatch overhead
 // ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -199,3 +277,35 @@ func BenchmarkWrapHandler(b *testing.B) {
 		handler(msg)
 	}
 }
+
+func BenchmarkWrapTypedHandler(b *testing.B) {
+	type benchReq struct {
+		RequestID string `msgpack:"request_id"`
+		Message   string `msgpack:"message"`
+		Premium   bool   `msgpack:"premium"`
+		TopK      int    `msgpack:"top_k"`
+	}
+
+	cfg := config.Load()
+	h := New("ai.test", cfg)
+	h.OnTypedMessage(func(ctx context.Context, msg *nats.Msg) (any, error) {
+		var req benchReq
+		msgpack.Unmarshal(msg.Data, &req)
+		return map[string]any{"ok": true}, nil
+	})
+
+	payload := map[string]any{
+		"request_id": "bench-001",
+		"message":    "What is the capital of France?",
+		"premium":    true,
+		"top_k":      10,
+	}
+	encoded, _ := msgpack.Marshal(payload)
+	handler := h.wrapHandler(context.Background())
+	msg := &nats.Msg{Subject: "ai.test", Data: encoded}
+
+	b.ResetTimer()
+	for b.Loop() {
+		handler(msg)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/natsutil/natsutil.go b/natsutil/natsutil.go
index a8289fe..747d66e 100644
--- a/natsutil/natsutil.go
+++ b/natsutil/natsutil.go
@@ -124,6 +124,14 @@ func DecodeMsgpack(msg *nats.Msg, dest any) error {
 	return msgpack.Unmarshal(msg.Data, dest)
 }
 
+// Decode is a generic helper that unmarshals msgpack bytes into T.
+// Usage:  req, err := natsutil.Decode[messages.ChatRequest](msg.Data)
+func Decode[T any](data []byte) (T, error) {
+	var v T
+	err := msgpack.Unmarshal(data, &v)
+	return v, err
+}
+
 // DecodeMsgpackMap decodes msgpack data into a generic map.
 func DecodeMsgpackMap(data []byte) (map[string]any, error) {
 	var m map[string]any