diff --git a/input_tcp.go b/input_tcp.go
index 47d2c3d..15dffa5 100644
--- a/input_tcp.go
+++ b/input_tcp.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
 	"net"
@@ -10,7 +9,6 @@ import (
 )
 
 // TCPInput used for internal communication
-// It expected hex encoded data
 type TCPInput struct {
 	data     chan []byte
 	address  string
@@ -62,16 +60,10 @@ func (i *TCPInput) handleConnection(conn net.Conn) {
 
 	reader := bufio.NewReader(conn)
 	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+	scanner.Split(payloadScanner)
 
 	for scanner.Scan() {
-		encodedPayload := scanner.Bytes()
-		// Hex encoding always 2x number of bytes
-		decoded := make([]byte, len(encodedPayload)/2)
-		_, err := hex.Decode(decoded, encodedPayload)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Println("[TCPInput] failed to hex decode TCP payload:", err)
-		}
-		i.data <- decoded
+		i.data <- scanner.Bytes()
 	}
 
 	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
diff --git a/input_tcp_test.go b/input_tcp_test.go
index f440c57..d844023 100644
--- a/input_tcp_test.go
+++ b/input_tcp_test.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net"
@@ -35,14 +34,12 @@ func TestTCPInput(t *testing.T) {
 		log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 
-	msg := []byte("GET / HTTP/1.1\r\n\r\n")
+	msg := []byte("1 1 1\nGET / HTTP/1.1\r\n\r\n")
 
 	for i := 0; i < 100; i++ {
 		wg.Add(1)
-
-		encoded := make([]byte, len(msg)*2)
-		hex.Encode(encoded, msg)
-		conn.Write(append(encoded, '\n'))
+		conn.Write(msg)
+		conn.Write([]byte(payloadSeparator))
 	}
 
 	wg.Wait()
diff --git a/output_tcp.go b/output_tcp.go
index fdbe579..96295dc 100644
--- a/output_tcp.go
+++ b/output_tcp.go
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package main
 
 import (
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
@@ -47,7 +46,9 @@ func (o *TCPOutput) worker() {
 	defer conn.Close()
 
 	for {
-		_, err := conn.Write(<-o.buf)
+		conn.Write(<-o.buf)
+		_, err := conn.Write([]byte(payloadSeparator))
+
 		if err != nil {
 			log.Println("Worker failed on write, exitings and starting new worker")
 			go o.worker()
@@ -61,11 +62,7 @@ func (o *TCPOutput) Write(data []byte) (n int, err error) {
 		return len(data), nil
 	}
 
-	// Hex encoding always 2x number of bytes
-	encoded := make([]byte, len(data)*2+1)
-	hex.Encode(encoded, data)
-	encoded[len(encoded)-1] = '\n'
-	o.buf <- encoded
+	o.buf <- data
 
 	if Settings.outputTCPStats {
 		o.bufStats.Write(len(o.buf))
diff --git a/output_tcp_test.go b/output_tcp_test.go
index 84c66b8..b295d7a 100644
--- a/output_tcp_test.go
+++ b/output_tcp_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"bufio"
-	"encoding/hex"
 	"io"
 	"log"
 	"net"
@@ -50,13 +49,10 @@ func startTCP(cb func([]byte)) net.Listener {
 			go func() {
 				reader := bufio.NewReader(conn)
 				scanner := bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+				scanner.Split(payloadScanner)
 
 				for scanner.Scan() {
-					encodedPayload := scanner.Bytes()
-					// Hex encoding always 2x number of bytes
-					decoded := make([]byte, len(encodedPayload)/2)
-					hex.Decode(decoded, encodedPayload)
-					cb(decoded)
+					cb(scanner.Bytes())
 				}
 			}()
 		}