diff --git a/core/networkpacket.cpp b/core/networkpacket.cpp
index 82d8c09db..ced10f816 100644
--- a/core/networkpacket.cpp
+++ b/core/networkpacket.cpp
@@ -71,27 +71,17 @@ void NetworkPacket::createIdentityPacket(NetworkPacket* np)
     //qCDebug(KDECONNECT_CORE) << "createIdentityPacket" << np->serialize();
 }
 
-template<class T>
-QVariantMap qobject2qvariant(const T* object)
-{
-    QVariantMap map;
-    auto metaObject = T::staticMetaObject;
-    for(int i = metaObject.propertyOffset(); i < metaObject.propertyCount(); ++i) {
-        QMetaProperty prop = metaObject.property(i);
-        map.insert(QString::fromLatin1(prop.name()), prop.readOnGadget(object));
-    }
-
-    return map;
-}
-
 QByteArray NetworkPacket::serialize() const
 {
     //Object -> QVariant
-    QVariantMap variant = qobject2qvariant(this);
+    QVariantMap variant;
+    variant.insert(QStringLiteral("id"), m_id);
+    variant.insert(QStringLiteral("type"), m_type);
+    variant.insert(QStringLiteral("body"), m_body);
 
-    if (!hasPayload()) {
-        variant.remove(QStringLiteral("payloadSize"));
-        variant.remove(QStringLiteral("payloadTransferInfo"));
+    if (hasPayload()) {
+        variant.insert(QStringLiteral("payloadSize"), m_payloadSize);
+        variant.insert(QStringLiteral("payloadTransferInfo"), m_payloadTransferInfo);
     }
 
     //QVariant -> json
diff --git a/tests/networkpackettests.cpp b/tests/networkpackettests.cpp
index 7cad0bf57..e4e8082ab 100644
--- a/tests/networkpackettests.cpp
+++ b/tests/networkpackettests.cpp
@@ -82,9 +82,10 @@ void NetworkPacketTests::networkPacketIdentityTest()
 void NetworkPacketTests::networkPacketPayloadTest()
 {
     QByteArray json;
+    NetworkPacket np;
 
     // empty package
-    NetworkPacket np(QStringLiteral("com.test"));
+    np = NetworkPacket(QStringLiteral("com.test"));
     json = np.serialize();
     qDebug() << json;
     QVERIFY(!json.contains("\"payloadSize\""));
@@ -93,10 +94,10 @@ void NetworkPacketTests::networkPacketPayloadTest()
     // package with payload
     QByteArray buffer("test data");
     auto payload = QSharedPointer<QIODevice>(new QBuffer(&buffer, this));
-    NetworkPacket payloadNp(QStringLiteral("com.test"));
-    payloadNp.setPayload(payload, buffer.size());
+    np = NetworkPacket(QStringLiteral("com.test"));
+    np.setPayload(payload, buffer.size());
 
-    json = payloadNp.serialize();
+    json = np.serialize();
     qDebug() << json;
     QVERIFY(json.contains("\"payloadSize\":9"));
     QVERIFY(json.contains("\"payloadTransferInfo\""));
@@ -104,13 +105,25 @@ void NetworkPacketTests::networkPacketPayloadTest()
     // package with empty payload
     QByteArray emptyBuffer("test data");
     auto emptyPayload = QSharedPointer<QIODevice>(new QBuffer(&emptyBuffer, this));
-    NetworkPacket emptyPayloadNp(QStringLiteral("com.test"));
-    emptyPayloadNp.setPayload(emptyPayload, 0);
+    np = NetworkPacket(QStringLiteral("com.test"));
+    np.setPayload(emptyPayload, 0);
 
-    json = emptyPayloadNp.serialize();
+    json = np.serialize();
     qDebug() << json;
     QVERIFY(!json.contains("\"payloadSize\""));
     QVERIFY(!json.contains("\"payloadTransferInfo\""));
+
+    // incoming package without payload
+    np = NetworkPacket();
+    QVERIFY(NetworkPacket::unserialize(
+        "{\"body\":{},\"id\":\"1578136807254\",\"type\":\"com.test\"}\n", &np));
+    QVERIFY(!np.hasPayload());
+
+    // incoming package without payload (but with payload keys)
+    np = NetworkPacket();
+    QVERIFY(NetworkPacket::unserialize(
+        "{\"body\":{},\"id\":\"1578136807254\",\"payloadSize\":0,\"payloadTransferInfo\":{},\"type\":\"com.test\"}\n", &np));
+    QVERIFY(!np.hasPayload());
 }
 
 void NetworkPacketTests::cleanupTestCase()