diff --git a/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/Awakeable.java b/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/Awakeable.java
index b24e9c12..46ad1a4a 100644
--- a/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/Awakeable.java
+++ b/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/Awakeable.java
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.blocking;
 
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.DeferredResult;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.Syscalls;
 import javax.annotation.concurrent.NotThreadSafe;
@@ -14,14 +13,14 @@
  *
  * <p>For example you can send a Kafka record including the {@link Awakeable#id()}, and then let
  * another service consume from Kafka the responses of given external system interaction by using
- * {@link RestateContext#awakeableHandle(AwakeableIdentifier)}.
+ * {@link RestateContext#awakeableHandle(String)}.
  */
 @NotThreadSafe
 public final class Awakeable<T> extends Awaitable<T> {
 
-  private final AwakeableIdentifier identifier;
+  private final String identifier;
 
-  Awakeable(Syscalls syscalls, DeferredResult<T> deferredResult, AwakeableIdentifier identifier) {
+  Awakeable(Syscalls syscalls, DeferredResult<T> deferredResult, String identifier) {
     super(syscalls, deferredResult);
     this.identifier = identifier;
   }
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ public final class Awakeable<T> extends Awaitable<T> {
   /**
    * @return the unique identifier of this {@link Awakeable} instance.
    */
-  public AwakeableIdentifier id() {
+  public String id() {
     return identifier;
   }
 }
diff --git a/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContext.java b/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContext.java
index 2f808ad3..807b87ed 100644
--- a/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContext.java
+++ b/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContext.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.blocking;
 
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite;
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.StateKey;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.TypeTag;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.serde.Serde;
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ default <T> Awakeable<T> awakeable(Class<T> type) {
    * <p>You can use this feature to implement external asynchronous systems interactions, for
    * example you can send a Kafka record including the {@link Awakeable#id()}, and then let another
    * service consume from Kafka the responses of given external system interaction by using {@link
-   * #awakeableHandle(AwakeableIdentifier)}.
+   * #awakeableHandle(String)}.
    *
    * @param typeTag the response type tag to use for deserializing
    * @return the result value of the external system interaction
@@ -137,10 +136,10 @@ default <T> Awakeable<T> awakeable(Class<T> type) {
   <T> Awakeable<T> awakeable(TypeTag<T> typeTag);
 
   /**
-   * Create a new {@link AwakeableHandle} for the provided {@link AwakeableIdentifier}. You can use
-   * it to {@link AwakeableHandle#complete(TypeTag, Object)} the linked {@link Awakeable}.
+   * Create a new {@link AwakeableHandle} for the provided identifier. You can use it to {@link
+   * AwakeableHandle#complete(TypeTag, Object)} the linked {@link Awakeable}.
    *
    * @see Awakeable
    */
-  AwakeableHandle awakeableHandle(AwakeableIdentifier id);
+  AwakeableHandle awakeableHandle(String id);
 }
diff --git a/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContextImpl.java b/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContextImpl.java
index e8d72365..cb381399 100644
--- a/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContextImpl.java
+++ b/sdk-blocking/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/blocking/RestateContextImpl.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.blocking;
 
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite;
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.StateKey;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.TypeTag;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.*;
@@ -144,14 +143,14 @@ public void onCancel(@Nullable Throwable t) {
   @Override
   public <T> Awakeable<T> awakeable(TypeTag<T> typeTag) throws StatusRuntimeException {
     // Retrieve the awakeable
-    Map.Entry<AwakeableIdentifier, DeferredResult<T>> awakeable =
+    Map.Entry<String, DeferredResult<T>> awakeable =
         Util.blockOnSyscall(cb -> syscalls.awakeable(typeTag, cb));
 
     return new Awakeable<>(syscalls, awakeable.getValue(), awakeable.getKey());
   }
 
   @Override
-  public AwakeableHandle awakeableHandle(AwakeableIdentifier id) {
+  public AwakeableHandle awakeableHandle(String id) {
     return new AwakeableHandle() {
       @Override
       public <T> void complete(TypeTag<T> typeTag, @Nonnull T payload) {
diff --git a/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/ExecutorSwitchingWrappers.java b/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/ExecutorSwitchingWrappers.java
index 9026e09d..b9f549cc 100644
--- a/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/ExecutorSwitchingWrappers.java
+++ b/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/ExecutorSwitchingWrappers.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite;
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.TypeTag;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.*;
 import io.grpc.MethodDescriptor;
@@ -164,17 +163,13 @@ public void exitSideEffectBlockWithException(
 
     @Override
     public <T> void awakeable(
-        TypeTag<T> typeTag,
-        SyscallCallback<Map.Entry<AwakeableIdentifier, DeferredResult<T>>> callback) {
+        TypeTag<T> typeTag, SyscallCallback<Map.Entry<String, DeferredResult<T>>> callback) {
       syscallsExecutor.execute(() -> syscalls.awakeable(typeTag, callback));
     }
 
     @Override
     public <T> void completeAwakeable(
-        AwakeableIdentifier id,
-        TypeTag<T> typeTag,
-        @Nonnull T payload,
-        SyscallCallback<Void> requestCallback) {
+        String id, TypeTag<T> typeTag, @Nonnull T payload, SyscallCallback<Void> requestCallback) {
       syscallsExecutor.execute(
           () -> syscalls.completeAwakeable(id, typeTag, payload, requestCallback));
     }
diff --git a/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/SyscallsImpl.java b/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/SyscallsImpl.java
index a9695875..0f288f16 100644
--- a/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/SyscallsImpl.java
+++ b/sdk-core-impl/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/impl/SyscallsImpl.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import static dev.restate.sdk.core.impl.Util.toProtocolFailure;
 
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
+import com.google.protobuf.InvalidProtocolBufferException;
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite;
 import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.generated.sdk.java.Java;
@@ -222,8 +223,7 @@ public void exitSideEffectBlockWithException(
 
   @Override
   public <T> void awakeable(
-      TypeTag<T> typeTag,
-      SyscallCallback<Map.Entry<AwakeableIdentifier, DeferredResult<T>>> callback) {
+      TypeTag<T> typeTag, SyscallCallback<Map.Entry<String, DeferredResult<T>>> callback) {
     LOG.trace("callback");
     this.stateMachine.processCompletableJournalEntry(
         Protocol.AwakeableEntryMessage.getDefaultInstance(),
@@ -231,21 +231,32 @@ public <T> void awakeable(
         SyscallCallback.mappingTo(
             deferredResult ->
                 new AbstractMap.SimpleImmutableEntry<>(
-                    AwakeableIdentifier.newBuilder()
-                        .setServiceName(stateMachine.getServiceName())
-                        .setInstanceKey(stateMachine.getInstanceKey())
-                        .setInvocationId(stateMachine.getInvocationId())
-                        .setEntryIndex(
-                            ((SingleDeferredResultInternal<T>) deferredResult).entryIndex())
-                        .build(),
+                    Base64.getUrlEncoder()
+                        .encodeToString(
+                            AwakeableIdentifier.newBuilder()
+                                .setServiceName(stateMachine.getServiceName())
+                                .setInstanceKey(stateMachine.getInstanceKey())
+                                .setInvocationId(stateMachine.getInvocationId())
+                                .setEntryIndex(
+                                    ((SingleDeferredResultInternal<T>) deferredResult).entryIndex())
+                                .build()
+                                .toByteArray()),
                     deferredResult),
             callback));
   }
 
   @Override
   public <T> void completeAwakeable(
-      AwakeableIdentifier id, TypeTag<T> ty, @Nonnull T payload, SyscallCallback<Void> callback) {
+      String serializedId, TypeTag<T> ty, @Nonnull T payload, SyscallCallback<Void> callback) {
     LOG.trace("completeAwakeable");
+
+    Protocol.AwakeableIdentifier id;
+    try {
+      id = Protocol.AwakeableIdentifier.parseFrom(Base64.getUrlDecoder().decode(serializedId));
+    } catch (InvalidProtocolBufferException e) {
+      throw new RuntimeException("Cannot decode AwakeableIdentifier", e);
+    }
+
     Objects.requireNonNull(payload);
     ByteString serialized = serialize(ty, payload);
 
@@ -255,7 +266,7 @@ public <T> void completeAwakeable(
             .setInstanceKey(id.getInstanceKey())
             .setInvocationId(id.getInvocationId())
             .setEntryIndex(id.getEntryIndex())
-            .setPayload(serialized)
+            .setValue(serialized)
             .build();
     this.stateMachine.processJournalEntry(expectedEntry, CompleteAwakeableEntry.INSTANCE, callback);
   }
diff --git a/sdk-core/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/syscalls/Syscalls.java b/sdk-core/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/syscalls/Syscalls.java
index 9db7649b..c41f01fd 100644
--- a/sdk-core/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/syscalls/Syscalls.java
+++ b/sdk-core/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/core/syscalls/Syscalls.java
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@
 
 import com.google.protobuf.ByteString;
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite;
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.TypeTag;
 import io.grpc.Context;
 import io.grpc.MethodDescriptor;
@@ -78,14 +77,10 @@ void exitSideEffectBlockWithException(
       Throwable toWrite, ExitSideEffectSyscallCallback<?> callback);
 
   <T> void awakeable(
-      TypeTag<T> typeTag,
-      SyscallCallback<Map.Entry<AwakeableIdentifier, DeferredResult<T>>> callback);
+      TypeTag<T> typeTag, SyscallCallback<Map.Entry<String, DeferredResult<T>>> callback);
 
   <T> void completeAwakeable(
-      AwakeableIdentifier id,
-      TypeTag<T> ty,
-      @Nonnull T payload,
-      SyscallCallback<Void> requestCallback);
+      String id, TypeTag<T> ty, @Nonnull T payload, SyscallCallback<Void> requestCallback);
 
   // ----- Deferred
 
diff --git a/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/Awaitables.kt b/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/Awaitables.kt
index 71538071..dc8c4db7 100644
--- a/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/Awaitables.kt
+++ b/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/Awaitables.kt
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.kotlin
 
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.TypeTag
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.DeferredResult
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.Syscalls
@@ -12,7 +11,7 @@ sealed interface Awaitable<T> {
 }
 
 sealed interface Awakeable<T> : Awaitable<T> {
-  val id: AwakeableIdentifier
+  val id: String
 }
 
 internal abstract class BaseAwaitableImpl<JAVA_T, KT_T>
@@ -61,11 +60,10 @@ internal class AwakeableImpl<T>
 internal constructor(
     syscalls: Syscalls,
     deferredResult: DeferredResult<T>,
-    override val id: AwakeableIdentifier
+    override val id: String
 ) : NonNullAwaitableImpl<T>(syscalls, deferredResult), Awakeable<T>
 
-internal class AwakeableHandleImpl(val syscalls: Syscalls, val id: AwakeableIdentifier) :
-    AwakeableHandle {
+internal class AwakeableHandleImpl(val syscalls: Syscalls, val id: String) : AwakeableHandle {
   override suspend fun <T : Any> complete(typeTag: TypeTag<T>, payload: T) {
     return suspendCancellableCoroutine { cont: CancellableContinuation<Unit> ->
       syscalls.completeAwakeable(id, typeTag, payload, completingUnitContinuation(cont))
diff --git a/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContext.kt b/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContext.kt
index 35fd1542..6813d03d 100644
--- a/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContext.kt
+++ b/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContext.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.kotlin
 
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.StateKey
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.TypeTag
 import io.grpc.MethodDescriptor
@@ -55,7 +54,7 @@ sealed interface RestateContext {
 
   suspend fun <T> awakeable(typeTag: TypeTag<T>): Awakeable<T>
 
-  fun awakeableHandle(id: AwakeableIdentifier): AwakeableHandle
+  fun awakeableHandle(id: String): AwakeableHandle
 }
 
 sealed interface AwakeableHandle {
diff --git a/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContextImpl.kt b/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContextImpl.kt
index baf444be..3cf3e5b1 100644
--- a/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContextImpl.kt
+++ b/sdk-kotlin/src/main/kotlin/dev/restate/sdk/kotlin/RestateContextImpl.kt
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.kotlin
 
 import com.google.protobuf.MessageLite
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.*
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.DeferredResult
 import dev.restate.sdk.core.syscalls.EnterSideEffectSyscallCallback
@@ -158,14 +157,14 @@ internal class RestateContextImpl internal constructor(private val syscalls: Sys
   override suspend fun <T> awakeable(typeTag: TypeTag<T>): Awakeable<T> {
     val (aid, deferredResult) =
         suspendCancellableCoroutine {
-            cont: CancellableContinuation<Map.Entry<AwakeableIdentifier, DeferredResult<T>>> ->
+            cont: CancellableContinuation<Map.Entry<String, DeferredResult<T>>> ->
           syscalls.awakeable(typeTag, completingContinuation(cont))
         }
 
     return AwakeableImpl(syscalls, deferredResult, aid)
   }
 
-  override fun awakeableHandle(id: AwakeableIdentifier): AwakeableHandle {
+  override fun awakeableHandle(id: String): AwakeableHandle {
     return AwakeableHandleImpl(syscalls, id)
   }
 }
diff --git a/sdk-testing/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/TestRestateRuntime.java b/sdk-testing/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/TestRestateRuntime.java
index 39360361..43de1fba 100644
--- a/sdk-testing/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/TestRestateRuntime.java
+++ b/sdk-testing/src/main/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/TestRestateRuntime.java
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ public void handleAwakeableEntryMessage() {
               routeMessage(
                   Protocol.CompletionMessage.newBuilder()
                       .setEntryIndex(completeAwakeMsg.getEntryIndex())
-                      .setValue(completeAwakeMsg.getPayload())
+                      .setValue(completeAwakeMsg.getValue())
                       .build());
               return null;
             } else {
diff --git a/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/AwakeService.java b/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/AwakeService.java
index 89f00780..469103ca 100644
--- a/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/AwakeService.java
+++ b/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/AwakeService.java
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 package dev.restate.sdk.testing.services;
 
 import com.google.protobuf.Empty;
-import dev.restate.generated.core.AwakeableIdentifier;
 import dev.restate.sdk.blocking.AwakeableHandle;
 import dev.restate.sdk.blocking.RestateBlockingService;
 import dev.restate.sdk.blocking.RestateContext;
@@ -21,15 +20,8 @@ public class AwakeService extends AwakeServiceGrpc.AwakeServiceImplBase
   public void awake(AwakeServiceRequest request, StreamObserver<Empty> responseObserver) {
     LOG.debug("Executing the GreeterTwo.awakeTheOtherService method");
     RestateContext ctx = restateContext();
-    AwakeableIdentifier identifier =
-        AwakeableIdentifier.newBuilder()
-            .setServiceName(request.getServiceName())
-            .setInstanceKey(request.getInstanceKey())
-            .setInvocationId(request.getInvocationId())
-            .setEntryIndex(request.getEntryIndex())
-            .build();
 
-    AwakeableHandle awakeableHandle = ctx.awakeableHandle(identifier);
+    AwakeableHandle awakeableHandle = ctx.awakeableHandle(request.getId());
     awakeableHandle.complete(TypeTag.STRING_UTF8, "Wake up!");
 
     responseObserver.onNext(Empty.getDefaultInstance());
diff --git a/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/GreeterOne.java b/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/GreeterOne.java
index 74999dc4..6472b712 100644
--- a/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/GreeterOne.java
+++ b/sdk-testing/src/test/java/dev/restate/sdk/testing/services/GreeterOne.java
@@ -205,13 +205,7 @@ public void sleepAndGetWokenUp(
     Awakeable<String> a1 = ctx.awakeable(TypeTag.STRING_UTF8);
 
     // Tell GreeterTwo to wake us up with the awakeable identifier.
-    AwakeServiceRequest info =
-        AwakeServiceRequest.newBuilder()
-            .setServiceName(a1.id().getServiceName())
-            .setInstanceKey(a1.id().getInstanceKey())
-            .setEntryIndex(a1.id().getEntryIndex())
-            .setInvocationId(a1.id().getInvocationId())
-            .build();
+    AwakeServiceRequest info = AwakeServiceRequest.newBuilder().setId(a1.id()).build();
     ctx.backgroundCall(AwakeServiceGrpc.getAwakeMethod(), info);
 
     // Suspend until GreeterTwo wakes us up.
diff --git a/sdk-testing/src/test/proto/awake-service.proto b/sdk-testing/src/test/proto/awake-service.proto
index 2548e325..b1329e8a 100644
--- a/sdk-testing/src/test/proto/awake-service.proto
+++ b/sdk-testing/src/test/proto/awake-service.proto
@@ -16,8 +16,5 @@ service AwakeService {
 }
 
 message AwakeServiceRequest {
-  string service_name = 1;
-  bytes instance_key = 2;
-  bytes invocation_id = 3;
-  uint32 entry_index = 4;
+  string id = 1;
 }
\ No newline at end of file