diff --git a/app/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller.rb b/app/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller.rb
index 9b3c908..2e86b07 100644
--- a/app/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller.rb
@@ -9,11 +9,12 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     #
     # POST /receive/public
     def public
-      logger.info "received a public message"
-      xml = CGI.unescape(params[:xml])
-      logger.debug xml
+      legacy = request.content_type != "application/magic-envelope+xml"
 
-      DiasporaFederation.callbacks.trigger(:queue_public_receive, xml)
+      data = data_for_public_message(legacy)
+      logger.debug data
+
+      DiasporaFederation.callbacks.trigger(:queue_public_receive, data, legacy)
 
       render nothing: true, status: 202
     end
@@ -22,19 +23,43 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     #
     # POST /receive/users/:guid
     def private
-      logger.info "received a private message for #{params[:guid]}"
-      xml = CGI.unescape(params[:xml])
-      logger.debug xml
+      legacy = request.content_type != "application/json"
 
-      success = DiasporaFederation.callbacks.trigger(:queue_private_receive, params[:guid], xml)
+      data = data_for_private_message(legacy)
+      logger.debug data
+
+      success = DiasporaFederation.callbacks.trigger(:queue_private_receive, params[:guid], data, legacy)
 
       render nothing: true, status: success ? 202 : 404
     end
 
     private
 
+    # checks the xml parameter for legacy salmon slaps
+    # @deprecated
     def check_for_xml
-      render nothing: true, status: 422 if params[:xml].nil?
+      legacy_request = request.content_type.nil? || request.content_type == "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
+      render nothing: true, status: 422 if params[:xml].nil? && legacy_request
+    end
+
+    def data_for_public_message(legacy)
+      if legacy
+        logger.info "received a public salmon slap"
+        CGI.unescape(params[:xml])
+      else
+        logger.info "received a public magic envelope"
+        request.body.read
+      end
+    end
+
+    def data_for_private_message(legacy)
+      if legacy
+        logger.info "received a private salmon slap for #{params[:guid]}"
+        CGI.unescape(params[:xml])
+      else
+        logger.info "received a private encrypted magic envelope for #{params[:guid]}"
+        request.body.read
+      end
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/diaspora_federation.rb b/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
index 5756e2c..a4bea52 100644
--- a/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
+++ b/lib/diaspora_federation.rb
@@ -155,12 +155,14 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     #
     # queue_public_receive
     #   Queue a public salmon xml to process in background
-    #   @param [String] xml salmon xml
+    #   @param [String] data salmon slap xml or magic envelope xml
+    #   @param [Boolean] legacy true if it is a legacy salmon slap, false if it is a magic envelope xml
     #
     # queue_private_receive
     #   Queue a private salmon xml to process in background
     #   @param [String] guid guid of the receiver person
-    #   @param [String] xml salmon xml
+    #   @param [String] data salmon slap xml or encrypted magic envelope json
+    #   @param [Boolean] legacy true if it is a legacy salmon slap, false if it is a encrypted magic envelope json
     #   @return [Boolean] true if successful, false if the user was not found
     #
     # save_entity_after_receive
diff --git a/spec/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller_spec.rb
index 3131280..5acbe14 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/diaspora_federation/receive_controller_spec.rb
@@ -3,55 +3,108 @@ module DiasporaFederation
     routes { DiasporaFederation::Engine.routes }
 
     describe "POST #public" do
-      it "returns a 422 if no xml is passed" do
-        post :public
-        expect(response.code).to eq("422")
+      context "legacy salmon slap" do
+        it "returns a 422 if no xml is passed" do
+          post :public
+          expect(response.code).to eq("422")
+        end
+
+        it "returns a 422 if no xml is passed with content-type application/x-www-form-urlencoded" do
+          @request.env["CONTENT_TYPE"] = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
+          post :public
+          expect(response.code).to eq("422")
+        end
+
+        it "returns a 202 if queued correctly" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(:queue_public_receive, "<diaspora/>", true)
+
+          post :public, xml: "<diaspora/>"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("202")
+        end
+
+        it "unescapes the xml before sending it to the callback" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(:queue_public_receive, "<diaspora/>", true)
+
+          post :public, xml: CGI.escape("<diaspora/>")
+        end
       end
 
-      it "returns a 202 if queued correctly" do
-        expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(:queue_public_receive, "<diaspora/>")
+      context "magic envelope" do
+        before do
+          @request.env["CONTENT_TYPE"] = "application/magic-envelope+xml"
+        end
 
-        post :public, xml: "<diaspora/>"
-        expect(response.code).to eq("202")
-      end
+        it "returns a 202 if queued correctly" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(:queue_public_receive, "<me:env/>", false)
 
-      it "unescapes the xml before sending it to the callback" do
-        expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(:queue_public_receive, "<diaspora/>")
-
-        post :public, xml: CGI.escape("<diaspora/>")
+          post :public, "<me:env/>"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("202")
+        end
       end
     end
 
     describe "POST #private" do
-      it "return a 404 if not queued successfully (unknown user guid)" do
-        expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
-          :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "<diaspora/>"
-        ).and_return(false)
+      context "legacy salmon slap" do
+        it "return a 404 if not queued successfully (unknown user guid)" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
+            :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "<diaspora/>", true
+          ).and_return(false)
 
-        post :private, guid: "any-guid", xml: "<diaspora/>"
-        expect(response.code).to eq("404")
+          post :private, guid: "any-guid", xml: "<diaspora/>"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("404")
+        end
+
+        it "returns a 422 if no xml is passed" do
+          post :private, guid: "any-guid"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("422")
+        end
+
+        it "returns a 422 if no xml is passed with content-type application/x-www-form-urlencoded" do
+          @request.env["CONTENT_TYPE"] = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
+          post :private, guid: "any-guid"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("422")
+        end
+
+        it "returns a 202 if the callback returned true" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
+            :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "<diaspora/>", true
+          ).and_return(true)
+
+          post :private, guid: "any-guid", xml: "<diaspora/>"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("202")
+        end
+
+        it "unescapes the xml before sending it to the callback" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
+            :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "<diaspora/>", true
+          ).and_return(true)
+
+          post :private, guid: "any-guid", xml: CGI.escape("<diaspora/>")
+        end
       end
 
-      it "returns a 422 if no xml is passed" do
-        post :private, guid: "any-guid"
-        expect(response.code).to eq("422")
-      end
+      context "encrypted magic envelope" do
+        before do
+          @request.env["CONTENT_TYPE"] = "application/json"
+        end
 
-      it "returns a 202 if the callback returned true" do
-        expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
-          :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "<diaspora/>"
-        ).and_return(true)
+        it "return a 404 if not queued successfully (unknown user guid)" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
+            :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "{\"aes_key\": \"key\", \"encrypted_magic_envelope\": \"env\"}", false
+          ).and_return(false)
 
-        post :private, guid: "any-guid", xml: "<diaspora/>"
-        expect(response.code).to eq("202")
-      end
+          post :private, "{\"aes_key\": \"key\", \"encrypted_magic_envelope\": \"env\"}", guid: "any-guid"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("404")
+        end
 
-      it "unescapes the xml before sending it to the callback" do
-        expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
-          :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "<diaspora/>"
-        ).and_return(true)
+        it "returns a 202 if the callback returned true" do
+          expect(DiasporaFederation.callbacks).to receive(:trigger).with(
+            :queue_private_receive, "any-guid", "{\"aes_key\": \"key\", \"encrypted_magic_envelope\": \"env\"}", false
+          ).and_return(true)
 
-        post :private, guid: "any-guid", xml: CGI.escape("<diaspora/>")
+          post :private, "{\"aes_key\": \"key\", \"encrypted_magic_envelope\": \"env\"}", guid: "any-guid"
+          expect(response.code).to eq("202")
+        end
       end
     end
   end