diff --git a/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_postgres_query.nim b/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_postgres_query.nim
index 94b8131efc..80e0a231a5 100644
--- a/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_postgres_query.nim
+++ b/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_postgres_query.nim
@@ -645,6 +645,49 @@ suite "Postgres driver - queries":
     check:
       filteredMessages == expected[2 .. 3].reversed()
 
+  asyncTest "only cursor - invalid":
+    ## Given
+    const contentTopic = "test-content-topic"
+
+    var messages =
+      @[
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 0], ts = ts(00)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 1], ts = ts(10)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 2], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(20)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 3], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(30)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 4], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(40)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 5], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(50)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 6], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(60)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 7], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(70)),
+      ]
+
+    shuffle(messages)
+    debug "randomized message insertion sequence", sequence = messages.mapIt(it.payload)
+
+    for msg in messages:
+      require (
+        await driver.put(
+          DefaultPubsubTopic,
+          msg,
+          computeDigest(msg),
+          computeMessageHash(DefaultPubsubTopic, msg),
+          msg.timestamp,
+        )
+      ).isOk()
+
+    let cursor = computeTestCursor(DefaultPubsubTopic, fakeWakuMessage())
+
+    ## When
+    let res = await driver.getMessages(
+      cursor = some(cursor), maxPageSize = 2, ascendingOrder = false
+    )
+
+    ## Then
+    assert res.isOk(), res.error
+
+    check:
+      res.value.len == 0
+
   asyncTest "content topic and cursor":
     ## Given
     const contentTopic = "test-content-topic"
diff --git a/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_queue_query.nim b/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_queue_query.nim
index cfdf78df57..4b09932644 100644
--- a/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_queue_query.nim
+++ b/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_queue_query.nim
@@ -606,6 +606,52 @@ suite "Queue driver - query by cursor":
     ## Cleanup
     (waitFor driver.close()).expect("driver to close")
 
+  test "only cursor - invalid":
+    ## Given
+    const contentTopic = "test-content-topic"
+
+    let driver = newTestSqliteDriver()
+
+    var messages =
+      @[
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 0], ts = ts(00)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 1], ts = ts(10)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 2], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(20)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 3], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(30)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 4], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(40)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 5], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(50)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 6], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(60)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 7], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(70)),
+      ]
+
+    shuffle(messages)
+    debug "randomized message insertion sequence", sequence = messages.mapIt(it.payload)
+
+    for msg in messages:
+      let retFut = waitFor driver.put(
+        DefaultPubsubTopic,
+        msg,
+        computeDigest(msg),
+        computeMessageHash(DefaultPubsubTopic, msg),
+        msg.timestamp,
+      )
+      require retFut.isOk()
+
+    let cursor = computeTestCursor(DefaultPubsubTopic, fakeWakuMessage())
+
+    ## When
+    let res = waitFor driver.getMessages(
+      cursor = some(cursor), maxPageSize = 2, ascendingOrder = false
+    )
+
+    ## Then
+    check:
+      res.isErr()
+      res.error == "invalid_cursor"
+
+    ## Cleanup
+    (waitFor driver.close()).expect("driver to close")
+
   test "content topic and cursor":
     ## Given
     const contentTopic = "test-content-topic"
diff --git a/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_sqlite_query.nim b/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_sqlite_query.nim
index 6ae2ce4149..873107f3bb 100644
--- a/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_sqlite_query.nim
+++ b/tests/waku_archive/test_driver_sqlite_query.nim
@@ -669,6 +669,53 @@ suite "SQLite driver - query by cursor":
     ## Cleanup
     (await driver.close()).expect("driver to close")
 
+  asyncTest "only cursor - invalid":
+    ## Given
+    const contentTopic = "test-content-topic"
+
+    let driver = newSqliteArchiveDriver()
+
+    var messages =
+      @[
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 0], ts = ts(00)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 1], ts = ts(10)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 2], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(20)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 3], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(30)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 4], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(40)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 5], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(50)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 6], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(60)),
+        fakeWakuMessage(@[byte 7], contentTopic = contentTopic, ts = ts(70)),
+      ]
+
+    shuffle(messages)
+    debug "randomized message insertion sequence", sequence = messages.mapIt(it.payload)
+
+    for msg in messages:
+      require (
+        await driver.put(
+          DefaultPubsubTopic,
+          msg,
+          computeDigest(msg),
+          computeMessageHash(DefaultPubsubTopic, msg),
+          msg.timestamp,
+        )
+      ).isOk()
+
+    let cursor = computeArchiveCursor(DefaultPubsubTopic, fakeWakuMessage())
+
+    ## When
+    let res = await driver.getMessages(
+      cursor = some(cursor), maxPageSize = 2, ascendingOrder = false
+    )
+
+    ## Then
+    check:
+      res.isOk()
+      res.value.len == 0
+
+    ## Cleanup
+    (await driver.close()).expect("driver to close")
+
   asyncTest "content topic and cursor":
     ## Given
     const contentTopic = "test-content-topic"
diff --git a/waku/waku_api/rest/store/types.nim b/waku/waku_api/rest/store/types.nim
index 0a9a79d880..b899dc0d09 100644
--- a/waku/waku_api/rest/store/types.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_api/rest/store/types.nim
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@ else:
   {.push raises: [].}
 
 import
-  std/[sets, strformat, uri, options],
-  stew/[byteutils, arrayops],
+  std/[sets, strformat, uri, options, sequtils],
+  stew/byteutils,
   chronicles,
   json_serialization,
   json_serialization/std/options,
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ proc parseHash*(input: Option[string]): Result[Option[WakuMessageHash], string]
   if base64UrlEncoded == "":
     return ok(none(WakuMessageHash))
 
-  let base64Encoded = decodeUrl(base64UrlEncoded)
+  let base64Encoded = decodeUrl(base64UrlEncoded, false)
 
   let decodedBytes = base64.decode(Base64String(base64Encoded)).valueOr:
     return err("waku message hash parsing error: " & error)
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ proc parseHashes*(input: Option[string]): Result[seq[WakuMessageHash], string] =
   if not input.isSome() or input.get() == "":
     return ok(hashes)
 
-  let decodedUrl = decodeUrl(input.get())
+  let decodedUrl = decodeUrl(input.get(), false)
 
   if decodedUrl != "":
     for subString in decodedUrl.split(','):
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ proc parseHashes*(input: Option[string]): Result[seq[WakuMessageHash], string] =
 # and this result is URL-encoded.
 proc toRestStringWakuMessageHash*(self: WakuMessageHash): string =
   let base64Encoded = base64.encode(self)
-  encodeUrl($base64Encoded)
+  encodeUrl($base64Encoded, false)
 
 ## WakuMessage serde
 
@@ -146,38 +146,6 @@ proc readValue*(
     proof: proof,
   )
 
-## WakuMessageHash serde
-
-proc writeValue*(
-    writer: var JsonWriter, value: WakuMessageHash
-) {.gcsafe, raises: [IOError].} =
-  writer.beginRecord()
-  writer.writeField("data", base64.encode(value))
-  writer.endRecord()
-
-proc readValue*(
-    reader: var JsonReader, value: var WakuMessageHash
-) {.gcsafe, raises: [SerializationError, IOError].} =
-  var data = none(seq[byte])
-
-  for fieldName in readObjectFields(reader):
-    case fieldName
-    of "data":
-      if data.isSome():
-        reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Multiple `data` fields found", "WakuMessageHash")
-      let decoded = base64.decode(reader.readValue(Base64String))
-      if not decoded.isOk():
-        reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Failed decoding data", "WakuMessageHash")
-      data = some(decoded.get())
-    else:
-      reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Unrecognided field", cstring(fieldName))
-
-  if data.isNone():
-    reader.raiseUnexpectedValue("Field `data` is missing")
-
-  for i in 0 ..< 32:
-    value[i] = data.get()[i]
-
 ## WakuMessageKeyValue serde
 
 proc writeValue*(
@@ -185,11 +153,14 @@ proc writeValue*(
 ) {.gcsafe, raises: [IOError].} =
   writer.beginRecord()
 
-  writer.writeField("messageHash", value.messageHash)
+  writer.writeField("messageHash", base64.encode(value.messageHash))
 
   if value.message.isSome():
     writer.writeField("message", value.message.get())
 
+  if value.pubsubTopic.isSome():
+    writer.writeField("pubsubTopic", value.pubsubTopic.get())
+
   writer.endRecord()
 
 proc readValue*(
@@ -198,6 +169,7 @@ proc readValue*(
   var
     messageHash = none(WakuMessageHash)
     message = none(WakuMessage)
+    pubsubTopic = none(PubsubTopic)
 
   for fieldName in readObjectFields(reader):
     case fieldName
@@ -206,20 +178,31 @@ proc readValue*(
         reader.raiseUnexpectedField(
           "Multiple `messageHash` fields found", "WakuMessageKeyValue"
         )
-      messageHash = some(reader.readValue(WakuMessageHash))
+      let base64String = reader.readValue(Base64String)
+      let bytes = base64.decode(base64String).valueOr:
+        reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Failed decoding data", "messageHash")
+      messageHash = some(fromBytes(bytes))
     of "message":
       if message.isSome():
         reader.raiseUnexpectedField(
           "Multiple `message` fields found", "WakuMessageKeyValue"
         )
       message = some(reader.readValue(WakuMessage))
+    of "pubsubTopic":
+      if pubsubTopic.isSome():
+        reader.raiseUnexpectedField(
+          "Multiple `pubsubTopic` fields found", "WakuMessageKeyValue"
+        )
+      pubsubTopic = some(reader.readValue(string))
     else:
       reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Unrecognided field", cstring(fieldName))
 
   if messageHash.isNone():
     reader.raiseUnexpectedValue("Field `messageHash` is missing")
 
-  value = WakuMessageKeyValue(messageHash: messageHash.get(), message: message)
+  value = WakuMessageKeyValue(
+    messageHash: messageHash.get(), message: message, pubsubTopic: pubsubTopic
+  )
 
 ## StoreQueryResponse serde
 
@@ -234,7 +217,7 @@ proc writeValue*(
   writer.writeField("messages", value.messages)
 
   if value.paginationCursor.isSome():
-    writer.writeField("paginationCursor", value.paginationCursor.get())
+    writer.writeField("paginationCursor", base64.encode(value.paginationCursor.get()))
 
   writer.endRecord()
 
@@ -279,7 +262,10 @@ proc readValue*(
         reader.raiseUnexpectedField(
           "Multiple `paginationCursor` fields found", "StoreQueryResponse"
         )
-      cursor = some(reader.readValue(WakuMessageHash))
+      let base64String = reader.readValue(Base64String)
+      let bytes = base64.decode(base64String).valueOr:
+        reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Failed decoding data", "paginationCursor")
+      cursor = some(fromBytes(bytes))
     else:
       reader.raiseUnexpectedField("Unrecognided field", cstring(fieldName))
 
@@ -324,10 +310,10 @@ proc writeValue*(
   if req.endTime.isSome():
     writer.writeField("endTime", req.endTime.get())
 
-  writer.writeField("messageHashes", req.messageHashes)
+  writer.writeField("messageHashes", req.messageHashes.mapIt(base64.encode(it)))
 
   if req.paginationCursor.isSome():
-    writer.writeField("paginationCursor", req.paginationCursor.get())
+    writer.writeField("paginationCursor", base64.encode(req.paginationCursor.get()))
 
   writer.writeField("paginationForward", req.paginationForward)
 
diff --git a/waku/waku_archive/driver/postgres_driver/postgres_driver.nim b/waku/waku_archive/driver/postgres_driver/postgres_driver.nim
index 51464ce057..efd43ba4ca 100644
--- a/waku/waku_archive/driver/postgres_driver/postgres_driver.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_archive/driver/postgres_driver/postgres_driver.nim
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ const SelectWithCursorAscStmtDef =
           storedAt <= $7
     ORDER BY storedAt ASC, messageHash ASC LIMIT $8;"""
 
+const SelectMessageByHashName = "SelectMessageByHash"
+const SelectMessageByHashDef =
+  """SELECT storedAt, contentTopic, payload, pubsubTopic, version, timestamp, id, messageHash, meta FROM messages WHERE messageHash = $1"""
+
 const SelectNoCursorV2AscStmtName = "SelectWithoutCursorV2Asc"
 const SelectNoCursorV2AscStmtDef =
   """SELECT storedAt, contentTopic, payload, pubsubTopic, version, timestamp, id, messageHash FROM messages
@@ -347,10 +351,33 @@ proc getMessagesArbitraryQuery(
     args.add(pubsubTopic.get())
 
   if cursor.isSome():
+    let hashHex = toHex(cursor.get().hash)
+
+    var entree: seq[(PubsubTopic, WakuMessage, seq[byte], Timestamp, WakuMessageHash)]
+    proc entreeCallback(pqResult: ptr PGresult) =
+      rowCallbackImpl(pqResult, entree)
+
+    (
+      await s.readConnPool.runStmt(
+        SelectMessageByHashName,
+        SelectMessageByHashDef,
+        @[hashHex],
+        @[int32(hashHex.len)],
+        @[int32(0)],
+        entreeCallback,
+      )
+    ).isOkOr:
+      return err("failed to run query with cursor: " & $error)
+
+    if entree.len == 0:
+      return ok(entree)
+
+    let storetime = entree[0][3]
+
     let comp = if ascendingOrder: ">" else: "<"
     statements.add("(storedAt, messageHash) " & comp & " (?,?)")
-    args.add($cursor.get().storeTime)
-    args.add(toHex(cursor.get().hash))
+    args.add($storetime)
+    args.add(hashHex)
 
   if startTime.isSome():
     statements.add("storedAt >= ?")
@@ -472,14 +499,35 @@ proc getMessagesPreparedStmt(
   let limit = $maxPageSize
 
   if cursor.isSome():
+    let hash = toHex(cursor.get().hash)
+
+    var entree: seq[(PubsubTopic, WakuMessage, seq[byte], Timestamp, WakuMessageHash)]
+
+    proc entreeCallback(pqResult: ptr PGresult) =
+      rowCallbackImpl(pqResult, entree)
+
+    (
+      await s.readConnPool.runStmt(
+        SelectMessageByHashName,
+        SelectMessageByHashDef,
+        @[hash],
+        @[int32(hash.len)],
+        @[int32(0)],
+        entreeCallback,
+      )
+    ).isOkOr:
+      return err("failed to run query with cursor: " & $error)
+
+    if entree.len == 0:
+      return ok(entree)
+
+    let storeTime = $entree[0][3]
+
     var stmtName =
       if ascOrder: SelectWithCursorAscStmtName else: SelectWithCursorDescStmtName
     var stmtDef =
       if ascOrder: SelectWithCursorAscStmtDef else: SelectWithCursorDescStmtDef
 
-    let hash = toHex(cursor.get().hash)
-    let storeTime = $cursor.get().storeTime
-
     (
       await s.readConnPool.runStmt(
         stmtName,
diff --git a/waku/waku_core/message/digest.nim b/waku/waku_core/message/digest.nim
index 48d89d5e3e..67e8d81c28 100644
--- a/waku/waku_core/message/digest.nim
+++ b/waku/waku_core/message/digest.nim
@@ -18,8 +18,7 @@ const EmptyWakuMessageHash*: WakuMessageHash = [
 
 converter fromBytes*(array: openArray[byte]): WakuMessageHash =
   var hash: WakuMessageHash
-  let copiedBytes = copyFrom(hash, array)
-  assert copiedBytes == 32, "Waku message hash is 32 bytes"
+  discard copyFrom(hash, array)
   hash
 
 converter toBytesArray*(digest: MDigest[256]): WakuMessageHash =