diff --git a/actix-http/Cargo.toml b/actix-http/Cargo.toml
index cc7c885e7..72c78303f 100644
--- a/actix-http/Cargo.toml
+++ b/actix-http/Cargo.toml
@@ -23,7 +23,8 @@ name = "actix_http"
 path = "src/lib.rs"
 
 [features]
-default = []
+default = ["invalid-ping-payload"]
+invalid-ping-payload = []
 
 # openssl
 ssl = ["openssl", "actix-connect/ssl"]
diff --git a/actix-http/src/ws/codec.rs b/actix-http/src/ws/codec.rs
index 72055f7ba..71c9ab377 100644
--- a/actix-http/src/ws/codec.rs
+++ b/actix-http/src/ws/codec.rs
@@ -13,8 +13,14 @@ pub enum Message {
     /// Binary message
     Binary(Bytes),
     /// Ping message
+    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+    Ping(String),
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
     Ping(Bytes),
     /// Pong message
+    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+    Pong(String),
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
     Pong(Bytes),
     /// Close message with optional reason
     Close(Option<CloseReason>),
@@ -30,8 +36,14 @@ pub enum Frame {
     /// Binary frame
     Binary(Option<BytesMut>),
     /// Ping message
+    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+    Ping(String),
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
     Ping(Bytes),
     /// Pong message
+    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+    Pong(String),
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
     Pong(Bytes),
     /// Close message with optional reason
     Close(Option<CloseReason>),
@@ -190,6 +202,7 @@ impl Decoder for Codec {
                             Ok(Some(Frame::Close(None)))
                         }
                     }
+                    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
                     OpCode::Ping => {
                         if let Some(pl) = payload {
                             Ok(Some(Frame::Ping(pl.into())))
@@ -197,6 +210,7 @@ impl Decoder for Codec {
                             Ok(Some(Frame::Ping(Bytes::new())))
                         }
                     }
+                    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
                     OpCode::Pong => {
                         if let Some(pl) = payload {
                             Ok(Some(Frame::Pong(pl.into())))
@@ -204,6 +218,22 @@ impl Decoder for Codec {
                             Ok(Some(Frame::Pong(Bytes::new())))
                         }
                     }
+                    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+                    OpCode::Ping => {
+                        if let Some(ref pl) = payload {
+                            Ok(Some(Frame::Ping(String::from_utf8_lossy(pl).into())))
+                        } else {
+                            Ok(Some(Frame::Ping(String::new())))
+                        }
+                    }
+                    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+                    OpCode::Pong => {
+                        if let Some(ref pl) = payload {
+                            Ok(Some(Frame::Pong(String::from_utf8_lossy(pl).into())))
+                        } else {
+                            Ok(Some(Frame::Pong(String::new())))
+                        }
+                    }
                     OpCode::Binary => Ok(Some(Frame::Binary(payload))),
                     OpCode::Text => {
                         Ok(Some(Frame::Text(payload)))
diff --git a/actix-web-actors/Cargo.toml b/actix-web-actors/Cargo.toml
index 356109da5..72063193c 100644
--- a/actix-web-actors/Cargo.toml
+++ b/actix-web-actors/Cargo.toml
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ edition = "2018"
 name = "actix_web_actors"
 path = "src/lib.rs"
 
+[features]
+default = ["invalid-ping-payload"]
+invalid-ping-payload = ["actix-http/invalid-ping-payload"]
+
 [dependencies]
 actix = "0.8.3"
 actix-web = "1.0.3"
diff --git a/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs b/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs
index e0b7877f7..7946827f5 100644
--- a/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs
+++ b/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs
@@ -345,15 +345,31 @@ where
 
     /// Send ping frame
     #[inline]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
     pub fn ping<B: Into<Bytes>>(&mut self, message: B) {
         self.write_raw(Message::Ping(message.into()));
     }
 
+    /// Send ping frame
+    #[inline]
+    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+    pub fn ping<B: Into<Bytes>>(&mut self, message: &str) {
+        self.write_raw(Message::Ping(message.to_string()));
+    }
+
     /// Send pong frame
     #[inline]
+    #[cfg(not(feature = "invalid-ping-payload"))]
     pub fn pong<B: Into<Bytes>>(&mut self, message: B) {
         self.write_raw(Message::Pong(message.into()));
     }
+    
+    /// Send pong frame
+    #[inline]
+    #[cfg(feature = "invalid-ping-payload")]
+    pub fn pong(&mut self, message: &str) {
+        self.write_raw(Message::Pong(message.to_string()));
+    }
 
     /// Send close frame
     #[inline]