diff --git a/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs b/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs
index e25a7e6e4..b6b627962 100644
--- a/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs
+++ b/actix-web-actors/src/ws.rs
@@ -345,14 +345,14 @@ where
 
     /// Send ping frame
     #[inline]
-    pub fn ping(&mut self, message: &str) {
-        self.write_raw(Message::Ping(message.to_string()));
+    pub fn ping<B: Into<Bytes>>(&mut self, message: B) {
+        self.write_raw(Message::Ping(message.into()));
     }
 
     /// Send pong frame
     #[inline]
-    pub fn pong(&mut self, message: &str) {
-        self.write_raw(Message::Pong(message.to_string()));
+    pub fn pong<B: Into<Bytes>>(&mut self, message: B) {
+        self.write_raw(Message::Pong(message.into()));
     }
 
     /// Send close frame
diff --git a/actix-web-actors/tests/test_ws.rs b/actix-web-actors/tests/test_ws.rs
index 687cf4314..49b69a1e9 100644
--- a/actix-web-actors/tests/test_ws.rs
+++ b/actix-web-actors/tests/test_ws.rs
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ impl Actor for Ws {
 impl StreamHandler<ws::Message, ws::ProtocolError> for Ws {
     fn handle(&mut self, msg: ws::Message, ctx: &mut Self::Context) {
         match msg {
-            ws::Message::Ping(msg) => ctx.pong(&msg),
+            ws::Message::Ping(msg) => ctx.pong(msg),
             ws::Message::Text(text) => ctx.text(text),
             ws::Message::Binary(bin) => ctx.binary(bin),
             ws::Message::Close(reason) => ctx.close(reason),