diff --git a/src/electrum_aionostr/event.py b/src/electrum_aionostr/event.py
index 099e42c..aad8f8e 100644
--- a/src/electrum_aionostr/event.py
+++ b/src/electrum_aionostr/event.py
@@ -9,15 +9,14 @@
 from hashlib import sha256
 from typing import Optional
 
-import electrum_ecc as ecc
 from electrum_ecc import ECPrivkey, ECPubkey
 
 
 try:
-    import rapidjson
+    import orjson
 
-    loads = rapidjson.loads
-    dumps = functools.partial(rapidjson.dumps, ensure_ascii=False)
+    loads = orjson.loads
+    dumps = lambda obj: orjson.dumps(obj).decode()  # orjson.dumps returns bytes
 except ImportError:
     import json
 
diff --git a/src/electrum_aionostr/relay.py b/src/electrum_aionostr/relay.py
index 9bff0fa..135065a 100644
--- a/src/electrum_aionostr/relay.py
+++ b/src/electrum_aionostr/relay.py
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 import asyncio
 import secrets
 import logging
-import json
-from collections import defaultdict, namedtuple
+from collections import namedtuple
 from typing import Optional, Iterable, Dict, List, Set, Any, TYPE_CHECKING, AsyncGenerator
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 import time
@@ -13,6 +12,15 @@
 from .event import Event
 from .util import normalize_url
 
+try:
+    import orjson
+    loads = orjson.loads
+    dumps = lambda obj: orjson.dumps(obj).decode()  # orjson.dumps returns bytes
+except ImportError:
+    import json
+    loads = json.loads
+    dumps = json.dumps
+
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from logging import Logger
     from ssl import SSLContext
@@ -126,7 +134,7 @@ async def _receive_messages(self):
                 if len(message) > 64000:
                     self.log.debug(f"got too long message from {self.url=}: {len(message)=}")
                     continue  # not storing or handling msg > this limit
-                message = json.loads(message)
+                message = loads(message)
 
                 self.log.debug(message)  # FIXME spammy (or at least log which relay it's coming from)
                 if message[0] == 'EVENT':
@@ -167,10 +175,10 @@ async def _receive_messages(self):
 
     async def send(self, message):
         try:
-            await self.ws.send_str(json.dumps(message))
+            await self.ws.send_str(dumps(message))
         except client_exceptions.ClientConnectionError:
             await self.reconnect()
-            await self.ws.send_str(json.dumps(message))
+            await self.ws.send_str(dumps(message))
 
     async def add_event(self, event, check_response=False):
         if isinstance(event, Event):