diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index 795da91..3b1278c 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -631,9 +631,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-channel"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "30bdd20c28fadd505d0fd6712cdfcb0d4b5648baf45faef7f852afb2399bb050"
+checksum = "52ba265a92256105f45b719605a571ffe2d1f0fea3807304b522c1d778f79eed"
 dependencies = [
  "futures-core",
  "futures-sink",
@@ -641,9 +641,9 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-core"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "4e5aa3de05362c3fb88de6531e6296e85cde7739cccad4b9dfeeb7f6ebce56bf"
+checksum = "04909a7a7e4633ae6c4a9ab280aeb86da1236243a77b694a49eacd659a4bd3ac"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-executor"
@@ -658,15 +658,15 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-io"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "bbf4d2a7a308fd4578637c0b17c7e1c7ba127b8f6ba00b29f717e9655d85eb68"
+checksum = "00f5fb52a06bdcadeb54e8d3671f8888a39697dcb0b81b23b55174030427f4eb"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-macro"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "42cd15d1c7456c04dbdf7e88bcd69760d74f3a798d6444e16974b505b0e62f17"
+checksum = "bdfb8ce053d86b91919aad980c220b1fb8401a9394410e1c289ed7e66b61835d"
 dependencies = [
  "proc-macro2",
  "quote",
@@ -675,21 +675,21 @@ dependencies = [
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-sink"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "21b20ba5a92e727ba30e72834706623d94ac93a725410b6a6b6fbc1b07f7ba56"
+checksum = "39c15cf1a4aa79df40f1bb462fb39676d0ad9e366c2a33b590d7c66f4f81fcf9"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-task"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "a6508c467c73851293f390476d4491cf4d227dbabcd4170f3bb6044959b294f1"
+checksum = "2ffb393ac5d9a6eaa9d3fdf37ae2776656b706e200c8e16b1bdb227f5198e6ea"
 
 [[package]]
 name = "futures-util"
-version = "0.3.24"
+version = "0.3.25"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
-checksum = "44fb6cb1be61cc1d2e43b262516aafcf63b241cffdb1d3fa115f91d9c7b09c90"
+checksum = "197676987abd2f9cadff84926f410af1c183608d36641465df73ae8211dc65d6"
 dependencies = [
  "futures-channel",
  "futures-core",
diff --git a/examples/federation/instance.rs b/examples/federation/instance.rs
index c3eec7f..3a40e1a 100644
--- a/examples/federation/instance.rs
+++ b/examples/federation/instance.rs
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ use activitypub_federation::{
     UrlVerifier,
     APUB_JSON_CONTENT_TYPE,
 };
-use actix_web::{web, App, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, HttpServer};
+use actix_web::{web, web::Payload, App, HttpRequest, HttpResponse, HttpServer};
 use async_trait::async_trait;
 use http_signature_normalization_actix::prelude::VerifyDigest;
 use reqwest::Client;
@@ -90,8 +90,6 @@ impl Instance {
                     web::scope("")
                         // Important: this ensures that the activity json matches the hashsum in signed
                         // HTTP header
-                        // TODO: it would be possible to get rid of this by verifying hash in
-                        //       receive_activity()
                         .wrap(VerifyDigest::new(Sha256::new()))
                         // Just a single, global inbox for simplicity
                         .route("/inbox", web::post().to(http_post_user_inbox)),
@@ -126,14 +124,13 @@ async fn http_get_user(
 /// Handles messages received in user inbox
 async fn http_post_user_inbox(
     request: HttpRequest,
-    payload: String,
+    payload: Payload,
     data: web::Data<InstanceHandle>,
 ) -> Result<HttpResponse, Error> {
     let data: InstanceHandle = data.into_inner().deref().clone();
-    let activity = serde_json::from_str(&payload)?;
     receive_activity::<WithContext<PersonAcceptedActivities>, MyUser, InstanceHandle>(
         request,
-        activity,
+        payload,
         &data.clone().local_instance,
         &Data::new(data),
     )
diff --git a/src/core/inbox.rs b/src/core/inbox.rs
index b8dde54..ab6d7fb 100644
--- a/src/core/inbox.rs
+++ b/src/core/inbox.rs
@@ -6,14 +6,21 @@ use crate::{
     Error,
     LocalInstance,
 };
-use actix_web::{HttpRequest, HttpResponse};
+use actix_web::{
+    web::{Bytes, Payload},
+    FromRequest,
+    HttpRequest,
+    HttpResponse,
+};
+use anyhow::anyhow;
+use http_signature_normalization_actix::prelude::DigestVerified;
 use serde::de::DeserializeOwned;
-use tracing::log::debug;
+use tracing::{log::debug, warn};
 
 /// Receive an activity and perform some basic checks, including HTTP signature verification.
 pub async fn receive_activity<Activity, ActorT, Datatype>(
     request: HttpRequest,
-    activity: Activity,
+    payload: Payload,
     local_instance: &LocalInstance,
     data: &Data<Datatype>,
 ) -> Result<HttpResponse, <Activity as ActivityHandler>::Error>
@@ -21,10 +28,25 @@ where
     Activity: ActivityHandler<DataType = Datatype> + DeserializeOwned + Send + 'static,
     ActorT: ApubObject<DataType = Datatype> + Actor + Send + 'static,
     for<'de2> <ActorT as ApubObject>::ApubType: serde::Deserialize<'de2>,
-    <Activity as ActivityHandler>::Error:
-        From<anyhow::Error> + From<Error> + From<<ActorT as ApubObject>::Error>,
+    <Activity as ActivityHandler>::Error: From<anyhow::Error>
+        + From<Error>
+        + From<<ActorT as ApubObject>::Error>
+        + From<serde_json::Error>
+        + From<http_signature_normalization_actix::digest::middleware::VerifyError>,
     <ActorT as ApubObject>::Error: From<Error> + From<anyhow::Error>,
 {
+    let mut payload = payload.into_inner();
+    // ensure that payload hash was checked against digest header by middleware
+    DigestVerified::from_request(&request, &mut payload).await?;
+
+    let bytes = Bytes::from_request(&request, &mut payload)
+        .await
+        .map_err(|e| {
+            warn!("{}", e);
+            anyhow!("Failed to parse request body")
+        })?;
+    let activity: Activity = serde_json::from_slice(&bytes)?;
+
     verify_domains_match(activity.id(), activity.actor())?;
     verify_url_valid(activity.id(), &local_instance.settings).await?;
     if local_instance.is_local_url(activity.id()) {
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
deleted file mode 100644
index e7a11a9..0000000
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-fn main() {
-    println!("Hello, world!");
-}