diff --git a/topic_message_query_e2e_test.go b/topic_message_query_e2e_test.go
index a35ec93a..7b990377 100644
--- a/topic_message_query_e2e_test.go
+++ b/topic_message_query_e2e_test.go
@@ -120,7 +120,7 @@ func TestIntegrationTopicMessageQueryCanExecute(t *testing.T) {
 
 	resp, err = NewTopicMessageSubmitTransaction().
 		SetNodeAccountIDs([]AccountID{resp.NodeID}).
-		SetMessage([]byte("message")).
+		SetMessage("message").
 		SetTopicID(topicID).
 		Execute(env.Client)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -355,3 +355,44 @@ func TestIntegrationTopicMessageQueryNoStartTime(t *testing.T) {
 	err = CloseIntegrationTestEnv(env, nil)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 }
+
+func TestIntegrationTopicMessageQueryWrongMessageType(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	env := NewIntegrationTestEnv(t)
+	var finished int32 // 0 for false, 1 for true
+
+	resp, err := NewTopicCreateTransaction().
+		SetAdminKey(env.Client.GetOperatorPublicKey()).
+		SetNodeAccountIDs(env.NodeAccountIDs).
+		Execute(env.Client)
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	receipt, err := resp.SetValidateStatus(true).GetReceipt(env.Client)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	time.Sleep(3 * time.Second)
+
+	topicID := *receipt.TopicID
+	assert.NotNil(t, topicID)
+
+	_, err = NewTopicMessageQuery().
+		SetTopicID(topicID).
+		SetStartTime(time.Unix(0, 0)).
+		SetLimit(1).
+		SetCompletionHandler(func() {
+			atomic.StoreInt32(&finished, 1)
+		}).
+		Subscribe(env.Client, func(message TopicMessage) {
+			println(string(message.Contents))
+			atomic.StoreInt32(&finished, 1)
+		})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	resp, err = NewTopicMessageSubmitTransaction().
+		SetNodeAccountIDs([]AccountID{resp.NodeID}).
+		SetMessage(1234). // wrong message type
+		SetTopicID(topicID).
+		Execute(env.Client)
+	require.ErrorContains(t, err, "no transactions to execute")
+}
diff --git a/topic_message_submit_transaction.go b/topic_message_submit_transaction.go
index ea8d13ed..279f086f 100644
--- a/topic_message_submit_transaction.go
+++ b/topic_message_submit_transaction.go
@@ -80,9 +80,16 @@ func (tx *TopicMessageSubmitTransaction) GetTopicID() TopicID {
 }
 
 // SetMessage Sets the message to be submitted.
-func (tx *TopicMessageSubmitTransaction) SetMessage(message []byte) *TopicMessageSubmitTransaction {
+// The message should be a byte array or a string
+// If other types are provided, it will not set the value
+func (tx *TopicMessageSubmitTransaction) SetMessage(message interface{}) *TopicMessageSubmitTransaction {
 	tx._RequireNotFrozen()
-	tx.message = message
+	switch m := message.(type) {
+	case string:
+		tx.message = []byte(m)
+	case []byte:
+		tx.message = m
+	}
 	return tx
 }
 
diff --git a/topic_message_submit_transaction_unit_test.go b/topic_message_submit_transaction_unit_test.go
index 7b043179..3a84f645 100644
--- a/topic_message_submit_transaction_unit_test.go
+++ b/topic_message_submit_transaction_unit_test.go
@@ -322,3 +322,30 @@ func TestUnitTopicMessageSubmitTransactionSerialization(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, transaction.GetMessage(), result.GetMessage())
 	require.Equal(t, transaction.GetTransactionMemo(), result.GetTransactionMemo())
 }
+
+func TestUnitTopicMessageSubmitTransactionSetMessage(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	transaction := NewTopicMessageSubmitTransaction().
+		SetNodeAccountIDs(nodeAccountID).
+		SetMessage("String message").
+		SetMaxChunks(30).
+		SetTransactionMemo("no")
+
+	txBytes, err := transaction.ToBytes()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	txParsed, err := TransactionFromBytes(txBytes)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	result, ok := txParsed.(TopicMessageSubmitTransaction)
+	require.True(t, ok)
+
+	require.Equal(t, transaction.GetMessage(), result.GetMessage())
+	require.Equal(t, transaction.GetTransactionMemo(), result.GetTransactionMemo())
+
+	transaction = NewTopicMessageSubmitTransaction().
+		SetMessage(1234) // wrong type - NOOP
+
+	require.Equal(t, []byte{}, transaction.GetMessage())
+}