diff --git a/client/rpc_codec.go b/client/rpc_codec.go
index 95ff1da1..f5c9401f 100644
--- a/client/rpc_codec.go
+++ b/client/rpc_codec.go
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import (
 	errs "errors"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec"
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/json"
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/proto"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/jsonrpc"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/protorpc"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/errors"
@@ -65,9 +67,9 @@ var (
 	defaultContentType = "application/octet-stream"
 
 	defaultCodecs = map[string]codec.NewCodec{
-		"application/json":         jsonrpc.NewCodec,
+		"application/protobuf":     proto.NewCodec,
+		"application/json":         json.NewCodec,
 		"application/json-rpc":     jsonrpc.NewCodec,
-		"application/protobuf":     protorpc.NewCodec,
 		"application/proto-rpc":    protorpc.NewCodec,
 		"application/octet-stream": protorpc.NewCodec,
 	}
@@ -110,7 +112,7 @@ func (c *rpcCodec) WriteRequest(req *request, body interface{}) error {
 		Method: req.ServiceMethod,
 		Type:   codec.Request,
 		Header: map[string]string{
-			"X-Micro-Target": req.Service,
+			"X-Micro-Service": req.Service,
 			"X-Micro-Method": req.ServiceMethod,
 		},
 	}
diff --git a/codec/json/json.go b/codec/json/json.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6389541c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codec/json/json.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+// Package json provides a json codec
+package json
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"io"
+
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec"
+)
+
+type Codec struct {
+	Conn    io.ReadWriteCloser
+	Encoder *json.Encoder
+	Decoder *json.Decoder
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) ReadHeader(m *codec.Message, t codec.MessageType) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) ReadBody(b interface{}) error {
+	return c.Decoder.Decode(b)
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) Write(m *codec.Message, b interface{}) error {
+	return c.Encoder.Encode(b)
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) Close() error {
+	return c.Conn.Close()
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) String() string {
+	return "json"
+}
+
+func NewCodec(c io.ReadWriteCloser) codec.Codec {
+	return &Codec{
+		Conn:    c,
+		Decoder: json.NewDecoder(c),
+		Encoder: json.NewEncoder(c),
+	}
+}
diff --git a/codec/proto/proto.go b/codec/proto/proto.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..339c08c1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codec/proto/proto.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+// Package proto provides a proto codec
+package proto
+
+import (
+	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
+
+	"github.com/golang/protobuf/proto"
+	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec"
+)
+
+type Codec struct {
+	Conn io.ReadWriteCloser
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) ReadHeader(m *codec.Message, t codec.MessageType) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) ReadBody(b interface{}) error {
+	buf, err := ioutil.ReadAll(c.Conn)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	return proto.Unmarshal(buf, b.(proto.Message))
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) Write(m *codec.Message, b interface{}) error {
+	buf, err := proto.Marshal(b.(proto.Message))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = c.Conn.Write(buf)
+	return err
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) Close() error {
+	return c.Conn.Close()
+}
+
+func (c *Codec) String() string {
+	return "proto"
+}
+
+func NewCodec(c io.ReadWriteCloser) codec.Codec {
+	return &Codec{
+		Conn: c,
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/rpc_codec.go b/server/rpc_codec.go
index 87a32795..fee01940 100644
--- a/server/rpc_codec.go
+++ b/server/rpc_codec.go
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ import (
 	"bytes"
 
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec"
+        "github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/json"
+        "github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/proto"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/jsonrpc"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/codec/protorpc"
 	"github.com/micro/go-micro/transport"
@@ -25,9 +27,9 @@ type readWriteCloser struct {
 
 var (
 	defaultCodecs = map[string]codec.NewCodec{
-		"application/json":         jsonrpc.NewCodec,
+		"application/json":         json.NewCodec,
 		"application/json-rpc":     jsonrpc.NewCodec,
-		"application/protobuf":     protorpc.NewCodec,
+		"application/protobuf":     proto.NewCodec,
 		"application/proto-rpc":    protorpc.NewCodec,
 		"application/octet-stream": protorpc.NewCodec,
 	}
@@ -77,6 +79,10 @@ func (c *rpcCodec) ReadRequestHeader(r *request, first bool) error {
 		m.Header = tm.Header
 	}
 
+	// set some internal things
+	m.Target = m.Header["X-Micro-Service"]
+	m.Method = m.Header["X-Micro-Method"]
+
 	err := c.codec.ReadHeader(&m, codec.Request)
 	r.ServiceMethod = m.Method
 	r.Seq = m.Id