diff --git a/amf-api-contract/shared/src/main/scala/amf/apicontract/internal/spec/async/parser/domain/AsyncOperationParser.scala b/amf-api-contract/shared/src/main/scala/amf/apicontract/internal/spec/async/parser/domain/AsyncOperationParser.scala
index 0767c9a34b..4cfeb5c6a6 100644
--- a/amf-api-contract/shared/src/main/scala/amf/apicontract/internal/spec/async/parser/domain/AsyncOperationParser.scala
+++ b/amf-api-contract/shared/src/main/scala/amf/apicontract/internal/spec/async/parser/domain/AsyncOperationParser.scala
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ class Async20ConcreteOperationParser(entry: YMapEntry, adopt: Operation => Opera
   override protected def parseMessages(map: YMap, operation: Operation): Unit = map.key(
     "message",
     messageEntry =>
-      AsyncHelper.messageType(entry.key.value.toString) foreach { msgType =>
+      AsyncHelper.messageType(entry.key.as[YScalar].text) foreach { msgType =>
         val messages = AsyncMultipleMessageParser(messageEntry.value.as[YMap], operation.id, msgType).parse()
         operation.fields
           .setWithoutId(msgType.field, AmfArray(messages, Annotations(messageEntry.value)), Annotations(messageEntry))
diff --git a/amf-cli/shared/src/test/resources/upanddown/cycle/async20/message-json.json b/amf-cli/shared/src/test/resources/upanddown/cycle/async20/message-json.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..115717fb85
--- /dev/null
+++ b/amf-cli/shared/src/test/resources/upanddown/cycle/async20/message-json.json
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+{
+  "asyncapi": "2.6.0",
+  "info": {
+    "title": "async-json",
+    "version": "1.0.0"
+  },
+  "channels": {
+    "CANCELLATIONS": {
+      "subscribe": {
+        "message": {
+          "payload": {
+            "type": "object",
+            "required": [
+              "orderid"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "orderid": {
+                "description": "id of the order that was cancelled",
+                "type": "string",
+                "format": "uuid"
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "contentType": "application/json"
+        }
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/amf-cli/shared/src/test/resources/upanddown/cycle/async20/message-json.yaml b/amf-cli/shared/src/test/resources/upanddown/cycle/async20/message-json.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d8e2bf0978
--- /dev/null
+++ b/amf-cli/shared/src/test/resources/upanddown/cycle/async20/message-json.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+asyncapi: 2.6.0
+info:
+  title: async-json
+  version: 1.0.0
+channels:
+  CANCELLATIONS:
+    subscribe:
+      message:
+        payload:
+          type: object
+          required:
+            - orderid
+          properties:
+            orderid:
+              description: id of the order that was cancelled
+              type: string
+              format: uuid
+        contentType: application/json
diff --git a/amf-cli/shared/src/test/scala/amf/emit/Async20CycleTest.scala b/amf-cli/shared/src/test/scala/amf/emit/Async20CycleTest.scala
index de9cf130a9..850a099ef6 100644
--- a/amf-cli/shared/src/test/scala/amf/emit/Async20CycleTest.scala
+++ b/amf-cli/shared/src/test/scala/amf/emit/Async20CycleTest.scala
@@ -283,10 +283,15 @@ class Async20CycleTest extends FunSuiteCycleTests {
       "bindings/solace-operation-queue-binding.yaml",
       "bindings/solace-operation-queue-binding.yaml"
     ),
-      FixtureData(
+    FixtureData(
       "solace binding 0.4.0 version",
       "bindings/solace-0.4.0-version.yaml",
       "bindings/solace-0.4.0-version.yaml"
+    ),
+    FixtureData(
+      "JSON AsyncAPI",
+      "message-json.json",
+      "message-json.yaml"
     )
 
 // TODO: figure out why this test is commented out