diff --git a/x/accounts/cli/cli.go b/x/accounts/cli/cli.go
index 4f58baf9cb4e..57fc5ec14bb2 100644
--- a/x/accounts/cli/cli.go
+++ b/x/accounts/cli/cli.go
@@ -43,25 +43,10 @@ func GetTxInitCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			// we need to convert the message from json to a protobuf message
-			// to know which message to use, we need to know the account type
-			// init message schema.
-			accClient := v1.NewQueryClient(clientCtx)
-			schema, err := accClient.Schema(cmd.Context(), &v1.SchemaRequest{
-				AccountType: args[0],
-			})
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
-
-			msgBytes, err := encodeJSONToProto(schema.InitSchema.Request, args[1])
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
-			}
 			msg := v1.MsgInit{
 				Sender:      sender,
 				AccountType: args[0],
-				Message:     msgBytes,
+				JsonMessage: args[1],
 			}
 
 			isGenesis, err := cmd.Flags().GetBool("genesis")
diff --git a/x/accounts/genesis_test.go b/x/accounts/genesis_test.go
index 14c2470d84bd..530d3d697a6d 100644
--- a/x/accounts/genesis_test.go
+++ b/x/accounts/genesis_test.go
@@ -40,12 +40,10 @@ func TestGenesis(t *testing.T) {
 		return testAccountType, acc, err
 	})
 	// add to state a genesis account init msg.
-	initMsg, err := implementation.PackAny(&types.Empty{})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
 	state.InitAccountMsgs = append(state.InitAccountMsgs, &v1.MsgInit{
 		Sender:      "sender-2",
 		AccountType: testAccountType,
-		Message:     initMsg,
+		JsonMessage: `{}`,
 		Funds:       nil,
 	})
 	err = k.ImportState(ctx, state)
diff --git a/x/accounts/keeper.go b/x/accounts/keeper.go
index cf306dab0e01..939c0e1c7040 100644
--- a/x/accounts/keeper.go
+++ b/x/accounts/keeper.go
@@ -173,8 +173,10 @@ func (k Keeper) initFromMsg(ctx context.Context, initMsg *v1.MsgInit) (transacti
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
 
+	schema := v1.MakeAccountSchema(k.accounts[initMsg.AccountType])
+
 	// decode message bytes into the concrete boxed message type
-	msg, err := implementation.UnpackAnyRaw(initMsg.Message)
+	msg, err := implementation.EncodeMsgJSONToProto(schema.InitSchema.Request, initMsg.JsonMessage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/x/accounts/msg_server_test.go b/x/accounts/msg_server_test.go
index 4a5c6fb87d2c..1ce94739dbd5 100644
--- a/x/accounts/msg_server_test.go
+++ b/x/accounts/msg_server_test.go
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/emptypb"
+	// "google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/emptypb"
 	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/wrapperspb"
 
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/accounts/accountstd"
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ func TestMsgServer(t *testing.T) {
 	s := NewMsgServer(k)
 
 	// create
-	initMsg, err := implementation.PackAny(&emptypb.Empty{})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
+	// initMsg, err := implementation.PackAny(&emptypb.Empty{})
+	// require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	initResp, err := s.Init(ctx, &v1.MsgInit{
 		Sender:      "sender",
 		AccountType: "test",
-		Message:     initMsg,
+		JsonMessage: `{}`,
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	require.NotNil(t, initResp)
diff --git a/x/accounts/query_server_test.go b/x/accounts/query_server_test.go
index 80341bdf9c01..38dfece18ed0 100644
--- a/x/accounts/query_server_test.go
+++ b/x/accounts/query_server_test.go
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/cosmos/gogoproto/types"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
-	"google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/emptypb"
+	// "google.golang.org/protobuf/types/known/emptypb"
 
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/accounts/accountstd"
 	"cosmossdk.io/x/accounts/internal/implementation"
@@ -18,14 +18,10 @@ func TestQueryServer(t *testing.T) {
 	ms := NewMsgServer(k)
 	qs := NewQueryServer(k)
 
-	// create account
-	initMsg, err := implementation.PackAny(&emptypb.Empty{})
-	require.NoError(t, err)
-
 	initResp, err := ms.Init(ctx, &v1.MsgInit{
 		Sender:      "sender",
 		AccountType: "test",
-		Message:     initMsg,
+		JsonMessage: `{}`,
 	})
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
diff --git a/x/accounts/v1/schema.go b/x/accounts/v1/schema.go
index 6cebadb306f1..9c2ed14444a7 100644
--- a/x/accounts/v1/schema.go
+++ b/x/accounts/v1/schema.go
@@ -12,12 +12,12 @@ import (
 func MakeAccountsSchemas(impls map[string]implementation.Implementation) map[string]*SchemaResponse {
 	m := make(map[string]*SchemaResponse, len(impls))
 	for name, impl := range impls {
-		m[name] = makeAccountSchema(impl)
+		m[name] = MakeAccountSchema(impl)
 	}
 	return m
 }
 
-func makeAccountSchema(impl implementation.Implementation) *SchemaResponse {
+func MakeAccountSchema(impl implementation.Implementation) *SchemaResponse {
 	return &SchemaResponse{
 		InitSchema: &SchemaResponse_Handler{
 			Request:  impl.InitHandlerSchema.RequestSchema.Name,