diff --git a/src/main/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessor.java b/src/main/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessor.java
index 401fba2d..2cf38bca 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessor.java
@@ -82,7 +82,8 @@ private static PayloadContent prepareContentBody(Payload payload) {
         return new PayloadContent(id, modelId, data, kind, status, metadataMap);
     }
 
-    private static String encodeBinaryToString(ByteBuf byteBuf) {
+    static String encodeBinaryToString(ByteBuf byteBuf) {
+        byteBuf = byteBuf.readerIndex(0);
         ByteBuf encodedBinary = Base64.encode(byteBuf, byteBuf.readerIndex(), byteBuf.readableBytes(), false);
         //TODO custom jackson serialization for this field to avoid round-tripping to string
         return encodedBinary.toString(StandardCharsets.US_ASCII);
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessorTest.java b/src/test/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessorTest.java
index ec08ea0a..9787a52b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessorTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/ibm/watson/modelmesh/payload/RemotePayloadProcessorTest.java
@@ -42,4 +42,20 @@ void testDestinationUnreachable() {
         Payload payload = new Payload(id, modelId, method, metadata, data, kind);
         assertFalse(remotePayloadProcessor.process(payload));
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void testByteBufReaderIndexReset() {
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = Unpooled.wrappedBuffer("{[0, 0.1, 2.3, 4, 5.6]}".getBytes());
+        // mock the payload getting read too early
+        byteBuf.readerIndex(byteBuf.capacity()); // force set reader index to the end of the ByteBuf
+        String encodedString = RemotePayloadProcessor.encodeBinaryToString(byteBuf);
+        assertFalse(encodedString.isEmpty());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    void testByteBufReaderIndexUntouched() {
+        ByteBuf byteBuf = Unpooled.wrappedBuffer("{[0, 0.1, 2.3, 4, 5.6]}".getBytes());
+        String encodedString = RemotePayloadProcessor.encodeBinaryToString(byteBuf);
+        assertFalse(encodedString.isEmpty());
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file