diff --git a/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion.go b/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion.go
index 3832ddeb0e5b..35a9d50560f7 100644
--- a/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion.go
+++ b/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion.go
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@ package fluentforwardreceiver
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"compress/gzip"
-	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"time"
@@ -81,31 +80,55 @@ func (em EventMode) String() string {
 	}
 }
 
-func insertToAttributeMap(key string, val interface{}, dest *pdata.AttributeMap) {
+// parseInterfaceToMap takes map of interface objects and returns
+// AttributeValueMap
+func parseInterfaceToMap(msi map[string]interface{}) pdata.AttributeValue {
+	rv := pdata.NewAttributeValueMap()
+	am := rv.MapVal()
+	am.EnsureCapacity(len(msi))
+	for k, value := range msi {
+		am.Insert(k, parseToAttributeValue(value))
+	}
+	return rv
+}
+
+// parseInterfaceToArray takes array of interface objects and returns
+// AttributeValueArray
+func parseInterfaceToArray(ai []interface{}) pdata.AttributeValue {
+	iv := pdata.NewAttributeValueArray()
+	av := iv.ArrayVal()
+	av.EnsureCapacity(len(ai))
+	for _, value := range ai {
+		parseToAttributeValue(value).CopyTo(av.AppendEmpty())
+	}
+	return iv
+}
+
+// parseToAttributeValue converts interface object to AttributeValue
+func parseToAttributeValue(val interface{}) pdata.AttributeValue {
 	// See https://github.com/tinylib/msgp/wiki/Type-Mapping-Rules
 	switch r := val.(type) {
 	case bool:
-		dest.InsertBool(key, r)
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueBool(r)
 	case string:
-		dest.InsertString(key, r)
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueString(r)
 	case uint64:
-		dest.InsertInt(key, int64(r))
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueInt(int64(r))
 	case int64:
-		dest.InsertInt(key, r)
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueInt(r)
+	// Sometimes strings come in as bytes array
 	case []byte:
-		dest.InsertString(key, string(r))
-	case map[string]interface{}, []interface{}:
-		encoded, err := json.Marshal(r)
-		if err != nil {
-			dest.InsertString(key, err.Error())
-		}
-		dest.InsertString(key, string(encoded))
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueString(string(r))
+	case map[string]interface{}:
+		return parseInterfaceToMap(r)
+	case []interface{}:
+		return parseInterfaceToArray(r)
 	case float32:
-		dest.InsertDouble(key, float64(r))
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueDouble(float64(r))
 	case float64:
-		dest.InsertDouble(key, r)
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueDouble(r)
 	default:
-		dest.InsertString(key, fmt.Sprintf("%v", r))
+		return pdata.NewAttributeValueString(fmt.Sprintf("%v", val))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -160,19 +183,13 @@ func parseRecordToLogRecord(dc *msgp.Reader, lr pdata.LogRecord) error {
 			return msgp.WrapError(err, "Record", key)
 		}
 
+		av := parseToAttributeValue(val)
+
 		// fluentd uses message, fluentbit log.
 		if key == "message" || key == "log" {
-			switch v := val.(type) {
-			case string:
-				lr.Body().SetStringVal(v)
-			case []uint8:
-				// Sometimes strings come in as uint8's.
-				lr.Body().SetStringVal(string(v))
-			default:
-				return fmt.Errorf("cannot convert message type %T to string", val)
-			}
+			av.CopyTo(lr.Body())
 		} else {
-			insertToAttributeMap(key, val, &attrs)
+			attrs.Insert(key, av)
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion_test.go b/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion_test.go
index a1321cc24804..7af6371e6455 100644
--- a/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion_test.go
+++ b/receiver/fluentforwardreceiver/conversion_test.go
@@ -100,6 +100,12 @@ func TestAttributeTypeConversion(t *testing.T) {
 
 	le := event.LogRecords().At(0)
 	le.Attributes().Sort()
+
+	nv := pdata.NewAttributeValueArray()
+	nv.ArrayVal().EnsureCapacity(2)
+	nv.ArrayVal().AppendEmpty().SetStringVal("first")
+	nv.ArrayVal().AppendEmpty().SetStringVal("second")
+
 	require.EqualValues(t, Logs(
 		Log{
 			Timestamp: 5000000000000,
@@ -119,7 +125,7 @@ func TestAttributeTypeConversion(t *testing.T) {
 				"k":          pdata.NewAttributeValueInt(-1),
 				"l":          pdata.NewAttributeValueString("(0+0i)"),
 				"m":          pdata.NewAttributeValueString("\001e\002"),
-				"n":          pdata.NewAttributeValueString(`["first","second"]`),
+				"n":          nv,
 				"o":          pdata.NewAttributeValueString("cde"),
 			},
 		},
@@ -213,3 +219,60 @@ func TestPackedForwardEventConversionWithErrors(t *testing.T) {
 		print(err.Error())
 	})
 }
+
+func TestBodyConversion(t *testing.T) {
+	var b []byte
+
+	b = msgp.AppendArrayHeader(b, 3)
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "my-tag")
+	b = msgp.AppendInt(b, 5000)
+	b = msgp.AppendMapHeader(b, 1)
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "log")
+	b = msgp.AppendMapHeader(b, 3)
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "a")
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "value")
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "b")
+	b = msgp.AppendArrayHeader(b, 2)
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "first")
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "second")
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "c")
+	b = msgp.AppendMapHeader(b, 1)
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "d")
+	b = msgp.AppendInt(b, 24)
+	b = msgp.AppendString(b, "o")
+	b, err := msgp.AppendIntf(b, []uint8{99, 100, 101})
+
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	reader := msgp.NewReader(bytes.NewReader(b))
+
+	var event MessageEventLogRecord
+	err = event.DecodeMsg(reader)
+	require.Nil(t, err)
+
+	le := event.LogRecords().At(0)
+	le.Attributes().Sort()
+
+	body := pdata.NewAttributeValueMap()
+	body.MapVal().InsertString("a", "value")
+
+	bv := pdata.NewAttributeValueArray()
+	bv.ArrayVal().EnsureCapacity(2)
+	bv.ArrayVal().AppendEmpty().SetStringVal("first")
+	bv.ArrayVal().AppendEmpty().SetStringVal("second")
+	body.MapVal().Insert("b", bv)
+
+	cv := pdata.NewAttributeValueMap()
+	cv.MapVal().InsertInt("d", 24)
+	body.MapVal().Insert("c", cv)
+
+	require.EqualValues(t, Logs(
+		Log{
+			Timestamp: 5000000000000,
+			Body:      body,
+			Attributes: map[string]pdata.AttributeValue{
+				"fluent.tag": pdata.NewAttributeValueString("my-tag"),
+			},
+		},
+	).ResourceLogs().At(0).InstrumentationLibraryLogs().At(0).Logs().At(0), le)
+}