diff --git a/bittensor/dendrite.py b/bittensor/dendrite.py
index 5b72f2f6ae..10fe2a91ab 100644
--- a/bittensor/dendrite.py
+++ b/bittensor/dendrite.py
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ def preprocess_synapse_for_request(
         Returns:
             bt.Synapse: The preprocessed synapse.
         """
+        bt.logging.trace("Pre-process synapse for request")
 
         # Set the timeout for the synapse
         synapse.timeout = str(timeout)
@@ -331,6 +332,8 @@ def process_server_response(self, server_response, local_synapse: bt.Synapse):
         Raises:
             None, but errors in attribute setting are silently ignored.
         """
+        bt.logging.trace("Postprocess server response")
+
         # Check if the server responded with a successful status code
         if server_response.status_code == 200:
             # If the response is successful, overwrite local synapse state with
diff --git a/bittensor/synapse.py b/bittensor/synapse.py
index f5abbe785d..392b24f948 100644
--- a/bittensor/synapse.py
+++ b/bittensor/synapse.py
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 
 import ast
 import sys
-import pickle
+import torch
+import json
 import base64
 import typing
 import hashlib
@@ -551,9 +552,17 @@ def to_headers(self) -> dict:
                 headers[f"bt_header_dict_tensor_{field}"] = str(serialized_dict_tensor)
 
             elif required and field in required:
-                serialized_value = pickle.dumps(value)
-                encoded_value = base64.b64encode(serialized_value).decode("utf-8")
-                headers[f"bt_header_input_obj_{field}"] = encoded_value
+                bittensor.logging.trace(f"Serializing {field} with json...")
+                try:
+                    serialized_value = json.dumps(value)
+                    encoded_value = base64.b64encode(serialized_value.encode()).decode(
+                        "utf-8"
+                    )
+                    headers[f"bt_header_input_obj_{field}"] = encoded_value
+                except TypeError as e:
+                    raise ValueError(
+                        f"Error serializing {field} with value {value}. Objects must be json serializable."
+                    ) from e
 
         # Adding the size of the headers and the total size to the headers
         headers["header_size"] = str(sys.getsizeof(headers))
@@ -647,15 +656,21 @@ def parse_headers_to_inputs(cls, headers: dict) -> dict:
                     continue
             # Handle 'input_obj' headers
             elif "bt_header_input_obj" in key:
+                bittensor.logging.trace(f"Deserializing {key} with json...")
                 try:
                     new_key = key.split("bt_header_input_obj_")[1]
                     # Skip if the key already exists in the dictionary
                     if new_key in inputs_dict:
                         continue
                     # Decode and load the serialized object
-                    inputs_dict[new_key] = pickle.loads(
-                        base64.b64decode(value.encode("utf-8"))
+                    inputs_dict[new_key] = json.loads(
+                        base64.b64decode(value.encode()).decode("utf-8")
                     )
+                except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                    bittensor.logging.error(
+                        f"Error while json decoding 'input_obj' header {key}: {e}"
+                    )
+                    continue
                 except Exception as e:
                     bittensor.logging.error(
                         f"Error while parsing 'input_obj' header {key}: {e}"
diff --git a/requirements/prod.txt b/requirements/prod.txt
index 47970a6b35..82f28437af 100644
--- a/requirements/prod.txt
+++ b/requirements/prod.txt
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ munch==2.5.0
 netaddr
 numpy
 msgpack
-msgpack_numpy
+git+https://github.com/opentensor/msgpack-numpy.git#egg=msgpack-numpy
 nest_asyncio
 pycryptodome>=3.18.0,<4.0.0
 pyyaml
diff --git a/scripts/check_compatibility.sh b/scripts/check_compatibility.sh
index 3a6cf47e4c..5f48f4cbb0 100755
--- a/scripts/check_compatibility.sh
+++ b/scripts/check_compatibility.sh
@@ -17,6 +17,11 @@ check_compatibility() {
     all_supported=0
 
     while read -r requirement; do
+        # Skip lines starting with git+
+        if [[ "$requirement" == git+* ]]; then
+            continue
+        fi
+
         package_name=$(echo "$requirement" | awk -F'[!=<>]' '{print $1}' | awk -F'[' '{print $1}') # Strip off brackets
         echo -n "Checking $package_name... "
 
diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index e8354d8d80..654acee9d4 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -26,22 +26,46 @@
 import subprocess
 
 
+class SubmoduleSyncError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+
 def sync_and_update_submodules():
     try:
         print("Synchronizing and updating submodules...")
-        subprocess.check_call(['git', 'submodule', 'sync'])
-        subprocess.check_call(['git', 'submodule', 'update', '--init'])
+        subprocess.check_call(["git", "submodule", "sync"])
+        subprocess.check_call(["git", "submodule", "update", "--init"])
     except subprocess.CalledProcessError:
-        print("Error synchronizing or updating submodules. Please ensure you have git installed and are in the root directory of the repository.")
-        raise
+        print(
+            "Error synchronizing or updating submodules. Please ensure you have git installed and are in the root directory of the repository."
+        )
+        raise SubmoduleSyncError(
+            "An error occurred while synchronizing or updating submodules."
+        )
+
+
+try:
+    sync_and_update_submodules()
+except SubmoduleSyncError as e:
+    print(f"Submodule synchronization error: {e}")
 
-sync_and_update_submodules()
 
 def read_requirements(path):
+    requirements = []
+    git_requirements = []
+
     with pathlib.Path(path).open() as requirements_txt:
-        return [
-            str(requirement) for requirement in parse_requirements(requirements_txt)
-        ]
+        for line in requirements_txt:
+            if line.startswith("git+"):
+                git_requirements.append(line.strip())
+            else:
+                requirements.append(line.strip())
+
+    # Install git dependencies
+    for git_req in git_requirements:
+        subprocess.check_call(["pip", "install", git_req])
+
+    return requirements
 
 
 requirements = read_requirements("requirements/prod.txt")
diff --git a/tests/unit_tests/test_synapse.py b/tests/unit_tests/test_synapse.py
index a44c0d92c6..68f2d9541b 100644
--- a/tests/unit_tests/test_synapse.py
+++ b/tests/unit_tests/test_synapse.py
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@
 # THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION
 # OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
 # DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+import json
 import torch
-import pickle
 import base64
 import typing
 import pytest
@@ -31,9 +31,9 @@ class Test(bittensor.Synapse):
     headers = {
         "bt_header_axon_nonce": "111",
         "bt_header_dendrite_ip": "12.1.1.2",
-        "bt_header_input_obj_key1": base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps([1, 2, 3, 4])).decode(
-            "utf-8"
-        ),
+        "bt_header_input_obj_key1": base64.b64encode(
+            json.dumps([1, 2, 3, 4]).encode("utf-8")
+        ).decode("utf-8"),
         "bt_header_tensor_key2": "[3]-torch.float32",
         "timeout": "12",
         "name": "Test",
@@ -66,9 +66,9 @@ class Test(bittensor.Synapse):
     headers = {
         "bt_header_axon_nonce": "111",
         "bt_header_dendrite_ip": "12.1.1.2",
-        "bt_header_input_obj_key1": base64.b64encode(pickle.dumps([1, 2, 3, 4])).decode(
-            "utf-8"
-        ),
+        "bt_header_input_obj_key1": base64.b64encode(
+            json.dumps([1, 2, 3, 4]).encode("utf-8")
+        ).decode("utf-8"),
         "bt_header_tensor_key2": "[3]-torch.float32",
         "timeout": "12",
         "name": "Test",