diff --git a/models/llama3/api/datatypes.py b/models/llama3/api/datatypes.py
index 05a067c1..6d1e1179 100644
--- a/models/llama3/api/datatypes.py
+++ b/models/llama3/api/datatypes.py
@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@
 # top-level folder for each specific model found within the models/ directory at
 # the top-level of this source tree.
 
+import base64
 from enum import Enum
+
+from io import BytesIO
 from typing import Dict, List, Literal, Optional, Union
 
-from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field, field_validator
+from pydantic import BaseModel, ConfigDict, Field, field_serializer, field_validator
 
 from typing_extensions import Annotated
 from ...datatypes import *  # noqa
 
-from io import BytesIO
 
 from ...schema_utils import json_schema_type
 
@@ -123,6 +125,19 @@ class RawMediaItem(BaseModel):
 
     model_config = ConfigDict(arbitrary_types_allowed=True)
 
+    @field_serializer("data")
+    def serialize_data(self, data: Optional[bytes], _info):
+        if data is None:
+            return None
+        return base64.b64encode(data).decode("utf-8")
+
+    @field_validator("data", mode="before")
+    @classmethod
+    def validate_data(cls, v):
+        if isinstance(v, str):
+            return base64.b64decode(v)
+        return v
+
 
 class RawTextItem(BaseModel):
     type: Literal["text"] = "text"