diff --git a/src/fragment_store/message_fragment_store.cpp b/src/fragment_store/message_fragment_store.cpp
index 24c4b31..07383a7 100644
--- a/src/fragment_store/message_fragment_store.cpp
+++ b/src/fragment_store/message_fragment_store.cpp
@@ -41,6 +41,11 @@ namespace Message::Components {
 
 } // Message::Components
 
+namespace Fragment::Components {
+	NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_NON_INTRUSIVE(MessagesTSRange, begin, end)
+	NLOHMANN_DEFINE_TYPE_NON_INTRUSIVE(MessagesContact, id)
+} // Fragment::Components
+
 template<typename T>
 static bool serl_json_default(void* comp, nlohmann::json& out) {
 	if constexpr (!std::is_empty_v<T>) {
@@ -64,19 +69,6 @@ static bool serl_json_msg_ts_range(void* comp, nlohmann::json& out) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-static bool deserl_json_msg_ts_range(FragmentHandle fh, const nlohmann::json& in) {
-	// TODO: this is ugly in multiple places
-	try {
-		fh.emplace_or_replace<FragComp::MessagesTSRange>(FragComp::MessagesTSRange{
-			in["begin"],
-			in["end"]
-		});
-	} catch(...) {
-		return false;
-	}
-	return true;
-}
-
 static bool serl_json_msg_c_id(void* comp, nlohmann::json& out) {
 	if (comp == nullptr) {
 		return false;
@@ -91,18 +83,6 @@ static bool serl_json_msg_c_id(void* comp, nlohmann::json& out) {
 	return true;
 }
 
-static bool deserl_json_msg_c_id(FragmentHandle fh, const nlohmann::json& in) {
-	// TODO: this is ugly in multiple places
-	try {
-		fh.emplace_or_replace<FragComp::MessagesContact>(FragComp::MessagesContact{
-			in["id"]
-		});
-	} catch(...) {
-		return false;
-	}
-	return true;
-}
-
 void MessageFragmentStore::handleMessage(const Message3Handle& m) {
 	if (!static_cast<bool>(m)) {
 		return; // huh?
@@ -235,25 +215,37 @@ MessageFragmentStore::MessageFragmentStore(
 	_rmm.subscribe(this, RegistryMessageModel_Event::message_destroy);
 
 	_fs._sc.registerSerializerJson<FragComp::MessagesTSRange>(serl_json_msg_ts_range);
-	_fs._sc.registerDeSerializerJson<FragComp::MessagesTSRange>(deserl_json_msg_ts_range);
+	_fs._sc.registerDeSerializerJson<FragComp::MessagesTSRange>();
 	_fs._sc.registerSerializerJson<FragComp::MessagesContact>(serl_json_msg_c_id);
-	_fs._sc.registerDeSerializerJson<FragComp::MessagesContact>(deserl_json_msg_c_id);
+	_fs._sc.registerDeSerializerJson<FragComp::MessagesContact>();
 
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::Timestamp>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::Timestamp>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::Timestamp>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::TimestampProcessed>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::TimestampProcessed>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::TimestampProcessed>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::TimestampWritten>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::TimestampWritten>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::TimestampWritten>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::ContactFrom>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::ContactFrom>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::ContactFrom>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::ContactTo>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::ContactTo>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::ContactTo>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::TagUnread>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::TagUnread>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::TagUnread>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::Read>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::Read>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::Read>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::MessageText>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::MessageText>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::MessageText>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::TagMessageIsAction>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::TagMessageIsAction>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::TagMessageIsAction>();
 
 	// files
 	//_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::FileID>()
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::FileInfo>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::Transfer::FileInfo>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::FileInfo>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::FileInfoLocal>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::Transfer::FileInfoLocal>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::FileInfoLocal>();
 	_sc.registerSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::TagHaveAll>(serl_json_default<Message::Components::Transfer::TagHaveAll>);
+	_sc.registerDeSerializerJson<Message::Components::Transfer::TagHaveAll>();
 
 	_fs.scanStoragePath("test_message_store/");
 }
diff --git a/src/fragment_store/serializer.hpp b/src/fragment_store/serializer.hpp
index bf12c4e..1f94f0d 100644
--- a/src/fragment_store/serializer.hpp
+++ b/src/fragment_store/serializer.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include <entt/core/type_info.hpp>
 #include <entt/container/dense_map.hpp>
+#include <entt/entity/handle.hpp>
 
 #include <nlohmann/json_fwd.hpp>
 
@@ -16,12 +17,41 @@ struct SerializerCallbacks {
 	using deserialize_json_fn = bool(*)(FragmentHandle fh, const nlohmann::json& in);
 	entt::dense_map<entt::id_type, deserialize_json_fn> _deserl_json;
 
+	template<typename T>
+	static bool component_emplace_or_replace_json(FragmentHandle fh, const nlohmann::json& j) {
+		if constexpr (std::is_empty_v<T>) {
+			fh.emplace_or_replace<T>(); // assert empty json?
+		} else {
+			fh.emplace_or_replace<T>(static_cast<T>(j));
+		}
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	template<typename T>
+	static bool component_get_json(const FragmentHandle fh, nlohmann::json& j) {
+		if (fh.all_of<T>()) {
+			if constexpr (!std::is_empty_v<T>) {
+				j = fh.get<T>();
+			}
+			return true;
+		}
+
+		return false;
+	}
+
 	void registerSerializerJson(serialize_json_fn fn, const entt::type_info& type_info);
+
 	template<typename CompType>
 	void registerSerializerJson(serialize_json_fn fn, const entt::type_info& type_info = entt::type_id<CompType>()) { registerSerializerJson(fn, type_info); }
 
 	void registerDeSerializerJson(deserialize_json_fn fn, const entt::type_info& type_info);
+
 	template<typename CompType>
-	void registerDeSerializerJson(deserialize_json_fn fn, const entt::type_info& type_info = entt::type_id<CompType>()) { registerDeSerializerJson(fn, type_info); }
+	void registerDeSerializerJson(
+		deserialize_json_fn fn = component_emplace_or_replace_json<CompType>,
+		const entt::type_info& type_info = entt::type_id<CompType>()
+	) {
+		registerDeSerializerJson(fn, type_info);
+	}
 };