diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/context/IHyracksTaskContext.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/context/IHyracksTaskContext.java
index 58adccb..b0f6269 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/context/IHyracksTaskContext.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/context/IHyracksTaskContext.java
@@ -41,11 +41,9 @@
 
     public IDatasetPartitionManager getDatasetPartitionManager();
 
-    public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(byte[] message, DeploymentId deploymendId) throws Exception;
+    public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(Serializable message, DeploymentId deploymentId) throws Exception;
 
     public void setSharedObject(Object sharedObject);
 
     public Object getSharedObject();
-
-    public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(Serializable message, DeploymentId deploymentId) throws Exception;
 }
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/JavaSerializationUtils.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/JavaSerializationUtils.java
index 1324c3f..1d85fb9 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/JavaSerializationUtils.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-api/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/api/util/JavaSerializationUtils.java
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
 
 public class JavaSerializationUtils {
     public static byte[] serialize(Serializable jobSpec) throws IOException {
+        if (jobSpec instanceof byte[]) {
+            return (byte[]) jobSpec;
+        }
         ByteArrayOutputStream baos = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
         ObjectOutputStream oos = new ObjectOutputStream(baos);
         oos.writeObject(jobSpec);
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/Task.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/Task.java
index 134154c..5eee4b3 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/Task.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-control/hyracks-control-nc/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/control/nc/Task.java
@@ -384,11 +384,6 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(byte[] message, DeploymentId deploymentId) throws Exception {
-        this.ncs.sendApplicationMessageToCC(message, deploymentId);
-    }
-
-    @Override
     public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(Serializable message, DeploymentId deploymentId) throws Exception {
         this.ncs.sendApplicationMessageToCC(JavaSerializationUtils.serialize(message), deploymentId);
     }
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-test-support/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/test/support/TestTaskContext.java b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-test-support/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/test/support/TestTaskContext.java
index ee2bff5..a3b67ca 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-test-support/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/test/support/TestTaskContext.java
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/hyracks/hyracks-test-support/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/test/support/TestTaskContext.java
@@ -134,11 +134,6 @@
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(byte[] message, DeploymentId deploymentId) throws Exception {
-
-    }
-
-    @Override
     public void sendApplicationMessageToCC(Serializable message, DeploymentId deploymentId) throws Exception {
     }