diff --git a/ACActionCable.podspec b/ACActionCable.podspec
index 5ef6b03..e9342f2 100644
--- a/ACActionCable.podspec
+++ b/ACActionCable.podspec
@@ -8,12 +8,12 @@
 
 Pod::Spec.new do |spec|
   spec.name                  = 'ACActionCable'
-  spec.version               = '2.1.2'
+  spec.version               = '2.2.0'
   spec.license               = { :type => 'MIT', :file => 'LICENSE' }
   spec.homepage              = 'https://github.com/High5Apps/ACActionCable'
   spec.authors               = { 'Julian Tigler' => 'high5apps@gmail.com', 'Fabian Jäger' => 'fabian@mailbutler.io' }
   spec.summary               = 'A well-tested, dependency-free Action Cable client for Rails 6'
-  spec.source                = { :git => 'https://github.com/High5Apps/ACActionCable.git', :tag => 'v2.1.2' }
+  spec.source                = { :git => 'https://github.com/High5Apps/ACActionCable.git', :tag => 'v2.2.0' }
   spec.swift_version         = '5.1'
   spec.ios.deployment_target = '11.0'
   spec.osx.deployment_target  = '10.13'
diff --git a/ACActionCable.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj b/ACActionCable.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
index 61baea1..67b12cd 100644
--- a/ACActionCable.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
+++ b/ACActionCable.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@
 				IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 11.0;
 				LD_RUNPATH_SEARCH_PATHS = "$(inherited) $(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/usr/lib/swift/macosx";
 				MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 10.13;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 2.1.2;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 2.2.0;
 				OTHER_CFLAGS = "$(inherited)";
 				OTHER_LDFLAGS = "$(inherited)";
 				OTHER_SWIFT_FLAGS = "$(inherited)";
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@
 				IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 11.0;
 				LD_RUNPATH_SEARCH_PATHS = "$(inherited) $(TOOLCHAIN_DIR)/usr/lib/swift/macosx";
 				MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 10.13;
-				MARKETING_VERSION = 2.1.2;
+				MARKETING_VERSION = 2.2.0;
 				OTHER_CFLAGS = "$(inherited)";
 				OTHER_LDFLAGS = "$(inherited)";
 				OTHER_SWIFT_FLAGS = "$(inherited)";
diff --git a/Sources/ACActionCable/ACCommand.swift b/Sources/ACActionCable/ACCommand.swift
index 34ac0e4..f6f1da9 100644
--- a/Sources/ACActionCable/ACCommand.swift
+++ b/Sources/ACActionCable/ACCommand.swift
@@ -42,26 +42,22 @@ public struct ACCommand {
     
     // MARK: Initialization
     
-    init?(type: ACCommandType, identifier: ACChannelIdentifier, action: String? = nil) {
+    init?(type: ACCommandType, identifier: ACChannelIdentifier, action: String? = nil, object: Encodable? = nil) {
         self.type = type
         self.identifier = identifier
 
-        if type == .message {
-            guard let action else { return nil }
+        if let object, let data = try? Self.encoder.encode(object) {
+            self.data = try? JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data, options: []) as? [String: Any]
+        }
 
-            self.data = ["action": action]
+        if type == .message, let action {
+            self.data = self.data ?? [:]
+            self.data?["action"] = action
         }
-    }
-    
-    init?<T: Encodable>(type: ACCommandType, identifier: ACChannelIdentifier, object: T) {
-        self.type = type
-        self.identifier = identifier
 
-        // special handling of data
-        guard let data = try? Self.encoder.encode(object), let jsonObject = try? JSONSerialization.jsonObject(with: data, options: []) else { return nil }
-        self.data = jsonObject as? [String: Any]
+        if type == .message && (self.data ?? [:]).isEmpty { return nil }
     }
-    
+
     // MARK: Helpers
     
     private func json(from dictionary: [String: Any]) -> String? {
diff --git a/Sources/ACActionCable/ACSubscription.swift b/Sources/ACActionCable/ACSubscription.swift
index d452742..36ad1be 100644
--- a/Sources/ACActionCable/ACSubscription.swift
+++ b/Sources/ACActionCable/ACSubscription.swift
@@ -26,15 +26,10 @@ public class ACSubscription {
     
     // MARK: Sending
     
-    public func send<T: Encodable>(object: T, completion: ACEventHandler? = nil) {
-        guard let command = ACCommand(type: .message, identifier: channelIdentifier, object: object) else { return }
+    public func send(action: String? = nil, object: Encodable? = nil, completion: ACEventHandler? = nil) {
+        guard let command = ACCommand(type: .message, identifier: channelIdentifier, action: action, object: object) else { return }
         client.send(command, completion: completion)
     }
-    
-    public func send(action: String, completion: ACEventHandler? = nil) {
-        guard let command = ACCommand(type: .message, identifier: channelIdentifier, action: action) else { return }
-        client.send(command)
-    }
 }
 
 // MARK: Equatable
diff --git a/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACCommandTests.swift b/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACCommandTests.swift
index c231fad..4992d62 100644
--- a/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACCommandTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACCommandTests.swift
@@ -46,4 +46,19 @@ class ACCommandTests: XCTestCase {
         let command = ACCommand(type: .message, identifier: identifier, action: "my_action")
         XCTAssertEqual(expected, command?.string)
     }
+
+    func testShouldEncodeActionMessageWithObject() throws {
+        struct MyObject: Encodable {
+            let myInt: Int
+            let myString: String
+            let myDate: Date
+        }
+
+        let date = Date(timeIntervalSince1970: 1600545466)
+        let format = #"{"command":"message","data":"{\"action\":\"my_action\",\"my_date\":%d,\"my_int\":1,\"my_string\":\"test\"}","identifier":"{\"channel\":\"TestChannel\",\"test_id\":42}"}"#
+        let expected = String(format: format, Int(date.timeIntervalSince1970))
+        let identifier = ACChannelIdentifier(channelName: "TestChannel", identifier: ["test_id": 42])!
+        let command = ACCommand(type: .message, identifier: identifier, action: "my_action", object: MyObject(myInt: 1, myString: "test", myDate: date))
+        XCTAssertEqual(expected, command?.string)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACSubscriptionTests.swift b/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACSubscriptionTests.swift
index 4bba643..2819a57 100644
--- a/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACSubscriptionTests.swift
+++ b/Tests/ACActionCableTests/ACSubscriptionTests.swift
@@ -39,6 +39,18 @@ class ACSubscriptionTests: XCTestCase {
         wait(for: [expectation], timeout: 1)
     }
 
+    func testShouldSendWithActionAndEncodable() throws {
+        struct MyObject: Encodable {
+            let myProperty: Int
+        }
+
+        let expectedSend = #"{"command":"message","data":"{\"action\":\"my_action\",\"my_property\":1}","identifier":"{\"channel\":\"TestChannel\",\"test_id\":32}"}"#
+        let object = MyObject(myProperty: 1)
+        let (subscription, expectation) = expectMessage(expectedSend)
+        subscription.send(action:"my_action", object: object)
+        wait(for: [expectation], timeout: 1)
+    }
+
     private func expectMessage(_ expectedSend: String) -> (ACSubscription, XCTestExpectation) {
         let expectedSubscribe = #"{"command":"subscribe","identifier":"{\"channel\":\"TestChannel\",\"test_id\":32}"}"#
         let subscribe = expectation(description: "Subscribe")