diff --git a/packages/protocol/packages/boundwitness/packages/wrapper/src/BoundWitnessWrapper.ts b/packages/protocol/packages/boundwitness/packages/wrapper/src/BoundWitnessWrapper.ts
index b3a4ae7ee75..6136f94c563 100644
--- a/packages/protocol/packages/boundwitness/packages/wrapper/src/BoundWitnessWrapper.ts
+++ b/packages/protocol/packages/boundwitness/packages/wrapper/src/BoundWitnessWrapper.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,14 @@ import { BoundWitnessValidator } from '@xyo-network/boundwitness-validator'
 import { PayloadHasher } from '@xyo-network/hash'
 import { PayloadBuilder } from '@xyo-network/payload-builder'
 import { Payload, WithMeta } from '@xyo-network/payload-model'
-import { PayloadWrapper, PayloadWrapperBase } from '@xyo-network/payload-wrapper'
+import { isPayloadWrapperBase, PayloadWrapper, PayloadWrapperBase } from '@xyo-network/payload-wrapper'
+
+export const isBoundWitnessWrapper = (value?: unknown): value is PayloadWrapper => {
+  if (isPayloadWrapperBase(value)) {
+    return typeof (value as BoundWitnessWrapper).payloadsDataHashMap === 'function'
+  }
+  return false
+}
 
 export class BoundWitnessWrapper<
   TBoundWitness extends BoundWitness<{ schema: string }> = BoundWitness,
diff --git a/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapper.ts b/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapper.ts
index bdf1872aeb2..5b8d2c8d402 100644
--- a/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapper.ts
+++ b/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapper.ts
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ import { PayloadBuilder } from '@xyo-network/payload-builder'
 import { Payload } from '@xyo-network/payload-model'
 import { PayloadValidator } from '@xyo-network/payload-validator'
 
-import { PayloadLoaderFactory, PayloadWrapperBase } from './PayloadWrapperBase'
+import { isPayloadWrapperBase, PayloadLoaderFactory, PayloadWrapperBase } from './PayloadWrapperBase'
+
+export const isPayloadWrapper = (value?: unknown): value is PayloadWrapper => {
+  return isPayloadWrapperBase(value)
+}
 
 export class PayloadWrapper<TPayload extends Payload = Payload> extends PayloadWrapperBase<TPayload> {
   private static loaderFactory: PayloadLoaderFactory | null = null
diff --git a/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapperBase.ts b/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapperBase.ts
index 41756847e28..2d3194f75d0 100644
--- a/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapperBase.ts
+++ b/packages/protocol/packages/payload/packages/wrapper/src/PayloadWrapperBase.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,18 @@ import { assertEx } from '@xylabs/assert'
 import { Promisable } from '@xylabs/promise'
 import { PayloadHasher } from '@xyo-network/hash'
 import { PayloadBuilder } from '@xyo-network/payload-builder'
-import { Payload, WithMeta } from '@xyo-network/payload-model'
+import { isAnyPayload, isPayload, Payload, WithMeta } from '@xyo-network/payload-model'
 
 export type PayloadLoader = (address: string) => Promise<Payload | null>
 export type PayloadLoaderFactory = () => PayloadLoader
 
+export const isPayloadWrapperBase = (value?: unknown): value is PayloadWrapperBase => {
+  if (typeof value === 'object' && !Array.isArray(value)) {
+    return typeof (value as PayloadWrapperBase).jsonPayload === 'function'
+  }
+  return false
+}
+
 export class PayloadWrapperBase<TPayload extends Payload = Payload> extends PayloadHasher<TPayload> {
   private _errors?: Error[]
 
@@ -41,10 +48,22 @@ export class PayloadWrapperBase<TPayload extends Payload = Payload> extends Payl
     }
 
     if (!(typeof payload === 'object')) {
-      throw 'Can not unwrap class that is not extended from object'
+      throw new TypeError('Can not unwrap value that is not extended from object')
+    }
+
+    if (Array.isArray(payload)) {
+      throw new TypeError('Can not unwrap value that is an array')
+    }
+
+    if (isPayloadWrapperBase(payload)) {
+      return await PayloadBuilder.build(payload.jsonPayload())
+    }
+
+    if (isAnyPayload(payload)) {
+      return await PayloadBuilder.build(payload)
     }
 
-    return await PayloadBuilder.build(payload instanceof PayloadWrapperBase ? payload.jsonPayload() : payload)
+    throw new TypeError('Can not unwrap an object that is not a PayloadWrapper or Payload')
   }
 
   /** @deprecated use jsonPayload instead */