diff --git a/pkg/observability/decoding.go b/pkg/observability/decoding.go
index 8aaf6db..5339645 100644
--- a/pkg/observability/decoding.go
+++ b/pkg/observability/decoding.go
@@ -32,15 +32,17 @@ func Decode(r io.Reader) ([]FluentBitMessage, error) {
 				fluentBitMessage.Date = val.(float64)
 			}
 			for key, value := range m2 {
-				switch valueTyped := value.(type) {
-				case string:
-					fluentBitMessage.Data[key] = valueTyped
-				case float64:
-					fluentBitMessage.Data[key] = strconv.FormatFloat(valueTyped, 'f', -1, 64)
-				case []byte:
-					fluentBitMessage.Data[key] = string(valueTyped)
-				default:
-					fmt.Printf("no hit on type: %s", reflect.TypeOf(valueTyped))
+				if key != "date" {
+					switch valueTyped := value.(type) {
+					case string:
+						fluentBitMessage.Data[key] = valueTyped
+					case float64:
+						fluentBitMessage.Data[key] = strconv.FormatFloat(valueTyped, 'f', -1, 64)
+					case []byte:
+						fluentBitMessage.Data[key] = string(valueTyped)
+					default:
+						fmt.Printf("no hit on type: %s", reflect.TypeOf(valueTyped))
+					}
 				}
 			}
 			result = append(result, fluentBitMessage)
@@ -66,15 +68,15 @@ func decodeMessage(msgs []byte) []FluentBitMessage {
 			isKey := false
 			key := ""
 			start := 8 + recordOffset
-			for kk := 8 + recordOffset; kk < k; kk++ {
+			for kk := start; kk < k; kk++ {
 				if msgs[kk] == 0xff {
 					if isKey {
 						isKey = false
-						msg.Data[key] = string(msgs[recordOffset+start+1 : recordOffset+kk])
+						msg.Data[key] = string(msgs[start+1 : kk])
 						start = kk + 1
 					} else {
 						isKey = true
-						key = string(msgs[recordOffset+start : recordOffset+kk])
+						key = string(msgs[start:kk])
 						start = kk
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/pkg/observability/decoding_test.go b/pkg/observability/decoding_test.go
index 6d0c108..f506488 100644
--- a/pkg/observability/decoding_test.go
+++ b/pkg/observability/decoding_test.go
@@ -2,13 +2,22 @@ package observability
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
-	"fmt"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"testing"
 )
 
 func TestDecoding(t *testing.T) {
-	data := `[{"date":1720613813.197045,"rand_value":"rand"}]`
-	messages, err := Decode(bytes.NewBuffer([]byte(data)))
+	payload := IncomingData{
+		{
+			"date":       1720613813.197045,
+			"rand_value": "rand",
+		},
+	}
+	payloadBytes, err := json.Marshal(payload)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("json marshal error: %s", err)
+	}
+	messages, err := Decode(bytes.NewBuffer(payloadBytes))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("error: %s", err)
 	}
@@ -37,16 +46,15 @@ func TestDecodeMsg(t *testing.T) {
 				"third key":  "this is my third value",
 			},
 		},
-		/*{
+		{
 			Date: 1720613813.197099,
 			Data: map[string]string{
 				"second data set": "my value",
 			},
-		},*/
+		},
 	}
 	encoded := encodeMessage(msgs)
 	decoded := decodeMessage(encoded)
-	fmt.Printf("decoded: %+v\n", decoded)
 
 	if len(msgs) != len(decoded) {
 		t.Fatalf("length doesn't match")
diff --git a/pkg/observability/handlers_test.go b/pkg/observability/handlers_test.go
index 719386d..a46c64e 100644
--- a/pkg/observability/handlers_test.go
+++ b/pkg/observability/handlers_test.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package observability
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
-	"fmt"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"testing"
@@ -18,7 +17,7 @@ func TestIngestionHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	payload := IncomingData{
 		{
-			"Date": 1720613813.197045,
+			"date": 1720613813.197045,
 			"log":  "this is a string",
 		},
 	}
@@ -44,11 +43,18 @@ func TestIngestionHandler(t *testing.T) {
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("read dir error: %s", err)
 	}
-	for _, filename := range dirlist {
-		filenameOut, err := storage.ReadFile(filename)
-		if err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("read file error: %s", err)
-		}
-		fmt.Printf("filenameOut: %s", filenameOut)
+	if len(dirlist) == 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("dir is empty")
+	}
+	messages, err := storage.ReadFile(dirlist[0])
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("read file error: %s", err)
+	}
+	decodedMessages := decodeMessage(messages)
+	if decodedMessages[0].Date != 1720613813.197045 {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected date")
+	}
+	if decodedMessages[0].Data["log"] != "this is a string" {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected log data")
 	}
 }