diff --git a/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/mod.rs b/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/mod.rs
index 720e9441b..280225602 100644
--- a/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/mod.rs
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ use arroyo_rpc::api_types::connections::{ConnectionProfile, ConnectionSchema, Te
 use arroyo_rpc::df::ArroyoSchema;
 use arroyo_rpc::formats::{BadData, Format, JsonFormat};
 use arroyo_rpc::schema_resolver::{
-    ConfluentSchemaRegistry, ConfluentSchemaRegistryClient, FailingSchemaResolver, SchemaResolver,
+    ConfluentSchemaRegistry, ConfluentSchemaRegistryClient, SchemaResolver,
 };
 use arroyo_rpc::{schema_resolver, var_str::VarStr, OperatorConfig};
 use arroyo_types::string_to_map;
@@ -342,14 +342,14 @@ impl Connector for KafkaConnector {
                         .insert("isolation.level".to_string(), "read_committed".to_string());
                 }
 
-                let schema_resolver: Arc<dyn SchemaResolver + Sync> =
+                let schema_resolver: Option<Arc<dyn SchemaResolver + Sync>> =
                     if let Some(SchemaRegistry::ConfluentSchemaRegistry {
                         endpoint,
                         api_key,
                         api_secret,
                     }) = &profile.schema_registry_enum
                     {
-                        Arc::new(
+                        Some(Arc::new(
                             ConfluentSchemaRegistry::new(
                                 endpoint,
                                 &table.subject(),
@@ -357,9 +357,9 @@ impl Connector for KafkaConnector {
                                 api_secret.clone(),
                             )
                             .expect("failed to construct confluent schema resolver"),
-                        )
+                        ))
                     } else {
-                        Arc::new(FailingSchemaResolver::new())
+                        None
                     };
 
                 Ok(OperatorNode::from_source(Box::new(KafkaSourceFunc {
diff --git a/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/mod.rs b/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/mod.rs
index d53ba8af0..d0d03dc63 100644
--- a/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/mod.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub struct KafkaSourceFunc {
     pub format: Format,
     pub framing: Option<Framing>,
     pub bad_data: Option<BadData>,
-    pub schema_resolver: Arc<dyn SchemaResolver + Sync>,
+    pub schema_resolver: Option<Arc<dyn SchemaResolver + Sync>>,
     pub client_configs: HashMap<String, String>,
     pub messages_per_second: NonZeroU32,
 }
@@ -150,12 +150,20 @@ impl KafkaSourceFunc {
             .await;
         }
 
-        ctx.initialize_deserializer_with_resolver(
-            self.format.clone(),
-            self.framing.clone(),
-            self.bad_data.clone(),
-            self.schema_resolver.clone(),
-        );
+        if let Some(schema_resolver) = &self.schema_resolver {
+            ctx.initialize_deserializer_with_resolver(
+                self.format.clone(),
+                self.framing.clone(),
+                self.bad_data.clone(),
+                schema_resolver.clone(),
+            );
+        } else {
+            ctx.initialize_deserializer(
+                self.format.clone(),
+                self.framing.clone(),
+                self.bad_data.clone(),
+            );
+        }
 
         let mut flush_ticker = tokio::time::interval(Duration::from_millis(50));
         flush_ticker.set_missed_tick_behavior(MissedTickBehavior::Delay);
diff --git a/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/test.rs b/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/test.rs
index 051c6b27c..0057b7ae8 100644
--- a/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/test.rs
+++ b/crates/arroyo-connectors/src/kafka/source/test.rs
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ use arroyo_operator::operator::SourceOperator;
 use arroyo_rpc::df::ArroyoSchema;
 use arroyo_rpc::formats::{Format, RawStringFormat};
 use arroyo_rpc::grpc::rpc::{CheckpointMetadata, OperatorCheckpointMetadata, OperatorMetadata};
-use arroyo_rpc::schema_resolver::FailingSchemaResolver;
 use arroyo_rpc::{CheckpointCompleted, ControlMessage, ControlResp};
 use arroyo_types::{
     single_item_hash_map, to_micros, ArrowMessage, CheckpointBarrier, SignalMessage, TaskInfo,
@@ -85,7 +84,7 @@ impl KafkaTopicTester {
             format: Format::RawString(RawStringFormat {}),
             framing: None,
             bad_data: None,
-            schema_resolver: Arc::new(FailingSchemaResolver::new()),
+            schema_resolver: None,
             client_configs: HashMap::new(),
             messages_per_second: NonZeroU32::new(100).unwrap(),
         });
diff --git a/crates/arroyo-formats/src/avro/schema.rs b/crates/arroyo-formats/src/avro/schema.rs
index 7a07b6e0c..ee8346407 100644
--- a/crates/arroyo-formats/src/avro/schema.rs
+++ b/crates/arroyo-formats/src/avro/schema.rs
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ fn to_arrow_datatype(schema: &Schema) -> (DataType, bool, Option<ArroyoExtension
         ),
         Schema::Float => (DataType::Float32, false, None),
         Schema::Double => (DataType::Float64, false, None),
-        Schema::Bytes | Schema::Fixed(_) | Schema::Decimal(_) => (DataType::Binary, false, None),
+        Schema::Bytes | Schema::Fixed(_) | Schema::Decimal(_) => (DataType::Utf8, false, None),
         Schema::String | Schema::Enum(_) | Schema::Uuid => (DataType::Utf8, false, None),
         Schema::Union(union) => {
             // currently just support unions that have [t, null] as variants, which is the
diff --git a/webui/src/routes/connections/SchemaEditor.tsx b/webui/src/routes/connections/SchemaEditor.tsx
index 416c9f3dd..3ef346342 100644
--- a/webui/src/routes/connections/SchemaEditor.tsx
+++ b/webui/src/routes/connections/SchemaEditor.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,17 @@
 import { Dispatch, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { CreateConnectionState } from './CreateConnection';
-import { Alert, AlertIcon, Box, Button, List, ListItem, Stack } from '@chakra-ui/react';
+import {
+  Alert,
+  AlertIcon,
+  Box,
+  Button,
+  Checkbox,
+  FormControl,
+  FormHelperText,
+  List,
+  ListItem,
+  Stack,
+} from '@chakra-ui/react';
 import * as monaco from 'monaco-editor/esm/vs/editor/editor.api';
 import { ConnectionSchema, post } from '../../lib/data_fetching';
 import { formatError } from '../../lib/util';
@@ -22,10 +33,22 @@ export function SchemaEditor({
   const [errors, setErrors] = useState<Array<string> | null>(null);
   const [testing, setTesting] = useState<boolean>(false);
   const [tested, setTested] = useState<string | undefined>();
+  const [rawDatum, setRawDatum] = useState<boolean>(false);
 
   const valid = tested == editor?.getValue() && errors?.length == 0;
 
   const testSchema = async () => {
+    // if avro and raw datum, then we need to add the raw datum encoding
+    if (format == 'avro' && rawDatum) {
+      // @ts-ignore
+      state.schema!.format['avro']!.rawDatums = rawDatum;
+      // update the state
+      setState({
+        ...state,
+        schema: state.schema,
+      });
+    }
+
     setTesting(true);
     setErrors(null);
     const { error } = await post('/v1/connection_tables/schemas/test', {
@@ -68,6 +91,28 @@ export function SchemaEditor({
     }
   }
 
+  let avroOptions = null;
+  if (format == 'avro') {
+    avroOptions = (
+      <Box maxW={'lg'}>
+        <FormControl>
+          <Checkbox
+            onChange={e => {
+              console.log('CHECKED = ', e.target.checked);
+              setRawDatum(e.target.checked);
+            }}
+          >
+            Raw datum encoding
+          </Checkbox>
+          <FormHelperText>
+            This encoding should be used for streams composed of individual <i>avro datums</i>,
+            rather than complete Avro documents with embedded schemas
+          </FormHelperText>
+        </FormControl>
+      </Box>
+    );
+  }
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (monacoEl && !editor && !created.current) {
       let e = monaco.editor.create(monacoEl.current!, {
@@ -90,6 +135,7 @@ export function SchemaEditor({
 
         // @ts-ignore
         schema.format![format] = {};
+
         // @ts-ignore
         schema.definition![format + '_schema'] = e.getValue();
 
@@ -108,6 +154,7 @@ export function SchemaEditor({
 
   return (
     <Stack spacing={4}>
+      {avroOptions}
       <Box marginTop={5} width="100%">
         <div className="editor" ref={monacoEl}></div>
       </Box>