diff --git a/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/dsl/JsonSupport.java b/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/dsl/JsonSupport.java
index 683c52e1f1..3545a3aad1 100644
--- a/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/dsl/JsonSupport.java
+++ b/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/dsl/JsonSupport.java
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 
 package org.citrusframework.dsl;
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
+import org.citrusframework.message.builder.ObjectMappingPayloadBuilder;
 import org.citrusframework.validation.json.JsonMappingValidationProcessor;
 import org.citrusframework.validation.json.JsonMessageValidationContext;
 
@@ -44,4 +46,24 @@ public static JsonMessageValidationContext.Builder json() {
     public static <T> JsonMappingValidationProcessor.Builder<T> validate(Class<T> type) {
         return JsonMappingValidationProcessor.Builder.validate(type);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Static builder method constructing a mapping payload builder.
+     * @param payload
+     * @return
+     */
+    public static ObjectMappingPayloadBuilder marshal(Object payload) {
+        return new ObjectMappingPayloadBuilder(payload);
+    }
+
+
+    /**
+     * Static builder method constructing a mapping payload builder.
+     * @param payload
+     * @param mapper
+     * @return
+     */
+    public static ObjectMappingPayloadBuilder marshal(Object payload, ObjectMapper mapper) {
+        return new ObjectMappingPayloadBuilder(payload, mapper);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilter.java b/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilter.java
index 7429919748..443033abfb 100644
--- a/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilter.java
+++ b/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/main/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilter.java
@@ -16,6 +16,11 @@
 
 package org.citrusframework.validation.json.schema;
 
+import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+
 import org.citrusframework.exceptions.CitrusRuntimeException;
 import org.citrusframework.json.JsonSchemaRepository;
 import org.citrusframework.json.schema.SimpleJsonSchema;
@@ -23,13 +28,6 @@
 import org.citrusframework.validation.json.JsonMessageValidationContext;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
-import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
-
-import java.util.Collections;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Objects;
-import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
  * This class is responsible for filtering {@link SimpleJsonSchema}s based on a {@link JsonMessageValidationContext}.
@@ -61,20 +59,14 @@ public List<SimpleJsonSchema> filter(List<JsonSchemaRepository> schemaRepositori
 
     private List<SimpleJsonSchema> getSchemaFromContext(JsonMessageValidationContext jsonMessageValidationContext,
                                                         ReferenceResolver referenceResolver) {
-        try {
-            SimpleJsonSchema simpleJsonSchema =
-                    referenceResolver.resolve(jsonMessageValidationContext.getSchema(), SimpleJsonSchema.class);
+        SimpleJsonSchema simpleJsonSchema =
+                referenceResolver.resolve(jsonMessageValidationContext.getSchema(), SimpleJsonSchema.class);
 
-            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                logger.debug("Found specified schema: \"" + jsonMessageValidationContext.getSchema() + "\".");
-            }
-
-            return Collections.singletonList(simpleJsonSchema);
-        } catch (NoSuchBeanDefinitionException e) {
-            throw new CitrusRuntimeException(
-                    "Could not find the specified schema: \"" + jsonMessageValidationContext.getSchema() + "\".",
-                    e);
+        if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+            logger.debug("Found specified schema: \"" + jsonMessageValidationContext.getSchema() + "\".");
         }
+
+        return Collections.singletonList(simpleJsonSchema);
     }
 
     private List<SimpleJsonSchema> filterByRepositoryName(List<JsonSchemaRepository> schemaRepositories,
@@ -101,10 +93,10 @@ private List<SimpleJsonSchema> mergeRepositories(List<JsonSchemaRepository> sche
     }
 
     private boolean isSchemaSpecified(JsonMessageValidationContext context) {
-        return StringUtils.hasText(context.getSchema());
+        return context.getSchema() != null && !context.getSchema().isEmpty() && !context.getSchema().isBlank();
     }
 
     private boolean isSchemaRepositorySpecified(JsonMessageValidationContext context) {
-        return StringUtils.hasText(context.getSchemaRepository());
+        return context.getSchemaRepository() != null && !context.getSchemaRepository().isEmpty() && !context.getSchemaRepository().isBlank();
     }
 }
diff --git a/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilterTest.java b/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilterTest.java
index 562c590768..90c933b40c 100644
--- a/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilterTest.java
+++ b/validation/citrus-validation-json/src/test/java/org/citrusframework/validation/json/schema/JsonSchemaFilterTest.java
@@ -20,14 +20,13 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import org.citrusframework.spi.ReferenceResolver;
 import org.citrusframework.exceptions.CitrusRuntimeException;
 import org.citrusframework.json.JsonSchemaRepository;
 import org.citrusframework.json.schema.SimpleJsonSchema;
+import org.citrusframework.spi.ReferenceResolver;
 import org.citrusframework.validation.json.JsonMessageValidationContext;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
 import org.mockito.MockitoAnnotations;
-import org.springframework.beans.factory.NoSuchBeanDefinitionException;
 import org.testng.Assert;
 import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
 import org.testng.annotations.Test;
@@ -193,7 +192,7 @@ public void testNoSchemaFoundThrowsException() {
 
         //Setup application validationContext
         when(referenceResolverMock.resolve(validationContext.getSchema(), SimpleJsonSchema.class))
-                .thenThrow(NoSuchBeanDefinitionException.class);
+                .thenThrow(CitrusRuntimeException.class);
 
         //WHEN
         jsonSchemaFilter.filter(schemaRepositories, validationContext, referenceResolverMock);