diff --git a/interactions/api/gateway.py b/interactions/api/gateway.py
index 5f73550b7..992ad353b 100644
--- a/interactions/api/gateway.py
+++ b/interactions/api/gateway.py
@@ -556,7 +556,8 @@ async def _send_packet(self, data: Dict[str, Any]) -> None:
         :type data: Dict[str, Any]
         """
         self._last_send = perf_counter()
-        packet: str = dumps(data).decode("utf-8") if isinstance(data, dict) else data
+        _data = dumps(data) if isinstance(data, dict) else data
+        packet: str = _data.decode("utf-8") if isinstance(_data, bytes) else _data
         await self._client.send_str(packet)
         log.debug(packet)
 
diff --git a/interactions/api/http.py b/interactions/api/http.py
index 015f1ece2..0dcfcf58f 100644
--- a/interactions/api/http.py
+++ b/interactions/api/http.py
@@ -2301,7 +2301,7 @@ async def delete_interaction_response(
             webhook_id=int(application_id), webhook_token=token, message_id=message_id
         )
 
-    async def _post_followup(self, data: dict, token: str, application_id: str) -> None:
+    async def _post_followup(self, data: dict, token: str, application_id: str) -> dict:
         """
         Send a followup to an interaction.
 
diff --git a/interactions/context.py b/interactions/context.py
index d23776956..9884d21a6 100644
--- a/interactions/context.py
+++ b/interactions/context.py
@@ -458,13 +458,13 @@ async def send(self, content: Optional[str] = MISSING, **kwargs) -> Message:
                     application_id=str(self.application_id),
                 )
                 self.responded = True
-                self.message = msg = Message(**res, _client=self.client)
             else:
-                await self.client._post_followup(
+                res = await self.client._post_followup(
                     data=payload._json,
                     token=self.token,
                     application_id=str(self.application_id),
                 )
+            self.message = msg = Message(**res, _client=self.client)
         else:
             await self.client.create_interaction_response(
                 token=self.token,
@@ -638,13 +638,14 @@ async def send(self, content: Optional[str] = MISSING, **kwargs) -> Message:
                     application_id=str(self.application_id),
                 )
                 self.responded = True
-                self.message = msg = Message(**res, _client=self.client)
             else:
-                await self.client._post_followup(
+                res = await self.client._post_followup(
                     data=payload._json,
                     token=self.token,
                     application_id=str(self.application_id),
                 )
+            self.message = msg = Message(**res, _client=self.client)
+
         else:
             await self.client.create_interaction_response(
                 token=self.token,