diff --git a/packages/core/src/index.ts b/packages/core/src/index.ts
index c8ac89ffe5..69b5a0ad5b 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/index.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,11 @@
 export { createEncoder, createDecoder } from "./lib/message/version_0.js";
+export { createCodec } from "./lib/message/index.js";
 export type {
   Encoder,
   Decoder,
   DecodedMessage
 } from "./lib/message/version_0.js";
+export type { Codec } from "./lib/message/index.js";
 export * as message from "./lib/message/index.js";
 
 export * as waku_filter from "./lib/filter/index.js";
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/message/codec.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/message/codec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c0212331bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/message/codec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+import type {
+  ICodec,
+  IDecodedMessage,
+  IDecoder,
+  IEncoder,
+  IMessage,
+  IMetaSetter,
+  IProtoMessage,
+  IRoutingInfo,
+  PubsubTopic
+} from "@waku/interfaces";
+
+import { Decoder, Encoder } from "./version_0.js";
+
+export class Codec implements ICodec<IDecodedMessage> {
+  private encoder: IEncoder;
+  private decoder: IDecoder<IDecodedMessage>;
+
+  public constructor(
+    public contentTopic: string,
+    public ephemeral: boolean = false,
+    public routingInfo: IRoutingInfo,
+    public metaSetter?: IMetaSetter
+  ) {
+    this.encoder = new Encoder(
+      contentTopic,
+      ephemeral,
+      routingInfo,
+      metaSetter
+    );
+    this.decoder = new Decoder(contentTopic, routingInfo);
+  }
+
+  public get pubsubTopic(): PubsubTopic {
+    return this.routingInfo.pubsubTopic;
+  }
+
+  public async toWire(message: IMessage): Promise<Uint8Array | undefined> {
+    return this.encoder.toWire(message);
+  }
+
+  public async toProtoObj(
+    message: IMessage
+  ): Promise<IProtoMessage | undefined> {
+    return this.encoder.toProtoObj(message);
+  }
+
+  public fromWireToProtoObj(
+    bytes: Uint8Array
+  ): Promise<IProtoMessage | undefined> {
+    return this.decoder.fromWireToProtoObj(bytes);
+  }
+
+  public async fromProtoObj(
+    pubsubTopic: string,
+    proto: IProtoMessage
+  ): Promise<IDecodedMessage | undefined> {
+    return this.decoder.fromProtoObj(pubsubTopic, proto);
+  }
+}
+
+type CodecParams = {
+  contentTopic: string;
+  ephemeral: boolean;
+  routingInfo: IRoutingInfo;
+  metaSetter?: IMetaSetter;
+};
+
+export function createCodec(params: CodecParams): Codec {
+  return new Codec(
+    params.contentTopic,
+    params.ephemeral,
+    params.routingInfo,
+    params.metaSetter
+  );
+}
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/message/constants.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/message/constants.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0d54071228
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/message/constants.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+export const OneMillion = BigInt(1_000_000);
+export const Version = 0;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/message/index.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/message/index.ts
index e4736e54e1..8add5fba21 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/message/index.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/message/index.ts
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
 export * as version_0 from "./version_0.js";
+export { Codec, createCodec } from "./codec.js";
+export { OneMillion, Version } from "./constants.js";
diff --git a/packages/core/src/lib/message/version_0.ts b/packages/core/src/lib/message/version_0.ts
index a8706817d9..a724e07b96 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/lib/message/version_0.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/lib/message/version_0.ts
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ import type {
 import { proto_message as proto } from "@waku/proto";
 import { Logger } from "@waku/utils";
 
+import { OneMillion, Version } from "./constants.js";
+
 const log = new Logger("message:version-0");
-const OneMillion = BigInt(1_000_000);
 
-export const Version = 0;
 export { proto };
 
 export class DecodedMessage implements IDecodedMessage {
diff --git a/packages/interfaces/src/message.ts b/packages/interfaces/src/message.ts
index 1b34700010..f9ddb6df53 100644
--- a/packages/interfaces/src/message.ts
+++ b/packages/interfaces/src/message.ts
@@ -109,3 +109,5 @@ export interface IDecoder<T extends IDecodedMessage> {
     proto: IProtoMessage
   ) => Promise<T | undefined>;
 }
+
+export type ICodec<T extends IDecodedMessage> = IEncoder & IDecoder<T>;
diff --git a/packages/interfaces/src/waku.ts b/packages/interfaces/src/waku.ts
index 5c99f716e6..ed55bde5da 100644
--- a/packages/interfaces/src/waku.ts
+++ b/packages/interfaces/src/waku.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import type { IFilter } from "./filter.js";
 import type { HealthStatus } from "./health_status.js";
 import type { Libp2p } from "./libp2p.js";
 import type { ILightPush } from "./light_push.js";
-import { IDecodedMessage, IDecoder, IEncoder } from "./message.js";
+import { ICodec, IDecodedMessage, IDecoder, IEncoder } from "./message.js";
 import type { Protocols } from "./protocols.js";
 import type { IRelay } from "./relay.js";
 import type { ShardId } from "./sharding.js";
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ export type CreateEncoderParams = CreateDecoderParams & {
   ephemeral?: boolean;
 };
 
+export type CreateCodecParams = CreateDecoderParams & CreateEncoderParams;
+
 export interface IWakuEvents {
   /**
    * Emitted when a connection is established or lost.
@@ -188,6 +190,8 @@ export interface IWaku {
   waitForPeers(protocols?: Protocols[], timeoutMs?: number): Promise<void>;
 
   /**
+   * @deprecated Use {@link createCodec} instead
+   *
    * Creates a decoder for Waku messages on a specific content topic.
    *
    * A decoder is used to decode messages from the Waku network format.
@@ -217,6 +221,8 @@ export interface IWaku {
   createDecoder(params: CreateDecoderParams): IDecoder<IDecodedMessage>;
 
   /**
+   * @deprecated Use {@link createCodec} instead
+   *
    * Creates an encoder for Waku messages on a specific content topic.
    *
    * An encoder is used to encode messages into the Waku network format.
@@ -246,6 +252,36 @@ export interface IWaku {
    */
   createEncoder(params: CreateEncoderParams): IEncoder;
 
+  /**
+   * Creates a codec for Waku messages on a specific content topic.
+   *
+   * A codec is used to encode and decode messages from the Waku network format.
+   * The codec automatically handles shard configuration based on the Waku node's network settings.
+   *
+   * @param {CreateCodecParams} params - Configuration for the codec including content topic and optionally shard information and ephemeral flag
+   * @returns {ICodec<IDecodedMessage>} A codec instance configured for the specified content topic
+   * @throws {Error} If the shard configuration is incompatible with the node's network settings
+   *
+   * @example
+   * ```typescript
+   * // Create a codec with default network shard settings
+   * const codec = waku.createCodec({
+   *   contentTopic: "/my-app/1/chat/proto"
+   * });
+   *
+   * // Create a codec with custom shard settings
+   * const customCodec = waku.createCodec({
+   *   contentTopic: "/my-app/1/chat/proto",
+   *   ephemeral: true,
+   *   shardInfo: {
+   *     clusterId: 1,
+   *     shard: 5
+   *   }
+   * });
+   * ```
+   */
+  createCodec(params: CreateCodecParams): ICodec<IDecodedMessage>;
+
   /**
    * @returns {boolean} `true` if the node was started and `false` otherwise
    */
diff --git a/packages/rln/src/message.ts b/packages/rln/src/message.ts
index d3474bb052..971db17afc 100644
--- a/packages/rln/src/message.ts
+++ b/packages/rln/src/message.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export function toRLNSignal(contentTopic: string, msg: IMessage): Uint8Array {
 
 export class RlnMessage<T extends IDecodedMessage> implements IRlnMessage {
   public pubsubTopic = "";
-  public version = message.version_0.Version;
+  public version = message.Version;
 
   public constructor(
     private rlnInstance: RLNInstance,
diff --git a/packages/sdk/src/waku/waku.ts b/packages/sdk/src/waku/waku.ts
index 38dfec9ffa..2db9deea59 100644
--- a/packages/sdk/src/waku/waku.ts
+++ b/packages/sdk/src/waku/waku.ts
@@ -5,11 +5,18 @@ import {
   TypedEventEmitter
 } from "@libp2p/interface";
 import type { MultiaddrInput } from "@multiformats/multiaddr";
-import { ConnectionManager, createDecoder, createEncoder } from "@waku/core";
+import {
+  ConnectionManager,
+  createCodec,
+  createDecoder,
+  createEncoder
+} from "@waku/core";
 import type {
+  CreateCodecParams,
   CreateDecoderParams,
   CreateEncoderParams,
   CreateNodeOptions,
+  ICodec,
   IDecodedMessage,
   IDecoder,
   IEncoder,
@@ -264,6 +271,7 @@ export class WakuNode implements IWaku {
       params.contentTopic,
       params.shardId
     );
+
     return createDecoder(params.contentTopic, routingInfo);
   }
 
@@ -280,6 +288,19 @@ export class WakuNode implements IWaku {
     });
   }
 
+  public createCodec(params: CreateCodecParams): ICodec<IDecodedMessage> {
+    const routingInfo = this.createRoutingInfo(
+      params.contentTopic,
+      params.shardId
+    );
+
+    return createCodec({
+      contentTopic: params.contentTopic,
+      ephemeral: params.ephemeral ?? false,
+      routingInfo: routingInfo
+    });
+  }
+
   private createRoutingInfo(
     contentTopic?: string,
     shardId?: number