diff --git a/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/apns.rs b/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/apns.rs
--- a/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/apns.rs
+++ b/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/apns.rs
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
   certificate_password: &str,
   device_token: &str,
   topic: Option<&str>,
-  message: &str,
+  message_text: &str,
+  message_payload_data: Option<&str>,
   sandbox: bool,
 ) -> Result<()> {
   let mut certificate = File::open(certificate_path)?;
@@ -25,8 +26,14 @@
     apns_topic: topic,
     ..Default::default()
   };
-  let builder = PlainNotificationBuilder::new(message);
-  let payload = builder.build(device_token, options);
+  let builder = PlainNotificationBuilder::new(message_text);
+  let mut payload = builder.build(device_token, options);
+  match message_payload_data {
+    Some(payload_data) => {
+      payload.add_custom_data("payload_data", &payload_data)?;
+    }
+    None => (),
+  }
   let response = client.send(payload).await?;
   if response.code != 200 {
     return Err(anyhow!(
diff --git a/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/lib.rs b/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/lib.rs
--- a/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/lib.rs
+++ b/services/tunnelbroker/rust-notifications/src/lib.rs
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@
       certificate_password: &str,
       device_token: &str,
       topic: &str,
-      message: &str,
+      message_text: &str,
+      message_payload_data: &str,
       sandbox: bool,
     ) -> Result<()>;
 
@@ -37,7 +38,8 @@
   certificate_password: &str,
   device_token: &str,
   topic: &str,
-  message: &str,
+  message_text: &str,
+  message_payload_data: &str,
   sandbox: bool,
 ) -> Result<()> {
   RUNTIME.block_on(apns::send_by_a2_client(
@@ -45,7 +47,12 @@
     certificate_password,
     device_token,
     if topic.is_empty() { None } else { Some(topic) },
-    message,
+    message_text,
+    if message_payload_data.is_empty() {
+      None
+    } else {
+      Some(message_payload_data)
+    },
     sandbox,
   ))
 }