diff --git a/native/src/main/java/io/ballerina/stdlib/nats/basic/consumer/DefaultMessageHandler.java b/native/src/main/java/io/ballerina/stdlib/nats/basic/consumer/DefaultMessageHandler.java
index 31df52cc..fbf8faad 100644
--- a/native/src/main/java/io/ballerina/stdlib/nats/basic/consumer/DefaultMessageHandler.java
+++ b/native/src/main/java/io/ballerina/stdlib/nats/basic/consumer/DefaultMessageHandler.java
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ private static RecordType getRecordType(Type type) {
 
     private static Type getPayloadType(Type definedType) {
         if (definedType.getTag() == INTERSECTION_TAG) {
-            return ((IntersectionType) definedType).getConstituentTypes().get(0);
+            return TypeUtils.getReferredType(definedType);
         }
         return definedType;
     }