diff --git a/packages/ws/README.md b/packages/ws/README.md
index 654ad6894..4e767ad5c 100644
--- a/packages/ws/README.md
+++ b/packages/ws/README.md
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ const manager = new WebSocketManager({
 		new WorkerShardingStrategy(manager, {
 			shardsPerWorker: 2,
 			workerPath: './worker.js',
+			// Optionally, if you you have custom messaging, like for analytic collection, you can use this:
+			async unknownPayloadHandler(data: any) {
+				// handle data here :3
+			},
 		}),
 });
 ```
@@ -140,6 +144,7 @@ And your `worker.ts` file:
 
 ```ts
 import { WorkerBootstrapper, WebSocketShardEvents } from '@discordjs/ws';
+import { parentPort } from 'node:worker_threads';
 
 const bootstrapper = new WorkerBootstrapper();
 void bootstrapper.bootstrap({
@@ -158,6 +163,9 @@ void bootstrapper.bootstrap({
 		});
 	},
 });
+
+// This will go to `unknownPayloadHandler` in the main thread, or be ignored if not provided
+parentPort!.postMessage({ custom: 'data' });
 ```
 
 ## Links
diff --git a/packages/ws/src/strategies/sharding/WorkerShardingStrategy.ts b/packages/ws/src/strategies/sharding/WorkerShardingStrategy.ts
index fbca00c31..9960bc7a7 100644
--- a/packages/ws/src/strategies/sharding/WorkerShardingStrategy.ts
+++ b/packages/ws/src/strategies/sharding/WorkerShardingStrategy.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ export interface WorkerShardingStrategyOptions {
 	 * Dictates how many shards should be spawned per worker thread.
 	 */
 	shardsPerWorker: number | 'all';
+	/**
+	 * Handles a payload not recognized by the handler.
+	 */
+	unknownPayloadHandler?(payload: any): unknown;
 	/**
 	 * Path to the worker file to use. The worker requires quite a bit of setup, it is recommended you leverage the {@link WorkerBootstrapper} class.
 	 */
@@ -225,7 +229,13 @@ export class WorkerShardingStrategy implements IShardingStrategy {
 			.on('messageerror', (err) => {
 				throw err;
 			})
-			.on('message', async (payload: WorkerReceivePayload) => this.onMessage(worker, payload));
+			.on('message', async (payload: any) => {
+				if ('op' in payload) {
+					await this.onMessage(worker, payload);
+				} else {
+					await this.options.unknownPayloadHandler?.(payload);
+				}
+			});
 
 		this.#workers.push(worker);
 		for (const shardId of workerData.shardIds) {
@@ -347,6 +357,11 @@ export class WorkerShardingStrategy implements IShardingStrategy {
 
 				break;
 			}
+
+			default: {
+				await this.options.unknownPayloadHandler?.(payload);
+				break;
+			}
 		}
 	}