diff --git a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/config/ClustersProperties.java b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/config/ClustersProperties.java
index cf00c9cd819..271cc6d2232 100644
--- a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/config/ClustersProperties.java
+++ b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/config/ClustersProperties.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ public static class Cluster {
     String protobufFile;
     String protobufMessageName;
     Map<String, String> protobufMessageNameByTopic;
+    Map<String, String> protobufMessageNameForKeyByTopic;
     List<ConnectCluster> kafkaConnect;
     int jmxPort;
     boolean jmxSsl;
diff --git a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/model/KafkaCluster.java b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/model/KafkaCluster.java
index 1a97fe13a0f..1bb7b766c8b 100644
--- a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/model/KafkaCluster.java
+++ b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/model/KafkaCluster.java
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public class KafkaCluster {
   private final Path protobufFile;
   private final String protobufMessageName;
   private final Map<String, String> protobufMessageNameByTopic;
+  private final Map<String, String> protobufMessageNameForKeyByTopic;
   private final Properties properties;
   private final boolean readOnly;
   private final boolean disableLogDirsCollection;
diff --git a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/DeserializationService.java b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/DeserializationService.java
index 3bfd5e9d8d2..81b3a4ef695 100644
--- a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/DeserializationService.java
+++ b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/DeserializationService.java
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ private RecordSerDe createRecordDeserializerForCluster(KafkaCluster cluster) {
       if (cluster.getProtobufFile() != null) {
         log.info("Using ProtobufFileRecordSerDe for cluster '{}'", cluster.getName());
         return new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(cluster.getProtobufFile(),
-            cluster.getProtobufMessageNameByTopic(), cluster.getProtobufMessageName());
+            cluster.getProtobufMessageNameByTopic(), cluster.getProtobufMessageNameForKeyByTopic(),
+            cluster.getProtobufMessageName());
       } else if (cluster.getSchemaRegistry() != null) {
         log.info("Using SchemaRegistryAwareRecordSerDe for cluster '{}'", cluster.getName());
         return new SchemaRegistryAwareRecordSerDe(cluster);
diff --git a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDe.java b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDe.java
index 7553535999c..a4a0ff117df 100644
--- a/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDe.java
+++ b/kafka-ui-api/src/main/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDe.java
@@ -26,16 +26,16 @@
 import org.apache.kafka.clients.producer.ProducerRecord;
 import org.apache.kafka.common.utils.Bytes;
 
-//TODO: currently we assume that keys for this serde are always string - need to discuss if it is ok
 public class ProtobufFileRecordSerDe implements RecordSerDe {
   private final ProtobufSchema protobufSchema;
   private final Path protobufSchemaPath;
   private final ProtobufSchemaConverter schemaConverter = new ProtobufSchemaConverter();
   private final Map<String, Descriptor> messageDescriptorMap;
+  private final Map<String, Descriptor> keyMessageDescriptorMap;
   private final Descriptor defaultMessageDescriptor;
 
   public ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(Path protobufSchemaPath, Map<String, String> messageNameMap,
-                                 String defaultMessageName)
+                                 Map<String, String> keyMessageNameMap, String defaultMessageName)
       throws IOException {
     this.protobufSchemaPath = protobufSchemaPath;
     try (final Stream<String> lines = Files.lines(protobufSchemaPath)) {
@@ -49,12 +49,11 @@ public ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(Path protobufSchemaPath, Map<String, String> mess
       }
       this.messageDescriptorMap = new HashMap<>();
       if (messageNameMap != null) {
-        for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : messageNameMap.entrySet()) {
-          var descriptor = Objects.requireNonNull(protobufSchema.toDescriptor(entry.getValue()),
-              "The given message type is not found in protobuf definition: "
-                  + entry.getValue());
-          messageDescriptorMap.put(entry.getKey(), descriptor);
-        }
+        populateDescriptors(messageNameMap, messageDescriptorMap);
+      }
+      this.keyMessageDescriptorMap = new HashMap<>();
+      if (keyMessageNameMap != null) {
+        populateDescriptors(keyMessageNameMap, keyMessageDescriptorMap);
       }
       defaultMessageDescriptor = Objects.requireNonNull(protobufSchema.toDescriptor(),
           "The given message type is not found in protobuf definition: "
@@ -62,13 +61,28 @@ public ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(Path protobufSchemaPath, Map<String, String> mess
     }
   }
 
+  private void populateDescriptors(Map<String, String> messageNameMap, Map<String, Descriptor> messageDescriptorMap) {
+    for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : messageNameMap.entrySet()) {
+      var descriptor = Objects.requireNonNull(protobufSchema.toDescriptor(entry.getValue()),
+          "The given message type is not found in protobuf definition: "
+              + entry.getValue());
+      messageDescriptorMap.put(entry.getKey(), descriptor);
+    }
+  }
+
   @Override
   public DeserializedKeyValue deserialize(ConsumerRecord<Bytes, Bytes> msg) {
     try {
       var builder = DeserializedKeyValue.builder();
       if (msg.key() != null) {
-        builder.key(new String(msg.key().get()));
-        builder.keyFormat(MessageFormat.UNKNOWN);
+        Descriptor descriptor = keyMessageDescriptorMap.get(msg.topic());
+        if (descriptor == null) {
+          builder.key(new String(msg.key().get()));
+          builder.keyFormat(MessageFormat.UNKNOWN);
+        } else {
+          builder.key(parse(msg.key().get(), descriptor));
+          builder.keyFormat(MessageFormat.PROTOBUF);
+        }
       }
       if (msg.value() != null) {
         builder.value(parse(msg.value().get(), getDescriptor(msg.topic())));
diff --git a/kafka-ui-api/src/test/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDeTest.java b/kafka-ui-api/src/test/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDeTest.java
index 269b65872a0..e958a82374b 100644
--- a/kafka-ui-api/src/test/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDeTest.java
+++ b/kafka-ui-api/src/test/java/com/provectus/kafka/ui/serde/ProtobufFileRecordSerDeTest.java
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ void testDeserialize() throws IOException {
     var messageNameMap = Map.of(
         "topic1", "test.Person",
         "topic2", "test.AddressBook");
+    var keyMessageNameMap = Map.of(
+        "topic2", "test.Person");
     var deserializer =
-        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, messageNameMap, null);
+        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, messageNameMap, keyMessageNameMap, null);
     var msg1 = deserializer
         .deserialize(new ConsumerRecord<>("topic1", 1, 0, Bytes.wrap("key".getBytes()),
             Bytes.wrap(personMessage)));
@@ -60,8 +62,10 @@ void testDeserialize() throws IOException {
     assertTrue(msg1.getValue().contains("user1@example.com"));
 
     var msg2 = deserializer
-        .deserialize(new ConsumerRecord<>("topic2", 1, 1, Bytes.wrap("key".getBytes()),
+        .deserialize(new ConsumerRecord<>("topic2", 1, 1, Bytes.wrap(personMessage),
             Bytes.wrap(addressBookMessage)));
+    assertEquals(MessageFormat.PROTOBUF, msg2.getKeyFormat());
+    assertTrue(msg2.getKey().contains("user1@example.com"));
     assertTrue(msg2.getValue().contains("user2@example.com"));
   }
 
@@ -69,7 +73,7 @@ void testDeserialize() throws IOException {
   void testNoDefaultMessageName() throws IOException {
     // by default the first message type defined in proto definition is used
     var deserializer =
-        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, Collections.emptyMap(), null);
+        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, Collections.emptyMap(), null, null);
     var msg = deserializer
         .deserialize(new ConsumerRecord<>("topic", 1, 0, Bytes.wrap("key".getBytes()),
             Bytes.wrap(personMessage)));
@@ -80,7 +84,7 @@ void testNoDefaultMessageName() throws IOException {
   void testDefaultMessageName() throws IOException {
     var messageNameMap = Map.of("topic1", "test.Person");
     var deserializer =
-        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, messageNameMap, "test.AddressBook");
+        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, messageNameMap, null, "test.AddressBook");
     var msg = deserializer
         .deserialize(new ConsumerRecord<>("a_random_topic", 1, 0, Bytes.wrap("key".getBytes()),
             Bytes.wrap(addressBookMessage)));
@@ -91,7 +95,7 @@ void testDefaultMessageName() throws IOException {
   void testSerialize() throws IOException {
     var messageNameMap = Map.of("topic1", "test.Person");
     var serializer =
-        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, messageNameMap, "test.AddressBook");
+        new ProtobufFileRecordSerDe(protobufSchemaPath, messageNameMap, null, "test.AddressBook");
     var serialized = serializer.serialize("topic1", "key1", "{\"name\":\"MyName\"}", 0);
     assertNotNull(serialized.value());
   }