diff --git a/Framework/Core/src/DataRelayer.cxx b/Framework/Core/src/DataRelayer.cxx
index 7eb851e2aadd8..4cda75ed001b0 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/src/DataRelayer.cxx
+++ b/Framework/Core/src/DataRelayer.cxx
@@ -213,9 +213,9 @@ DataRelayer::ActivityStats DataRelayer::processDanglingInputs(std::vector<Expira
       auto partial = getPartialRecord(ti);
       // TODO: get the data ref from message model
       auto getter = [&partial](size_t idx, size_t part) {
-        if (!partial[idx].messages.empty() && partial[idx].header(part).get()) {
-          auto header = partial[idx].header(part).get();
-          auto payload = partial[idx].payload(part).get();
+        if (!partial[idx].messages.empty() && (partial[idx].messages | get_header{part}).get()) {
+          auto header = (partial[idx].messages | get_header{part}).get();
+          auto payload = (partial[idx].messages | get_payload{part, 0}).get();
           return DataRef{nullptr,
                          reinterpret_cast<const char*>(header->GetData()),
                          reinterpret_cast<char const*>(payload ? payload->GetData() : nullptr),
@@ -786,9 +786,9 @@ void DataRelayer::getReadyToProcess(std::vector<DataRelayer::RecordAction>& comp
     auto partial = getPartialRecord(li);
     // TODO: get the data ref from message model
     auto getter = [&partial](size_t idx, size_t part) {
-      if (!partial[idx].messages.empty() && partial[idx].header(part).get()) {
-        auto header = partial[idx].header(part).get();
-        auto payload = partial[idx].payload(part).get();
+      if (!partial[idx].messages.empty() && (partial[idx].messages | get_header{part}).get()) {
+        auto header = (partial[idx].messages | get_header{part}).get();
+        auto payload = (partial[idx].messages | get_payload{part, 0}).get();
         return DataRef{nullptr,
                        reinterpret_cast<const char*>(header->GetData()),
                        reinterpret_cast<char const*>(payload ? payload->GetData() : nullptr),
@@ -952,10 +952,10 @@ std::vector<o2::framework::MessageSet> DataRelayer::consumeExistingInputsForTime
     // TODO: in the original implementation of the cache, there have been only two messages per entry,
     // check if the 2 above corresponds to the number of messages.
     for (size_t pi = 0; pi < (cache[cacheId].messages | count_parts{}); pi++) {
-      auto& header = cache[cacheId].header(pi);
+      auto& header = cache[cacheId].messages | get_header{pi};
       auto&& newHeader = header->GetTransport()->CreateMessage();
       newHeader->Copy(*header);
-      messages[arg].add(PartRef{std::move(newHeader), std::move(cache[cacheId].payload(pi))});
+      messages[arg].add(PartRef{std::move(newHeader), std::move(cache[cacheId].messages | get_payload{pi, 0})});
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx b/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx
index 290e55220d6cb..aa7b49c1d1d3c 100644
--- a/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx
+++ b/Framework/Core/test/test_MessageSet.cxx
@@ -250,6 +250,14 @@ TEST_CASE("GetHeaderPayloadOperators")
   auto& pl1 = msgSet.messages | get_payload{1, 0};
   REQUIRE(pl1.get() != nullptr);
   REQUIRE(pl1->GetSize() == 200);
+
+  // Validate pipe operators match old API
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < 2; ++i) {
+    REQUIRE(&(msgSet.messages | get_header{i}) == &msgSet.header(i));
+    REQUIRE(&(msgSet.messages | get_payload{i, 0}) == &msgSet.payload(i, 0));
+  }
+  REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | count_parts{}) == msgSet.messageMap.size());
+  REQUIRE((msgSet.messages | count_payloads{}) == msgSet.pairMap.size());
 }
 
 TEST_CASE("GetHeaderPayloadMultiPayload")