diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/MainNotificationToast.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/MainNotificationToast.tsx
index de13b22d..4d08d052 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/MainNotificationToast.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/notifications/MainNotificationToast.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import {
   ANIMATION_DURATION,
   ReactionPortals,
 } from '@/features/rooms/livekit/components/ReactionPortal'
-import { safeParseMetadata } from '@/features/rooms/utils/safeParseMetadata'
 
 export const MainNotificationToast = () => {
   const room = useRoomContext()
@@ -155,17 +154,14 @@ export const MainNotificationToast = () => {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     const handleNotificationReceived = (
-      prevMetadataStr: string | undefined,
+      changedAttributes: Record<string, string>,
       participant: Participant
     ) => {
       if (!participant) return
       if (isMobileBrowser()) return
       if (participant.isLocal) return
 
-      const prevMetadata = safeParseMetadata(prevMetadataStr)
-      const metadata = safeParseMetadata(participant.metadata)
-
-      if (prevMetadata?.raised == metadata?.raised) return
+      if (!('handRaisedAt' in changedAttributes)) return
 
       const existingToast = toastQueue.visibleToasts.find(
         (toast) =>
@@ -173,12 +169,12 @@ export const MainNotificationToast = () => {
           toast.content.type === NotificationType.HandRaised
       )
 
-      if (existingToast && prevMetadata.raised && !metadata.raised) {
+      if (existingToast && !changedAttributes?.handRaisedAt) {
         toastQueue.close(existingToast.key)
         return
       }
 
-      if (!existingToast && !prevMetadata.raised && metadata.raised) {
+      if (!existingToast && !!changedAttributes?.handRaisedAt) {
         triggerNotificationSound(NotificationType.HandRaised)
         toastQueue.add(
           {
@@ -190,10 +186,13 @@ export const MainNotificationToast = () => {
       }
     }
 
-    room.on(RoomEvent.ParticipantMetadataChanged, handleNotificationReceived)
+    room.on(RoomEvent.ParticipantAttributesChanged, handleNotificationReceived)
 
     return () => {
-      room.off(RoomEvent.ParticipantMetadataChanged, handleNotificationReceived)
+      room.off(
+        RoomEvent.ParticipantAttributesChanged,
+        handleNotificationReceived
+      )
     }
   }, [room, triggerNotificationSound])
 
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/api/lowerHandParticipant.ts b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/api/lowerHandParticipant.ts
index 7c9be819..13b9691d 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/api/lowerHandParticipant.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/api/lowerHandParticipant.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import { Participant } from 'livekit-client'
 import { fetchServerApi } from './fetchServerApi'
 import { buildServerApiUrl } from './buildServerApiUrl'
 import { useRoomData } from '../hooks/useRoomData'
-import { safeParseMetadata } from '@/features/rooms/utils/safeParseMetadata'
 
 export const useLowerHandParticipant = () => {
   const data = useRoomData()
@@ -11,8 +10,12 @@ export const useLowerHandParticipant = () => {
     if (!data || !data?.livekit) {
       throw new Error('Room data is not available')
     }
-    const newMetadata = safeParseMetadata(participant.metadata) || {}
-    newMetadata.raised = !newMetadata.raised
+
+    const newAttributes = {
+      ...participant.attributes,
+      handRaisedAt: '',
+    }
+
     return fetchServerApi(
       buildServerApiUrl(
         data.livekit.url,
@@ -24,7 +27,7 @@ export const useLowerHandParticipant = () => {
         body: JSON.stringify({
           room: data.livekit.room,
           identity: participant.identity,
-          metadata: JSON.stringify(newMetadata),
+          attributes: newAttributes,
           permission: participant.permissions,
         }),
       }
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Participants/ParticipantsList.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Participants/ParticipantsList.tsx
index 7792e9b5..c34c171e 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Participants/ParticipantsList.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/Participants/ParticipantsList.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import { WaitingParticipantListItem } from './WaitingParticipantListItem'
 import { useWaitingParticipants } from '@/features/rooms/hooks/useWaitingParticipants'
 import { Participant } from 'livekit-client'
 import { WaitingParticipant } from '@/features/rooms/api/listWaitingParticipants'
-import { safeParseMetadata } from '@/features/rooms/utils/safeParseMetadata'
 
 // TODO: Optimize rendering performance, especially for longer participant lists, even though they are generally short.
 export const ParticipantsList = () => {
@@ -36,8 +35,7 @@ export const ParticipantsList = () => {
   ]
 
   const raisedHandParticipants = participants.filter((participant) => {
-    const data = safeParseMetadata(participant.metadata)
-    return data.raised
+    return !!participant.attributes.handRaisedAt
   })
 
   const { waitingParticipants, handleParticipantEntry } =
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useRaisedHand.ts b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useRaisedHand.ts
index d54921b7..3fd89cf1 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useRaisedHand.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/hooks/useRaisedHand.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { LocalParticipant, Participant } from 'livekit-client'
-import { useParticipantInfo } from '@livekit/components-react'
+import { useParticipantAttribute } from '@livekit/components-react'
 import { isLocal } from '@/utils/livekit'
 
 type useRaisedHandProps = {
@@ -7,17 +7,22 @@ type useRaisedHandProps = {
 }
 
 export function useRaisedHand({ participant }: useRaisedHandProps) {
-  // fixme - refactor this part to rely on attributes
-  const { metadata } = useParticipantInfo({ participant })
-  const parsedMetadata = JSON.parse(metadata || '{}')
+  const handRaisedAtAttribute = useParticipantAttribute('handRaisedAt', {
+    participant,
+  })
 
-  const toggleRaisedHand = () => {
-    if (isLocal(participant)) {
-      parsedMetadata.raised = !parsedMetadata.raised
-      const localParticipant = participant as LocalParticipant
-      localParticipant.setMetadata(JSON.stringify(parsedMetadata))
+  const isHandRaised = !!handRaisedAtAttribute
+
+  const toggleRaisedHand = async () => {
+    if (!isLocal(participant)) return
+    const localParticipant = participant as LocalParticipant
+
+    const attributes: Record<string, string> = {
+      handRaisedAt: !isHandRaised ? new Date().toISOString() : '',
     }
+
+    await localParticipant.setAttributes(attributes)
   }
 
-  return { isHandRaised: parsedMetadata.raised ?? false, toggleRaisedHand }
+  return { isHandRaised, toggleRaisedHand }
 }
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/utils/safeParseMetadata.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/utils/safeParseMetadata.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index f7d74269..00000000
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/utils/safeParseMetadata.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-export const safeParseMetadata = (
-  metadataStr: string | null | undefined
-): Record<string, unknown> => {
-  if (!metadataStr) {
-    return {}
-  }
-
-  try {
-    const parsed = JSON.parse(metadataStr)
-
-    // Ensure the result is an object
-    if (!parsed || typeof parsed !== 'object' || Array.isArray(parsed)) {
-      console.warn('Metadata parsed to non-object value:', parsed)
-      return {}
-    }
-
-    return parsed as Record<string, unknown>
-  } catch (error) {
-    console.error('Failed to parse metadata:', error)
-    return {}
-  }
-}