diff --git a/src/plumpy/process_comms.py b/src/plumpy/process_comms.py
index 773a9742..bc2fa125 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/process_comms.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/process_comms.py
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@
 from .utils import PID_TYPE
 
 __all__ = [
-    'KILL_MSG',
     'PAUSE_MSG',
     'PLAY_MSG',
     'STATUS_MSG',
+    'KillMessage',
     'ProcessLauncher',
     'RemoteProcessController',
     'RemoteProcessThreadController',
@@ -47,9 +47,20 @@ class Intent:
 
 PAUSE_MSG: MessageType = {INTENT_KEY: Intent.PAUSE, MESSAGE_KEY: None}
 PLAY_MSG: MessageType = {INTENT_KEY: Intent.PLAY, MESSAGE_KEY: None}
-KILL_MSG: MessageType = {INTENT_KEY: Intent.KILL, MESSAGE_KEY: None, FORCE_KILL_KEY: False}
+# KILL_MSG: MessageType = {INTENT_KEY: Intent.KILL, MESSAGE_KEY: None, FORCE_KILL_KEY: False}
 STATUS_MSG: MessageType = {INTENT_KEY: Intent.STATUS, MESSAGE_KEY: None}
 
+
+class KillMessage:
+    @classmethod
+    def build(cls, message: str | None = None, force: bool = False) -> MessageType:
+        return {
+            INTENT_KEY: Intent.KILL,
+            MESSAGE_KEY: message,
+            FORCE_KILL_KEY: force,
+        }
+
+
 TASK_KEY = 'task'
 TASK_ARGS = 'args'
 PERSIST_KEY = 'persist'
@@ -209,7 +220,7 @@ async def kill_process(self, pid: 'PID_TYPE', msg: Optional[MessageType] = None)
         :return: True if killed, False otherwise
         """
         if msg is None:
-            msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
+            msg = KillMessage.build()
 
         # Wait for the communication to go through
         kill_future = self._communicator.rpc_send(pid, msg)
@@ -384,7 +395,7 @@ def kill_process(self, pid: 'PID_TYPE', msg: Optional[MessageType] = None) -> ki
 
         """
         if msg is None:
-            msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
+            msg = KillMessage.build()
 
         return self._communicator.rpc_send(pid, msg)
 
@@ -395,7 +406,7 @@ def kill_all(self, msg: Optional[MessageType]) -> None:
         :param msg: an optional pause message
         """
         if msg is None:
-            msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
+            msg = KillMessage.build()
 
         self._communicator.broadcast_send(msg, subject=Intent.KILL)
 
diff --git a/src/plumpy/process_states.py b/src/plumpy/process_states.py
index ede846e4..45178b42 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/process_states.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/process_states.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
-import copy
 import sys
 import traceback
 from enum import Enum
@@ -9,7 +8,7 @@
 import yaml
 from yaml.loader import Loader
 
-from plumpy.process_comms import KILL_MSG, MessageType
+from plumpy.process_comms import KillMessage, MessageType
 
 try:
     import tblib
@@ -54,7 +53,7 @@ class KillInterruption(Interruption):
     def __init__(self, msg: MessageType | None):
         super().__init__()
         if msg is None:
-            msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
+            msg = KillMessage.build()
 
         self.msg: MessageType = msg
 
diff --git a/src/plumpy/processes.py b/src/plumpy/processes.py
index 9358d927..ef558fa1 100644
--- a/src/plumpy/processes.py
+++ b/src/plumpy/processes.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 import warnings
 from types import TracebackType
 from typing import (
-    TYPE_CHECKING,
     Any,
     Awaitable,
     Callable,
@@ -27,6 +26,7 @@
     Sequence,
     Tuple,
     Type,
+    TypeVar,
     Union,
     cast,
 )
@@ -54,13 +54,12 @@
 from .base.state_machine import StateEntryFailed, StateMachine, TransitionFailed, event
 from .base.utils import call_with_super_check, super_check
 from .event_helper import EventHelper
-from .process_comms import KILL_MSG, MESSAGE_KEY, MessageType
+from .process_comms import MESSAGE_KEY, KillMessage, MessageType
 from .process_listener import ProcessListener
 from .process_spec import ProcessSpec
 from .utils import PID_TYPE, SAVED_STATE_TYPE, protected
 
-if TYPE_CHECKING:
-    from .process_states import State
+T = TypeVar('T')
 
 __all__ = ['BundleKeys', 'Process', 'ProcessSpec', 'TransitionFailed']
 
@@ -345,8 +344,7 @@ def init(self) -> None:
 
             def try_killing(future: futures.Future) -> None:
                 if future.cancelled():
-                    msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
-                    msg[MESSAGE_KEY] = 'Killed by future being cancelled'
+                    msg = KillMessage.build(message='Killed by future being cancelled')
                     if not self.kill(msg):
                         self.logger.warning(
                             'Process<%s>: Failed to kill process on future cancel',
@@ -594,7 +592,7 @@ def _process_scope(self) -> Generator[None, None, None]:
             stack_copy.pop()
             PROCESS_STACK.set(stack_copy)
 
-    async def _run_task(self, callback: Callable[..., Any], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> Any:
+    async def _run_task(self, callback: Callable[..., T], *args: Any, **kwargs: Any) -> T:
         """
         This method should be used to run all Process related functions and coroutines.
         If there is an exception the process will enter the EXCEPTED state.
diff --git a/tests/rmq/test_process_comms.py b/tests/rmq/test_process_comms.py
index 7223b888..4c7a4f1a 100644
--- a/tests/rmq/test_process_comms.py
+++ b/tests/rmq/test_process_comms.py
@@ -196,8 +196,7 @@ async def test_kill_all(self, thread_communicator, sync_controller):
         for _ in range(10):
             procs.append(utils.WaitForSignalProcess(communicator=thread_communicator))
 
-        msg = copy.copy(process_comms.KILL_MSG)
-        msg[process_comms.MESSAGE_KEY] = 'bang bang, I shot you down'
+        msg = process_comms.KillMessage.build(message='bang bang, I shot you down')
 
         sync_controller.kill_all(msg)
         await utils.wait_util(lambda: all([proc.killed() for proc in procs]))
diff --git a/tests/test_processes.py b/tests/test_processes.py
index 47085c90..cec20c51 100644
--- a/tests/test_processes.py
+++ b/tests/test_processes.py
@@ -2,9 +2,8 @@
 """Process tests"""
 
 import asyncio
-import copy
 import enum
-from plumpy.process_comms import KILL_MSG, MESSAGE_KEY
+from plumpy.process_comms import KillMessage
 import unittest
 
 import kiwipy
@@ -16,7 +15,6 @@
 
 import plumpy
 from plumpy import BundleKeys, Process, ProcessState
-from plumpy.process_comms import KILL_MSG, MESSAGE_KEY
 from plumpy.utils import AttributesFrozendict
 
 
@@ -327,8 +325,7 @@ def run(self, **kwargs):
     def test_kill(self):
         proc: Process = utils.DummyProcess()
 
-        msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
-        msg[MESSAGE_KEY] = 'Farewell!'
+        msg = KillMessage.build(message='Farewell!')
         proc.kill(msg)
         self.assertTrue(proc.killed())
         self.assertEqual(proc.killed_msg(), msg)
@@ -434,8 +431,7 @@ class KillProcess(Process):
             after_kill = False
 
             def run(self, **kwargs):
-                msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
-                msg[MESSAGE_KEY] = 'killed'
+                msg = KillMessage.build(message='killed')
                 self.kill(msg)
                 # The following line should be executed because kill will not
                 # interrupt execution of a method call in the RUNNING state
diff --git a/tests/utils.py b/tests/utils.py
index f2a58dfc..88638e01 100644
--- a/tests/utils.py
+++ b/tests/utils.py
@@ -3,13 +3,12 @@
 
 import asyncio
 import collections
-import copy
 import unittest
 from collections.abc import Mapping
 
 import plumpy
 from plumpy import persistence, process_states, processes, utils
-from plumpy.process_comms import KILL_MSG, MESSAGE_KEY
+from plumpy.process_comms import KillMessage
 
 Snapshot = collections.namedtuple('Snapshot', ['state', 'bundle', 'outputs'])
 
@@ -86,8 +85,7 @@ def last_step(self):
 class KillProcess(processes.Process):
     @utils.override
     def run(self):
-        msg = copy.copy(KILL_MSG)
-        msg[MESSAGE_KEY] = 'killed'
+        msg = KillMessage.build(message='killed')
         return process_states.Kill(msg=msg)