diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index fbee2bb..4e2b449 100644
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
     'PyFxA',
     'requests',
     'requests-hawk',
+    'six',
 ]
 
 setup(name='syncclient',
diff --git a/syncclient/client.py b/syncclient/client.py
index 98eb1db..3b4b689 100644
--- a/syncclient/client.py
+++ b/syncclient/client.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 from hashlib import sha256
 from binascii import hexlify
+import json
+import six
 import sys
 
 import requests
@@ -35,7 +37,9 @@ def get_browserid_assertion(login, password, fxa_server_url=FXA_SERVER_URL,
     session = client.login(login, password, keys=True)
     bid_assertion = session.get_identity_assertion(tokenserver_url)
     _, keyB = session.fetch_keys()
-    return bid_assertion, hexlify(sha256(keyB.encode('utf-8')).digest()[0:16])
+    if isinstance(keyB, six.text_type):  # pragma: no cover
+        keyB = keyB.encode('utf-8')
+    return bid_assertion, hexlify(sha256(keyB).digest()[0:16])
 
 
 class SyncClientError(Exception):
@@ -250,10 +254,20 @@ def put_record(self, collection, record, **kwargs):
         Note that the server may impose a limit on the amount of data
         submitted for storage in a single BSO.
         """
+        # XXX: Workaround until request-hawk supports the json parameter. (#17)
+        if isinstance(record, six.string_types):
+            record = json.loads(record)
         record = record.copy()
         record_id = record.pop('id')
+        headers = {}
+        if 'headers' in kwargs:
+            headers = kwargs.pop('headers')
+
+        headers['Content-Type'] = 'application/json; charset=utf-8'
+
         return self._request('put', '/storage/%s/%s' % (
-            collection.lower(), record_id), json=record, **kwargs)
+            collection.lower(), record_id), data=json.dumps(record),
+            headers=headers, **kwargs)
 
     def post_records(self, collection, records, **kwargs):
         """
diff --git a/tests/test_client.py b/tests/test_client.py
index 74c462d..4bbd78d 100644
--- a/tests/test_client.py
+++ b/tests/test_client.py
@@ -381,16 +381,26 @@ def test_put_record(self):
         self.client.put_record('myCollection', record)
         self.client._request.assert_called_with(
             'put', '/storage/mycollection/1234',
-            json={'foo': 'bar'})
+            data='{"foo": "bar"}',
+            headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8'})
+
+    def test_put_record_handle_json_string_parameter(self):
+        record = '{"id": 1234, "foo": "bar"}'
+        self.client.put_record('myCollection', record)
+        self.client._request.assert_called_with(
+            'put', '/storage/mycollection/1234',
+            data='{"foo": "bar"}',
+            headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8'})
 
     def test_put_record_can_receive_requests_parameters(self):
         record = {'id': 1234, 'foo': 'bar'}
         self.client.put_record('myCollection', record,
-                               headers=mock.sentinel.headers)
+                               headers={'Sentinel': 'true'})
         self.client._request.assert_called_with(
             'put', '/storage/mycollection/1234',
-            json={'foo': 'bar'},
-            headers=mock.sentinel.headers)
+            data='{"foo": "bar"}',
+            headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json; charset=utf-8',
+                     'Sentinel': 'true'})
 
     def test_put_record_doesnt_modify_the_passed_object(self):
         record = {'id': 1234, 'foo': 'bar'}