diff --git a/Gemfile.lock b/Gemfile.lock
index c8a084c..3377616 100644
--- a/Gemfile.lock
+++ b/Gemfile.lock
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ GEM
     eventmachine (0.12.10)
     i18n (0.6.0)
     minitest (2.10.0)
-    multi_json (1.0.4)
+    multi_json (1.3.6)
     purdytest (1.0.0)
       minitest (~> 2.2)
     rack (1.3.5)
@@ -22,11 +22,11 @@ GEM
     rack-test (0.6.1)
       rack (>= 1.0)
     rake (0.9.2.2)
-    riak-client (1.0.0)
+    riak-client (1.0.3)
       beefcake (~> 0.3.7)
       builder (>= 2.1.2)
       i18n (>= 0.4.0)
-      multi_json (~> 1.0.0)
+      multi_json (~> 1.0)
     sinatra (1.3.1)
       rack (~> 1.3, >= 1.3.4)
       rack-protection (~> 1.1, >= 1.1.2)
diff --git a/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb b/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
index ab03cda..02289c1 100644
--- a/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
+++ b/lib/remote_storage/riak.rb
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 require "riak"
+require "json"
 
 module RemoteStorage
   module Riak
@@ -18,14 +19,22 @@ module RemoteStorage
     end
 
     def get_data(user, category, key)
-      client.bucket("user_data").get("#{user}:#{category}:#{key}").data
+      object = client.bucket("user_data").get("#{user}:#{category}:#{key}")
+      headers["Content-Type"] = object.content_type
+      case object.content_type
+      when "application/json"
+        return object.data.to_json
+      else
+        return object.data
+      end
     rescue ::Riak::HTTPFailedRequest
       halt 404
     end
 
-    def put_data(user, category, key, data)
+    def put_data(user, category, key, data, content_type=nil)
       object = client.bucket("user_data").new("#{user}:#{category}:#{key}")
-      object.content_type = "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+      object.content_type = content_type || "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+      data = JSON.parse(data) if content_type == "application/json"
       object.data = data
       object.indexes.merge!({:user_id_bin => [user]})
       object.store
diff --git a/liquor-cabinet.rb b/liquor-cabinet.rb
index 1b628d1..f448dad 100644
--- a/liquor-cabinet.rb
+++ b/liquor-cabinet.rb
@@ -47,7 +47,14 @@ class LiquorCabinet < Sinatra::Base
 
   put "/:user/:category/:key" do
     data = request.body.read
-    put_data(@user, @category, @key, data)
+
+    if env['CONTENT_TYPE'] == "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
+      content_type = "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+    else
+      content_type = env['CONTENT_TYPE']
+    end
+
+    put_data(@user, @category, @key, data, content_type)
   end
 
   delete "/:user/:category/:key" do
diff --git a/spec/riak_spec.rb b/spec/riak_spec.rb
index 66dee69..d53d1b1 100644
--- a/spec/riak_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/riak_spec.rb
@@ -73,23 +73,51 @@ describe "App with Riak backend" do
     end
 
     describe "PUT" do
-      before do
-        header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"
-        put "/jimmy/documents/bar", "another text"
+      describe "with implicit content type" do
+        before do
+          header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"
+          put "/jimmy/documents/bar", "another text"
+        end
+
+        it "saves the value" do
+          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").data.must_equal "another text"
+        end
+
+        it "stores the data as plain text with utf-8 encoding" do
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").content_type.must_equal "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
+        end
+
+        it "indexes the data set" do
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").indexes["user_id_bin"].must_be_kind_of Set
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").indexes["user_id_bin"].must_include "jimmy"
+        end
       end
 
-      it "saves the value" do
-        last_response.status.must_equal 200
-        data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").data.must_equal "another text"
-      end
+      describe "with explicit content type" do
+        before do
+          header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"
+          header "Content-Type", "application/json"
+          put "/jimmy/documents/jason", '{"foo": "bar", "unhosted": 1}'
+        end
 
-      it "stores the data as plain text with utf-8 encoding" do
-        data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").content_type.must_equal "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
-      end
+        it "saves the value (as JSON)" do
+          last_response.status.must_equal 200
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_be_kind_of Hash
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").data.must_equal({"foo" => "bar", "unhosted" => 1})
+        end
 
-      it "indexes the data set" do
-        data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").indexes["user_id_bin"].must_be_kind_of Set
-        data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:bar").indexes["user_id_bin"].must_include "jimmy"
+        it "uses the requested content type" do
+          data_bucket.get("jimmy:documents:jason").content_type.must_equal "application/json"
+        end
+
+        it "delivers the data correctly" do
+          header "Authorization", "Bearer 123"
+          get "/jimmy/documents/jason"
+
+          last_response.body.must_equal '{"foo":"bar","unhosted":1}'
+          last_response.content_type.must_equal "application/json"
+        end
       end
     end