diff --git a/SoftLayer/transports.py b/SoftLayer/transports.py
index 297249852..02cd7a214 100644
--- a/SoftLayer/transports.py
+++ b/SoftLayer/transports.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
     :license: MIT, see LICENSE for more details.
 """
+import base64
 import importlib
 import json
 import logging
@@ -359,7 +360,7 @@ def __call__(self, request):
             body['parameters'] = request.args
 
         if body:
-            request.payload = json.dumps(body)
+            request.payload = json.dumps(body, cls=ComplexEncoder)
 
         url_parts = [self.endpoint_url, request.service]
         if request.identifier is not None:
@@ -566,3 +567,17 @@ def _format_object_mask(objectmask):
             not objectmask.startswith('[')):
         objectmask = "mask[%s]" % objectmask
     return objectmask
+
+
+class ComplexEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
+    """ComplexEncoder helps jsonencoder deal with byte strings"""
+
+    def default(self, o):
+        """Encodes o as JSON"""
+
+        # Base64 encode bytes type objects.
+        if isinstance(o, bytes):
+            base64_bytes = base64.b64encode(o)
+            return base64_bytes.decode("utf-8")
+        # Let the base class default method raise the TypeError
+        return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, o)
diff --git a/tests/transport_tests.py b/tests/transport_tests.py
index d105c3fdc..6e6c793fd 100644
--- a/tests/transport_tests.py
+++ b/tests/transport_tests.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import io
 import warnings
 
+import json
 import mock
 import pytest
 import requests
@@ -527,6 +528,30 @@ def test_with_args(self, request):
             proxies=None,
             timeout=None)
 
+    @mock.patch('SoftLayer.transports.requests.Session.request')
+    def test_with_args_bytes(self, request):
+        request().text = '{}'
+
+        req = transports.Request()
+        req.service = 'SoftLayer_Service'
+        req.method = 'getObject'
+        req.args = ('test', b'asdf')
+
+        resp = self.transport(req)
+
+        self.assertEqual(resp, {})
+        request.assert_called_with(
+            'POST',
+            'http://something.com/SoftLayer_Service/getObject.json',
+            headers=mock.ANY,
+            auth=None,
+            data='{"parameters": ["test", "YXNkZg=="]}',
+            params={},
+            verify=True,
+            cert=None,
+            proxies=None,
+            timeout=None)
+
     @mock.patch('SoftLayer.transports.requests.Session.request')
     def test_with_filter(self, request):
         request().text = '{}'
@@ -674,6 +699,16 @@ def test_print_reproduceable(self):
         output_text = self.transport.print_reproduceable(req)
         self.assertIn("https://test.com", output_text)
 
+    def test_complex_encoder_bytes(self):
+        to_encode = {
+            'test': ['array', 0, 1, False],
+            'bytes': b'ASDASDASD'
+        }
+        result = json.dumps(to_encode, cls=transports.ComplexEncoder)
+        # result = '{"test": ["array", 0, 1, false], "bytes": "QVNEQVNEQVNE"}'
+        # encode doesn't always encode in the same order, so testing exact match SOMETIMES breaks.
+        self.assertIn("QVNEQVNEQVNE", result)
+
 
 class TestFixtureTransport(testing.TestCase):