diff --git a/f5/bigip/resource.py b/f5/bigip/resource.py
index ac660b686..7bd0473b3 100644
--- a/f5/bigip/resource.py
+++ b/f5/bigip/resource.py
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@
                    "orderreddict external dependency installed.")
         raise exc(message)
 import copy
+import json
 import keyword
 import re
 import time
@@ -404,7 +405,8 @@ def _modify(self, **patch):
         # Handles ConnectionAborted errors
         for i in range(0, 30):
             try:
-                response = session.patch(patch_uri, json=patch, **requests_params)
+                response = session.patch(
+                    patch_uri, data=patch, **requests_params)
                 break
             except ConnectionError as ex:
                 if 'Connection aborted' in str(ex) and i < 29:
@@ -451,6 +453,7 @@ def _prepare_request_json(self, kwargs):
             kwargs.pop('check')
             od.update(kwargs)
             return od
+        kwargs = json.dumps(kwargs, ensure_ascii=False).encode('utf-8')
         return kwargs
 
     def _iter_list_for_dicts(self, check_list):
@@ -588,7 +591,8 @@ def _update(self, **kwargs):
         # @see https://github.com/requests/requests/issues/2364
         for i in range(0, 30):
             try:
-                response = session.put(update_uri, json=data_dict, **requests_params)
+                response = session.put(
+                    update_uri, data=data_dict, **requests_params)
                 self._meta_data = temp_meta
                 self._local_update(response.json())
                 break
@@ -993,7 +997,8 @@ def _create(self, **kwargs):
         # Handles ConnectionAborted errors
         for i in range(0, 30):
             try:
-                response = session.post(_create_uri, json=kwargs, **requests_params)
+                response = session.post(
+                    _create_uri, data=kwargs, **requests_params)
                 break
             except ConnectionError as ex:
                 if 'Connection aborted' in str(ex) and i < 29:
diff --git a/f5/bigip/test/unit/test_resource.py b/f5/bigip/test/unit/test_resource.py
index 8b238441b..fe92ff95c 100644
--- a/f5/bigip/test/unit/test_resource.py
+++ b/f5/bigip/test/unit/test_resource.py
@@ -272,23 +272,23 @@ def test_reduce_boolean_removes_enabled(self, fake_vs):
         fake_vs.create(partition="Common", name="test_create", enabled=False)
         session = fake_vs._meta_data['bigip']._meta_data['icr_session']
         pos, kwargs = session.post.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['disabled'] is True
-        assert 'enabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"disabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'enabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_disabled(self, fake_vs):
         fake_vs.create(partition='Common', name='test_create',
                        disabled=False)
         session = fake_vs._meta_data['bigip']._meta_data['icr_session']
         pos, kwargs = session.post.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['enabled'] is True
-        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"enabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_nothing(self, fake_vs):
         fake_vs.create(partition='Common', name='test_create', enabled=True)
         session = fake_vs._meta_data['bigip']._meta_data['icr_session']
         pos, kwargs = session.post.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['enabled'] is True
-        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"enabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_same_value(self, fake_vs):
         with pytest.raises(ExclusiveAttributesPresent) as ex:
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ def test_Collection_removal(self):
         assert 'contained' in r.__dict__
         r.update(a="b")
         submitted = r._meta_data['bigip']. \
-            _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args[1]['json']
+            _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args[1]['data']
         assert 'contained' not in submitted
 
     def test_read_only_removal(self):
@@ -440,29 +440,29 @@ def test_read_only_removal(self):
         assert 'READONLY' in r.__dict__
         r.update(a="b")
         submitted = r._meta_data['bigip'].\
-            _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args[1]['json']
+            _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args[1]['data']
         assert 'READONLY' not in submitted
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_enabled(self, fake_rsrc):
         fake_rsrc.update(enabled=False)
         pos, kwargs = fake_rsrc._meta_data['bigip'].\
             _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['disabled'] is True
-        assert 'enabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"disabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'enabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_disabled(self, fake_rsrc):
         fake_rsrc.update(disabled=False)
         pos, kwargs = fake_rsrc._meta_data['bigip'].\
             _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['enabled'] is True
-        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"enabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_nothing(self, fake_rsrc):
         fake_rsrc.update(partition='Common', name='test_create', enabled=True)
         pos, kwargs = fake_rsrc._meta_data['bigip'].\
             _meta_data['icr_session'].put.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['enabled'] is True
-        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"enabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_same_value(self, fake_rsrc):
         with pytest.raises(BooleansToReduceHaveSameValue) as ex:
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ def test_Collection_removal(self):
         assert 'contained' in r.__dict__
         r.modify(a="b")
         submitted = r._meta_data['bigip']. \
-            _meta_data['icr_session'].patch.call_args[1]['json']
+            _meta_data['icr_session'].patch.call_args[1]['data']
 
         assert 'contained' not in submitted
 
@@ -528,22 +528,22 @@ def test_reduce_boolean_removes_enabled(self, fake_rsrc):
         fake_rsrc.modify(enabled=False)
         pos, kwargs = fake_rsrc._meta_data['bigip'].\
             _meta_data['icr_session'].patch.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['disabled'] is True
-        assert 'enabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"disabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'enabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_disabled(self, fake_rsrc):
         fake_rsrc.modify(disabled=False)
         pos, kwargs = fake_rsrc._meta_data['bigip'].\
             _meta_data['icr_session'].patch.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['enabled'] is True
-        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"enabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_removes_nothing(self, fake_rsrc):
         fake_rsrc.modify(partition='Common', name='test_create', enabled=True)
         pos, kwargs = fake_rsrc._meta_data['bigip'].\
             _meta_data['icr_session'].patch.call_args
-        assert kwargs['json']['enabled'] is True
-        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['json']
+        assert '"enabled": true' in kwargs['data']
+        assert 'disabled' not in kwargs['data']
 
     def test_reduce_boolean_same_value(self, fake_rsrc):
         with pytest.raises(BooleansToReduceHaveSameValue) as ex: