diff --git a/examples/node/app.js b/examples/node/app.js
index e2e5835aa..65bed3ba2 100644
--- a/examples/node/app.js
+++ b/examples/node/app.js
@@ -86,6 +86,21 @@ rl.on('line', function(line) {
                 print("/invite Error: %s", err);
             });
         }
+        else if (line.indexOf("/file ") === 0) {
+            var filename = line.split(" ")[1].trim();
+            var stream = fs.createReadStream(filename);
+            matrixClient.uploadContent({
+                stream: stream,
+                name: filename
+            }).done(function(url) {
+                var content = {
+                    msgtype: "m.file",
+                    body: filename,
+                    url: JSON.parse(url).content_uri
+                };
+                matrixClient.sendMessage(viewingRoom.roomId, content);
+            });
+        }
         else {
             matrixClient.sendTextMessage(viewingRoom.roomId, line).finally(function() {
                 printMessages();
@@ -388,4 +403,4 @@ function fixWidth(str, len) {
     return str;
 }
 
-matrixClient.startClient(numMessagesToShow);  // messages for each room.
\ No newline at end of file
+matrixClient.startClient(numMessagesToShow);  // messages for each room.
diff --git a/lib/http-api.js b/lib/http-api.js
index a3390bea1..4f5e32fd2 100644
--- a/lib/http-api.js
+++ b/lib/http-api.js
@@ -138,6 +138,16 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
         };
     },
 
+    /**
+     * Upload content to the Home Server
+     * @param {File object} file A File object (in a browser) or in Node,
+                                 an object with properties:
+                                 name: The file's name
+                                 stream: A read stream
+     * @param {Function} callback Optional. The callback to invoke on
+     * success/failure. See the promise return values for more information.
+     * @return {module:client.Promise} Resolves to <code>{data: {Object},
+     */
     uploadContent: function(file, callback) {
         if (callback !== undefined && !utils.isFunction(callback)) {
             throw Error(
@@ -145,6 +155,7 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
             );
         }
         var defer = q.defer();
+        var url = this.opts.baseUrl+"/_matrix/media/v1/upload";
         // browser-request doesn't support File objects because it deep-copies
         // the options using JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(options)). Instead of
         // loading the whole file into memory as a string and letting
@@ -152,42 +163,55 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
         // use XMLHttpRequest directly.
         // (browser-request doesn't support progress either, which is also kind
         // of important here)
-        var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
-        var cb = requestCallback(defer, callback, this.opts.onlyData);
+        if (global.XMLHttpRequest) {
+            var xhr = new global.XMLHttpRequest();
+            var cb = requestCallback(defer, callback, this.opts.onlyData);
 
-        var timeout_fn = function() {
-            xhr.abort();
-            cb(new Error('Timeout'));
-        };
+            var timeout_fn = function() {
+                xhr.abort();
+                cb(new Error('Timeout'));
+            };
 
-        xhr.timeout_timer = setTimeout(timeout_fn, 30000);
-
-        xhr.onreadystatechange = function() {
-            switch (xhr.readyState) {
-                case XMLHttpRequest.DONE:
-                    clearTimeout(xhr.timeout_timer);
-
-                    var resp = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
-                    if (resp.content_uri === undefined) {
-                        cb(new Error('Bad response'));
-                        return;
-                    }
-
-                    cb(undefined, xhr, resp.content_uri);
-                    break;
-            }
-        };
-        xhr.upload.addEventListener("progress", function(ev) {
-            clearTimeout(xhr.timeout_timer);
             xhr.timeout_timer = setTimeout(timeout_fn, 30000);
-            defer.notify(ev);
-        });
-        var url = this.opts.baseUrl+"/_matrix/media/v1/upload";
-        url += "?access_token="+encodeURIComponent(this.opts.accessToken);
-        url += "&filename="+encodeURIComponent(file.name);
 
-        xhr.open("POST", url);
-        xhr.send(file);
+            xhr.onreadystatechange = function() {
+                switch (xhr.readyState) {
+                    case global.XMLHttpRequest.DONE:
+                        clearTimeout(xhr.timeout_timer);
+
+                        var resp = JSON.parse(xhr.responseText);
+                        if (resp.content_uri === undefined) {
+                            cb(new Error('Bad response'));
+                            return;
+                        }
+
+                        cb(undefined, xhr, resp.content_uri);
+                        break;
+                }
+            };
+            xhr.upload.addEventListener("progress", function(ev) {
+                clearTimeout(xhr.timeout_timer);
+                xhr.timeout_timer = setTimeout(timeout_fn, 30000);
+                defer.notify(ev);
+            });
+            url += "?access_token="+encodeURIComponent(this.opts.accessToken);
+            url += "&filename="+encodeURIComponent(file.name);
+
+            xhr.open("POST", url);
+            xhr.send(file);
+        } else {
+            var queryParams = {
+                filename: file.name,
+                access_token: this.opts.accessToken
+            };
+            file.stream.pipe(
+                this.opts.request({
+                    uri: url,
+                    qs: queryParams,
+                    method: "POST"
+                }, requestCallback(defer, callback, this.opts.onlyData))
+            );
+        }
 
         return defer.promise;
     },