diff --git a/lib/http-api.js b/lib/http-api.js
index ac77d30b5..3309f3839 100644
--- a/lib/http-api.js
+++ b/lib/http-api.js
@@ -134,6 +134,8 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
                 cb(new Error('Timeout'));
             };
 
+            // set an initial timeout of 30s; we'll advance it each time we get
+            // a progress notification
             xhr.timeout_timer = callbacks.setTimeout(timeout_fn, 30000);
 
             xhr.onreadystatechange = function() {
@@ -191,8 +193,8 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
             promise = this.authedRequest(
                 callback, "POST", "/upload", queryParams, file.stream, {
                     prefix: "/_matrix/media/v1",
-                    localTimeoutMs: 30000,
                     headers: {"Content-Type": file.type},
+                    json: false,
                 }
             );
         }
@@ -538,7 +540,7 @@ module.exports.MatrixHttpApi.prototype = {
                     withCredentials: false,
                     qs: queryParams,
                     body: data,
-                    json: true,
+                    json: opts.json === undefined ? true : opts.json,
                     timeout: localTimeoutMs,
                     headers: opts.headers || {},
                     _matrix_opts: this.opts
diff --git a/spec/integ/matrix-client-methods.spec.js b/spec/integ/matrix-client-methods.spec.js
index 9d039ce68..4cc5f8e74 100644
--- a/spec/integ/matrix-client-methods.spec.js
+++ b/spec/integ/matrix-client-methods.spec.js
@@ -37,6 +37,74 @@ describe("MatrixClient", function() {
         httpBackend.verifyNoOutstandingExpectation();
     });
 
+    describe("uploadContent", function() {
+        var buf = new Buffer('hello world');
+        it("should upload the file", function(done) {
+            httpBackend.when(
+                "POST", "/_matrix/media/v1/upload"
+            ).check(function(req) {
+                console.log("Request", req);
+
+                expect(req.data).toEqual(buf);
+                expect(req.queryParams.filename).toEqual("hi.txt");
+                expect(req.queryParams.access_token).toEqual(accessToken);
+                expect(req.headers["Content-Type"]).toEqual("text/plain");
+                expect(req.opts.json).toBeFalsy();
+                expect(req.opts.timeout).toBe(undefined);
+            }).respond(200, {
+                "content_uri": "uri"
+            });
+
+            var prom = client.uploadContent({
+                stream: buf,
+                name: "hi.txt",
+                type: "text/plain",
+            });
+
+            expect(prom).toBeDefined();
+
+            var uploads = client.getCurrentUploads();
+            expect(uploads.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(uploads[0].promise).toBe(prom);
+            expect(uploads[0].loaded).toEqual(0);
+
+            prom.then(function(response) {
+                console.log("Response", response);
+                expect(response.content_uri).toEqual("uri");
+
+                var uploads = client.getCurrentUploads();
+                expect(uploads.length).toEqual(0);
+            }).catch(utils.failTest).done(done);
+
+            httpBackend.flush();
+        });
+
+        it("should return a promise which can be cancelled", function(done) {
+            var prom = client.uploadContent({
+                stream: buf,
+                name: "hi.txt",
+                type: "text/plain",
+            });
+
+            var uploads = client.getCurrentUploads();
+            expect(uploads.length).toEqual(1);
+            expect(uploads[0].promise).toBe(prom);
+            expect(uploads[0].loaded).toEqual(0);
+
+            prom.then(function(response) {
+                throw Error("request not aborted");
+            }, function(error) {
+                expect(error).toEqual("aborted");
+
+                var uploads = client.getCurrentUploads();
+                expect(uploads.length).toEqual(0);
+            }).catch(utils.failTest).done(done);
+
+            var r = client.cancelUpload(prom);
+            expect(r).toBe(true);
+        });
+    });
+
     describe("joinRoom", function() {
         it("should no-op if you've already joined a room", function() {
             var roomId = "!foo:bar";
diff --git a/spec/mock-request.js b/spec/mock-request.js
index 6d66e2861..3c7dda10d 100644
--- a/spec/mock-request.js
+++ b/spec/mock-request.js
@@ -11,18 +11,17 @@ function HttpBackend() {
     var self = this;
     // the request function dependency that the SDK needs.
     this.requestFn = function(opts, callback) {
-        var realReq = new Request(opts.method, opts.uri, opts.body, opts.qs);
-        realReq.callback = callback;
-        console.log("HTTP backend received request: %s %s", opts.method, opts.uri);
-        self.requests.push(realReq);
+        var req = new Request(opts, callback);
+        console.log("HTTP backend received request: %s", req);
+        self.requests.push(req);
 
         var abort = function() {
-            var idx = self.requests.indexOf(realReq);
+            var idx = self.requests.indexOf(req);
             if (idx >= 0) {
                 console.log("Aborting HTTP request: %s %s", opts.method,
                             opts.uri);
                 self.requests.splice(idx, 1);
-                realReq.callback("aborted");
+                req.callback("aborted");
             }
         };
 
@@ -161,22 +160,32 @@ HttpBackend.prototype = {
      * @return {Request} An expected request.
      */
     when: function(method, path, data) {
-        var pendingReq = new Request(method, path, data);
+        var pendingReq = new ExpectedRequest(method, path, data);
         this.expectedRequests.push(pendingReq);
         return pendingReq;
     }
 };
 
-function Request(method, path, data, queryParams) {
+/**
+ * Represents the expectation of a request.
+ *
+ * <p>Includes the conditions to be matched against, the checks to be made,
+ * and the response to be returned.
+ *
+ * @constructor
+ * @param {string} method
+ * @param {string} path
+ * @param {object?} data
+ */
+function ExpectedRequest(method, path, data) {
     this.method = method;
     this.path = path;
     this.data = data;
-    this.queryParams = queryParams;
-    this.callback = null;
     this.response = null;
     this.checks = [];
 }
-Request.prototype = {
+
+ExpectedRequest.prototype = {
     /**
      * Execute a check when this request has been satisfied.
      * @param {Function} fn The function to execute.
@@ -221,6 +230,44 @@ Request.prototype = {
     }
 };
 
+/**
+ * Represents a request made by the app.
+ *
+ * @constructor
+ * @param {object} opts opts passed to request()
+ * @param {function} callback
+ */
+function Request(opts, callback) {
+    this.opts = opts;
+    this.callback = callback;
+
+    Object.defineProperty(this, 'method', {
+        get: function() { return opts.method; }
+    });
+
+    Object.defineProperty(this, 'path', {
+        get: function() { return opts.uri; }
+    });
+
+    Object.defineProperty(this, 'data', {
+        get: function() { return opts.body; }
+    });
+
+    Object.defineProperty(this, 'queryParams', {
+        get: function() { return opts.qs; }
+    });
+
+    Object.defineProperty(this, 'headers', {
+        get: function() { return opts.headers || {}; }
+    });
+}
+
+Request.prototype = {
+    toString: function() {
+        return this.method + " " + this.path;
+    },
+};
+
 /**
  * The HttpBackend class.
  */