diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHContent.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHContent.java
index 443dd5918..dbc56a953 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHContent.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHContent.java
@@ -129,11 +129,19 @@ public class GHContent {
     }
 
     public GHContentUpdateResponse update(String newContent, String commitMessage) throws IOException {
-        return update(newContent, commitMessage, null);
+        return update(newContent.getBytes(), commitMessage, null);
     }
 
-    public GHContentUpdateResponse update(String newContent, String commitMessage, String branch) throws IOException {
-        String encodedContent = DatatypeConverter.printBase64Binary(newContent.getBytes());
+	public GHContentUpdateResponse update(String newContent, String commitMessage, String branch) throws IOException {
+		return update(newContent.getBytes(), commitMessage, branch);
+	}
+
+	public GHContentUpdateResponse update(byte[] newContentBytes, String commitMessage) throws IOException {
+		return update(newContentBytes, commitMessage, null);
+	}
+
+    public GHContentUpdateResponse update(byte[] newContentBytes, String commitMessage, String branch) throws IOException {
+        String encodedContent = DatatypeConverter.printBase64Binary(newContentBytes);
 
         Requester requester = new Requester(owner.root)
             .with("path", path)
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
index 4e3441166..740ae2122 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/GHRepository.java
@@ -939,15 +939,24 @@ public class GHRepository {
         return getFileContent("readme");
     }
 
-    public GHContentUpdateResponse createContent(String content, String commitMessage, String path) throws IOException {
-        return createContent(content, commitMessage, path, null);
+
+	public GHContentUpdateResponse createContent(String content, String commitMessage, String path) throws IOException {
+		return createContent(content.getBytes(), commitMessage, path, null);
+	}
+
+	public GHContentUpdateResponse createContent(String content, String commitMessage, String path, String branch) throws IOException {
+		return createContent(content.getBytes(), commitMessage, path, branch);
+	}
+
+    public GHContentUpdateResponse createContent(byte[] contentBytes, String commitMessage, String path) throws IOException {
+        return createContent(contentBytes, commitMessage, path, null);
     }
 
-    public GHContentUpdateResponse createContent(String content, String commitMessage, String path, String branch) throws IOException {
+    public GHContentUpdateResponse createContent(byte[] contentBytes, String commitMessage, String path, String branch) throws IOException {
         Requester requester = new Requester(root)
             .with("path", path)
             .with("message", commitMessage)
-            .with("content", DatatypeConverter.printBase64Binary(content.getBytes()))
+            .with("content", DatatypeConverter.printBase64Binary(contentBytes))
             .method("PUT");
 
         if (branch != null) {