diff --git a/.release-please-manifest.json b/.release-please-manifest.json
index fb1bd8f..6a197be 100644
--- a/.release-please-manifest.json
+++ b/.release-please-manifest.json
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 {
-  ".": "1.16.2"
+  ".": "1.17.0"
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5a1ed1e..42ffee1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 1.17.0 (2025-08-06)
+
+Full Changelog: [v1.16.2...v1.17.0](https://github.com/lumalabs/lumaai-python/compare/v1.16.2...v1.17.0)
+
+### Features
+
+* **client:** support file upload requests ([34a3cfb](https://github.com/lumalabs/lumaai-python/commit/34a3cfb3ca6655c5014fcebf8fb6fbee157cf202))
+
+
+### Chores
+
+* **internal:** fix ruff target version ([eb0161d](https://github.com/lumalabs/lumaai-python/commit/eb0161d4e30ec79cb2e6193b508af6e9bfd36668))
+
 ## 1.16.2 (2025-07-25)
 
 Full Changelog: [v1.16.1...v1.16.2](https://github.com/lumalabs/lumaai-python/compare/v1.16.1...v1.16.2)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index 47e5b16..dde79d7 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 [project]
 name = "lumaai"
-version = "1.16.2"
+version = "1.17.0"
 description = "The official Python library for the lumaai API"
 dynamic = ["readme"]
 license = "Apache-2.0"
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ reportPrivateUsage = false
 [tool.ruff]
 line-length = 120
 output-format = "grouped"
-target-version = "py37"
+target-version = "py38"
 
 [tool.ruff.format]
 docstring-code-format = true
diff --git a/src/lumaai/_base_client.py b/src/lumaai/_base_client.py
index 4a8b7ba..2e3c4f7 100644
--- a/src/lumaai/_base_client.py
+++ b/src/lumaai/_base_client.py
@@ -532,7 +532,10 @@ def _build_request(
         is_body_allowed = options.method.lower() != "get"
 
         if is_body_allowed:
-            kwargs["json"] = json_data if is_given(json_data) else None
+            if isinstance(json_data, bytes):
+                kwargs["content"] = json_data
+            else:
+                kwargs["json"] = json_data if is_given(json_data) else None
             kwargs["files"] = files
         else:
             headers.pop("Content-Type", None)
diff --git a/src/lumaai/_files.py b/src/lumaai/_files.py
index 715cc20..cc14c14 100644
--- a/src/lumaai/_files.py
+++ b/src/lumaai/_files.py
@@ -69,12 +69,12 @@ def _transform_file(file: FileTypes) -> HttpxFileTypes:
         return file
 
     if is_tuple_t(file):
-        return (file[0], _read_file_content(file[1]), *file[2:])
+        return (file[0], read_file_content(file[1]), *file[2:])
 
     raise TypeError(f"Expected file types input to be a FileContent type or to be a tuple")
 
 
-def _read_file_content(file: FileContent) -> HttpxFileContent:
+def read_file_content(file: FileContent) -> HttpxFileContent:
     if isinstance(file, os.PathLike):
         return pathlib.Path(file).read_bytes()
     return file
@@ -111,12 +111,12 @@ async def _async_transform_file(file: FileTypes) -> HttpxFileTypes:
         return file
 
     if is_tuple_t(file):
-        return (file[0], await _async_read_file_content(file[1]), *file[2:])
+        return (file[0], await async_read_file_content(file[1]), *file[2:])
 
     raise TypeError(f"Expected file types input to be a FileContent type or to be a tuple")
 
 
-async def _async_read_file_content(file: FileContent) -> HttpxFileContent:
+async def async_read_file_content(file: FileContent) -> HttpxFileContent:
     if isinstance(file, os.PathLike):
         return await anyio.Path(file).read_bytes()
 
diff --git a/src/lumaai/_version.py b/src/lumaai/_version.py
index 51e2321..356bdd3 100644
--- a/src/lumaai/_version.py
+++ b/src/lumaai/_version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 # File generated from our OpenAPI spec by Stainless. See CONTRIBUTING.md for details.
 
 __title__ = "lumaai"
-__version__ = "1.16.2"  # x-release-please-version
+__version__ = "1.17.0"  # x-release-please-version