diff --git a/consumer/groovy/src/main/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/PactBuilder.groovy b/consumer/groovy/src/main/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/PactBuilder.groovy
index f55b051e83..6073262e9d 100644
--- a/consumer/groovy/src/main/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/PactBuilder.groovy
+++ b/consumer/groovy/src/main/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/PactBuilder.groovy
@@ -112,11 +112,11 @@ class PactBuilder extends GroovyBuilder {
     Map headers = setupHeaders(requestData.headers ?: [:], requestMatchers, requestGenerators)
     Map query = setupQueryParameters(requestData.query ?: [:], requestMatchers, requestGenerators)
     String path = setupPath(requestData.path ?: '/', requestMatchers, requestGenerators)
-    def requestBody = setupBody(requestData, currentInteraction.request)
     this.currentInteraction.request.method = requestData.method ?: 'GET'
     this.currentInteraction.request.headers = headers
     this.currentInteraction.request.query = query
     this.currentInteraction.request.path = path
+    def requestBody = setupBody(requestData, currentInteraction.request)
     this.currentInteraction.request.body = requestBody
     this
   }
@@ -131,9 +131,9 @@ class PactBuilder extends GroovyBuilder {
     MatchingRules responseMatchers = currentInteraction.response.matchingRules
     Generators responseGenerators = currentInteraction.response.generators
     Map responseHeaders = setupHeaders(responseData.headers ?: [:], responseMatchers, responseGenerators)
-    def responseBody = setupBody(responseData, currentInteraction.response)
     this.currentInteraction.response.status = responseData.status ?: 200
     this.currentInteraction.response.headers = responseHeaders
+    def responseBody = setupBody(responseData, currentInteraction.response)
     this.currentInteraction.response.body = responseBody
     requestState = false
     this
@@ -190,10 +190,6 @@ class PactBuilder extends GroovyBuilder {
 
   private setupRequestOrResponse(PactBodyBuilder body, Map options) {
     if (requestState) {
-      currentInteraction.request.body = body.body instanceof OptionalBody ? body.body :
-        OptionalBody.body(body.body.bytes)
-      currentInteraction.request.matchingRules.addCategory(body.matchers)
-      currentInteraction.request.generators.addGenerators(body.generators)
       if (!currentInteraction.request.contentTypeHeader()) {
         if (options.mimeType) {
           currentInteraction.request.headers[CONTENT_TYPE] = [ options.mimeType ]
@@ -201,11 +197,11 @@ class PactBuilder extends GroovyBuilder {
           currentInteraction.request.headers[CONTENT_TYPE] = [ JSON ]
         }
       }
-    } else {
-      currentInteraction.response.body = body.body instanceof OptionalBody ? body.body :
+      currentInteraction.request.body = body.body instanceof OptionalBody ? body.body :
         OptionalBody.body(body.body.bytes)
-      currentInteraction.response.matchingRules.addCategory(body.matchers)
-      currentInteraction.response.generators.addGenerators(body.generators)
+      currentInteraction.request.matchingRules.addCategory(body.matchers)
+      currentInteraction.request.generators.addGenerators(body.generators)
+    } else {
       if (!currentInteraction.response.contentTypeHeader()) {
         if (options.mimeType) {
           currentInteraction.response.headers[CONTENT_TYPE] = [ options.mimeType ]
@@ -213,6 +209,10 @@ class PactBuilder extends GroovyBuilder {
           currentInteraction.response.headers[CONTENT_TYPE] = [ JSON ]
         }
       }
+      currentInteraction.response.body = body.body instanceof OptionalBody ? body.body :
+        OptionalBody.body(body.body.bytes)
+      currentInteraction.response.matchingRules.addCategory(body.matchers)
+      currentInteraction.response.generators.addGenerators(body.generators)
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/consumer/groovy/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BaseBuilder.kt b/consumer/groovy/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BaseBuilder.kt
index 55438bd145..0aafdc2419 100644
--- a/consumer/groovy/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BaseBuilder.kt
+++ b/consumer/groovy/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BaseBuilder.kt
@@ -14,22 +14,30 @@ import mu.KLogging
 import java.util.regex.Pattern
 
 open class BaseBuilder : Matchers() {
-  protected fun setupBody(requestData: Map<String, Any>, httpPart: HttpPart): OptionalBody {
-    return if (requestData.containsKey(BODY)) {
-      val body = requestData[BODY]
+  protected fun setupBody(data: Map<String, Any>, httpPart: HttpPart): OptionalBody {
+    return if (data.containsKey(BODY)) {
+      val body = data[BODY]
+      val contentType = httpPart.determineContentType()
       if (body != null && body::class.qualifiedName == "au.com.dius.pact.consumer.groovy.PactBodyBuilder") {
         httpPart.matchingRules.addCategory(body::class.property("matchers")?.get(body) as Category)
         httpPart.generators.addGenerators(body::class.property("generators")?.get(body) as Generators)
-        OptionalBody.body(body::class.property(BODY)?.get(body).toString().toByteArray())
+        OptionalBody.body(body::class.property(BODY)?.get(body).toString().toByteArray(contentType.asCharset()))
       } else if (body != null && body !is String) {
-        val prettyPrint = requestData["prettyPrint"] as Boolean?
-        if (prettyPrint == null && !compactMimeTypes(requestData) || prettyPrint == true) {
-          OptionalBody.body(JsonBuilder(body).toPrettyString().toByteArray())
+        if (contentType.isBinaryType()) {
+          when (body) {
+            is ByteArray -> OptionalBody.body(body)
+            else -> OptionalBody.body(body.toString().toByteArray(contentType.asCharset()))
+          }
         } else {
-          OptionalBody.body(JsonBuilder(body).toString().toByteArray())
+          val prettyPrint = data["prettyPrint"] as Boolean?
+          if (prettyPrint == null && !compactMimeTypes(data) || prettyPrint == true) {
+            OptionalBody.body(JsonBuilder(body).toPrettyString().toByteArray(contentType.asCharset()))
+          } else {
+            OptionalBody.body(JsonBuilder(body).toString().toByteArray(contentType.asCharset()))
+          }
         }
       } else {
-        OptionalBody.body(body.toString().toByteArray())
+        OptionalBody.body(body.toString().toByteArray(contentType.asCharset()))
       }
     } else {
       OptionalBody.missing()
diff --git a/consumer/groovy/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BinaryFileSpec.groovy b/consumer/groovy/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BinaryFileSpec.groovy
index bf76007afd..e93042dd4b 100644
--- a/consumer/groovy/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BinaryFileSpec.groovy
+++ b/consumer/groovy/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/consumer/groovy/BinaryFileSpec.groovy
@@ -5,10 +5,8 @@ import au.com.dius.pact.consumer.PactVerificationResult
 import org.apache.http.client.methods.RequestBuilder
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.CloseableHttpClient
 import org.apache.http.impl.client.HttpClients
-import spock.lang.Ignore
 import spock.lang.Specification
 
-@Ignore
 class BinaryFileSpec extends Specification {
 
   def 'handles bodies from form posts'() {