diff --git a/lib/logstash/outputs/redis.rb b/lib/logstash/outputs/redis.rb
index 2f53289..8b521f1 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/outputs/redis.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/outputs/redis.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ class LogStash::Outputs::Redis < LogStash::Outputs::Base
 
   config_name "redis"
 
+  default :codec, 'json'
+
   # Name is used for logging in case there are multiple instances.
   # TODO: delete
   config :name, :validate => :string, :default => 'default',
@@ -137,48 +139,39 @@ def register
     @host_idx = 0
 
     @congestion_check_times = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = Time.now.to_i - @congestion_interval }
-  end # def register
-
-  def receive(event)
-    return unless output?(event)
-
-    if @batch and @data_type == 'list' # Don't use batched method for pubsub.
-      # Stud::Buffer
-      buffer_receive(event.to_json, event.sprintf(@key))
-      return
-    end
 
-    key = event.sprintf(@key)
-    # TODO(sissel): We really should not drop an event, but historically
-    # we have dropped events that fail to be converted to json.
-    # TODO(sissel): Find a way to continue passing events through even
-    # if they fail to convert properly.
-    begin
-      payload = event.to_json
-    rescue Encoding::UndefinedConversionError, ArgumentError
-      puts "FAILUREENCODING"
-      @logger.error("Failed to convert event to JSON. Invalid UTF-8, maybe?",
-                    :event => event.inspect)
-      return
-    end
+    @codec.on_event do |event, data|
 
-    begin
-      @redis ||= connect
-      if @data_type == 'list'
-        congestion_check(key)
-        @redis.rpush(key, payload)
+      if @batch and @data_type == 'list' # Don't use batched method for pubsub.
+        # Stud::Buffer
+        buffer_receive(data, event.sprintf(@key))
       else
-        @redis.publish(key, payload)
+        key = event.sprintf(@key)
+
+        begin
+          @redis ||= connect
+          if @data_type == 'list'
+            congestion_check(key)
+            @redis.rpush(key, data)
+          else
+            @redis.publish(key, data)
+          end
+        rescue => e
+          @logger.warn("Failed to send event to Redis", :event => event,
+                       :identity => identity, :exception => e,
+                       :backtrace => e.backtrace)
+          sleep @reconnect_interval
+          @redis = nil
+          retry
+        end
       end
-    rescue => e
-      @logger.warn("Failed to send event to Redis", :event => event,
-                   :identity => identity, :exception => e,
-                   :backtrace => e.backtrace)
-      sleep @reconnect_interval
-      @redis = nil
-      retry
     end
-  end # def receive
+  end # def register
+
+  def receive(event)
+    return unless output?(event)
+    @codec.encode(event)
+  end
 
   def congestion_check(key)
     return if @congestion_threshold == 0
diff --git a/logstash-output-redis.gemspec b/logstash-output-redis.gemspec
index 92ad2c1..07a20e2 100644
--- a/logstash-output-redis.gemspec
+++ b/logstash-output-redis.gemspec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
 
   s.name            = 'logstash-output-redis'
-  s.version         = '1.0.0'
+  s.version         = '1.0.1'
   s.licenses        = ['Apache License (2.0)']
   s.summary         = "This output will send events to a Redis queue using RPUSH"
   s.description     = "This gem is a logstash plugin required to be installed on top of the Logstash core pipeline using $LS_HOME/bin/plugin install gemname. This gem is not a stand-alone program"