diff --git a/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.android.ts b/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.android.ts
index 66e74f289..e85bc5cda 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.android.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.android.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function onRequestComplete(requestId: number, result: org.nativescript.widgets.A
         var pair: org.nativescript.widgets.Async.Http.KeyValuePair;
         for (i = 0; i < length; i++) {
             pair = jHeaders.get(i);
-            
+
             (<any>http).addHeader(headers, pair.key, pair.value);
         }
     }
@@ -74,16 +74,28 @@ function onRequestComplete(requestId: number, result: org.nativescript.widgets.A
     callbacks.resolveCallback({
         content: {
             raw: result.raw,
-            toString: () => {
-                if (types.isString(result.responseAsString)) {
-                    return result.responseAsString;
+            toString: (encoding?: http.HttpResponseEncoding) => {
+                let str: string;
+                if (encoding) {
+                    str = decodeResponse(result.raw, encoding);
+                } else {
+                    str = result.responseAsString;
+                }
+                if (types.isString(str)) {
+                    return str;
                 } else {
                     throw new Error("Response content may not be converted to string");
                 }
             },
-            toJSON: () => {
+            toJSON: (encoding?: http.HttpResponseEncoding) => {
                 ensureUtils();
-                return utils.parseJSON(result.responseAsString);
+                let str: string;
+                if (encoding) {
+                    str = decodeResponse(result.raw, encoding);
+                } else {
+                    str = result.responseAsString;
+                }
+                return utils.parseJSON(str);
             },
             toImage: () => {
                 ensureImageSource();
@@ -195,3 +207,11 @@ export function request(options: http.HttpRequestOptions): Promise<http.HttpResp
         }
     });
 }
+
+function decodeResponse(raw: any, encoding?: http.HttpResponseEncoding) {
+    let charsetName = "UTF-8";
+    if (encoding === http.HttpResponseEncoding.GBK) {
+        charsetName = 'GBK';
+    }
+    return raw.toString(charsetName)
+}
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.ios.ts b/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.ios.ts
index 84f969ca5..8417b68c0 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.ios.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/http/http-request.ios.ts
@@ -65,12 +65,12 @@ export function request(options: http.HttpRequestOptions): Promise<http.HttpResp
                         var headers: http.Headers = {};
                         if (response && response.allHeaderFields) {
                             var headerFields = response.allHeaderFields;
-                            
+
                             headerFields.enumerateKeysAndObjectsUsingBlock((key, value, stop) => {
                                 (<any>http).addHeader(headers, key, value);
                             });
                         }
-                        
+
                         if (debugRequest) {
                             debugRequest.mimeType = response.MIMEType;
                             debugRequest.data = data;
@@ -89,9 +89,9 @@ export function request(options: http.HttpRequestOptions): Promise<http.HttpResp
                         resolve({
                             content: {
                                 raw: data,
-                                toString: () => { return NSDataToString(data); },
-                                toJSON: () => {
-                                    return utils.parseJSON(NSDataToString(data));
+                                toString: (encoding?: http.HttpResponseEncoding) => { return NSDataToString(data, encoding); },
+                                toJSON: (encoding?: http.HttpResponseEncoding) => {
+                                    return utils.parseJSON(NSDataToString(data, encoding));
                                 },
                                 toImage: () => {
                                     ensureImageSource();
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export function request(options: http.HttpRequestOptions): Promise<http.HttpResp
                     }
                 });
 
-            if(options.url && debugRequest) {
+            if (options.url && debugRequest) {
                 var request = {
                     url: options.url,
                     method: "GET",
@@ -141,6 +141,10 @@ export function request(options: http.HttpRequestOptions): Promise<http.HttpResp
     });
 }
 
-function NSDataToString(data: any): string {
-    return NSString.alloc().initWithDataEncoding(data, 4).toString();
+function NSDataToString(data: any, encoding?: http.HttpResponseEncoding): string {
+    let code = 4; //UTF8
+    if (encoding === http.HttpResponseEncoding.GBK) {
+        code = 1586;
+    }
+    return NSString.alloc().initWithDataEncoding(data, code).toString();
 }
diff --git a/tns-core-modules/http/http.d.ts b/tns-core-modules/http/http.d.ts
index d56beecb5..097d01ff5 100644
--- a/tns-core-modules/http/http.d.ts
+++ b/tns-core-modules/http/http.d.ts
@@ -2,144 +2,148 @@
  * Allows you to send web requests and receive the responses.
  */
 declare module "http" {
-    import image = require("image-source");
-    import fs = require("file-system"); 
+  import image = require("image-source");
+  import fs = require("file-system");
 
-   /**
-    * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string.
-    * @param url The URL to request from.
-    */
-    export function getString(url: string): Promise<string>
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string.
+   * @param url The URL to request from.
+   */
+  export function getString(url: string): Promise<string>
 
-   /**
-    * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string.
-    * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
-    */
-    export function getString(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<string>
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string.
+   * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
+   */
+  export function getString(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<string>
 
-   /**
-    * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string and returns its JSON.parse representation.
-    * @param url The URL to request from.
-    */
-    export function getJSON<T>(url: string): Promise<T>
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string and returns its JSON.parse representation.
+   * @param url The URL to request from.
+   */
+  export function getJSON<T>(url: string): Promise<T>
 
-   /**
-    * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string and returns its JSON.parse representation.
-    * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
-    */
-    export function getJSON<T>(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<T>
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL as a string and returns its JSON.parse representation.
+   * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
+   */
+  export function getJSON<T>(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<T>
 
-   /**
-    * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to decode it as an image.
-    * @param url The URL to request from.
-    */
-    export function getImage(url: string): Promise<image.ImageSource>
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to decode it as an image.
+   * @param url The URL to request from.
+   */
+  export function getImage(url: string): Promise<image.ImageSource>
 
-   /**
-    * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to decode it as an image.
-    * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
-    */
-    export function getImage(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<image.ImageSource>
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to decode it as an image.
+   * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
+   */
+  export function getImage(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<image.ImageSource>
+
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to save it as file.
+   * @param url The URL to request from.
+   * @param destinationFilePath Optional. The downloaded file path.
+   */
+  export function getFile(url: string, destinationFilePath?: string): Promise<fs.File>
+
+  /**
+   * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to save it as file.
+   * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
+   * @param destinationFilePath Optional. The downloaded file path.
+   */
+  export function getFile(options: HttpRequestOptions, destinationFilePath?: string): Promise<fs.File>
+
+  /**
+   * Makes a generic http request using the provided options and returns a HttpResponse Object.
+   * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
+   */
+  export function request(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<HttpResponse>;
+
+  /**
+   * Provides options for the http requests.
+   */
+  export interface HttpRequestOptions {
+    /**
+     * Gets or sets the request url.
+     */
+    url: string;
 
     /**
-     * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to save it as file.
-     * @param url The URL to request from.
-     * @param destinationFilePath Optional. The downloaded file path.
+     * Gets or sets the request method.
      */
-    export function getFile(url: string, destinationFilePath?: string): Promise<fs.File>
+    method: string;
 
     /**
-     * Downloads the content from the specified URL and attempts to save it as file.
-     * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
-     * @param destinationFilePath Optional. The downloaded file path.
+     * Gets or sets the request headers in JSON format.
      */
-    export function getFile(options: HttpRequestOptions, destinationFilePath?: string): Promise<fs.File>
+    headers?: any;
 
-   /**
-    * Makes a generic http request using the provided options and returns a HttpResponse Object.
-    * @param options An object that specifies various request options.
-    */
-    export function request(options: HttpRequestOptions): Promise<HttpResponse>;
+    /**
+     * Gets or sets the request body.
+     */
+    content?: string | FormData;
 
-   /**
-    * Provides options for the http requests.
-    */
-    export interface HttpRequestOptions {
-         /**
-          * Gets or sets the request url.
-          */
-        url: string;
+    /**
+     * Gets or sets the request timeout in milliseconds.
+     */
+    timeout?: number;
+  }
 
-         /**
-          * Gets or sets the request method.
-          */
-        method: string;
+  /**
+   * Encapsulates HTTP-response information from an HTTP-request.
+   */
+  export interface HttpResponse {
+    /**
+     * Gets the response status code.
+     */
+    statusCode: number;
 
-         /**
-          * Gets or sets the request headers in JSON format.
-          */
-        headers?: any;
+    /**
+     * Gets the response headers.
+     */
+    headers: Headers;
 
-         /**
-          * Gets or sets the request body.
-          */
-        content?: string | FormData;
+    /**
+     * Gets the response content.
+     */
+    content?: HttpContent;
+  }
 
-         /**
-          * Gets or sets the request timeout in milliseconds.
-          */
-        timeout?: number;
-    }
+  export type Headers = { [key: string]: string | string[] };
 
-   /**
-    * Encapsulates HTTP-response information from an HTTP-request.
-    */
-    export interface HttpResponse {
-       /**
-        * Gets the response status code.
-        */
-        statusCode: number;
+  export const enum HttpResponseEncoding {
+    UTF8,
+    GBK
+  }
+  /**
+   * Encapsulates the content of an HttpResponse.
+   */
+  export interface HttpContent {
+    /**
+     * Gets the response body as raw data.
+     */
+    raw: any;
 
-       /**
-        * Gets the response headers.
-        */
-        headers: Headers;
+    /**
+     * Gets the response body as string.
+     */
+    toString: (encoding?: HttpResponseEncoding) => string;
 
-       /**
-        * Gets the response content.
-        */
-        content?: HttpContent;
-    }
-    
-    export type Headers = { [key: string]: string | string[] };
+    /**
+     * Gets the response body as JSON object.
+     */
+    toJSON: (encoding?: HttpResponseEncoding) => any;
 
-   /**
-    * Encapsulates the content of an HttpResponse.
-    */
-    export interface HttpContent {
-       /**
-        * Gets the response body as raw data.
-        */
-        raw: any;
+    /**
+     * Gets the response body as ImageSource.
+     */
+    toImage: () => Promise<image.ImageSource>;
 
-       /**
-        * Gets the response body as string.
-        */
-        toString: () => string;
-
-       /**
-        * Gets the response body as JSON object.
-        */
-        toJSON: () => any;
-
-       /**
-        * Gets the response body as ImageSource.
-        */
-        toImage: () => Promise<image.ImageSource>;
-
-        /**
-         * Gets the response body as file.
-         */
-        toFile: (destinationFilePath?: string) => fs.File;     
-    }
+    /**
+     * Gets the response body as file.
+     */
+    toFile: (destinationFilePath?: string) => fs.File;
+  }
 }
\ No newline at end of file