diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregator.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregator.java
index 2ab783571..f67bd72b7 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregator.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregator.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package org.springframework.cloud.netflix.turbine.stream;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -53,7 +54,8 @@ public class HystrixStreamAggregator {
 	}
 
 	@ServiceActivator(inputChannel = TurbineStreamClient.INPUT)
-	public void sendToSubject(@Payload String payload) {
+	public void sendToSubject(@Payload byte[] bytePayload) {
+		String payload = new String(bytePayload, StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
 		if (log.isTraceEnabled()) {
 			log.trace("Received hystrix stream payload string: " + payload);
 		}
diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregatorTests.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregatorTests.java
index 5d9352c39..318c90dec 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregatorTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/HystrixStreamAggregatorTests.java
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ public class HystrixStreamAggregatorTests {
 		this.publisher.subscribe(map -> {
 			assertThat(map.get("type"), equalTo("HystrixCommand"));
 		});
-		this.aggregator.sendToSubject(PAYLOAD);
+		this.aggregator.sendToSubject(PAYLOAD.getBytes());
 		this.output.expect(not(containsString("ERROR")));
 	}
 
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ public class HystrixStreamAggregatorTests {
 		this.publisher.subscribe(map -> {
 			assertThat(map.get("type"), equalTo("HystrixCommand"));
 		});
-		this.aggregator.sendToSubject("[" + PAYLOAD + "]");
+		this.aggregator.sendToSubject(new StringBuilder().append("[").append(PAYLOAD).append("]").toString().getBytes());
 		this.output.expect(not(containsString("ERROR")));
 	}
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public class HystrixStreamAggregatorTests {
 		});
 		// If The JSON is embedded in a JSON String this is what it looks like
 		String payload = "\"" + PAYLOAD.replace("\"", "\\\"") + "\"";
-		this.aggregator.sendToSubject(payload);
+		this.aggregator.sendToSubject(payload.getBytes());
 		this.output.expect(not(containsString("ERROR")));
 	}
 
diff --git a/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/TurbineStreamTests.java b/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/TurbineStreamTests.java
index db3f02ef9..fb1211cd9 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/TurbineStreamTests.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-netflix-turbine-stream/src/test/java/org/springframework/cloud/netflix/turbine/stream/TurbineStreamTests.java
@@ -22,11 +22,8 @@ import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.InputStreamReader;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.util.Map;
-
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 import org.junit.Test;
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
-
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Qualifier;
 import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.EnableAutoConfiguration;
@@ -34,6 +31,10 @@ import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
 import org.springframework.boot.web.server.LocalServerPort;
 import org.springframework.cloud.contract.stubrunner.StubTrigger;
 import org.springframework.cloud.contract.stubrunner.spring.AutoConfigureStubRunner;
+import org.springframework.cloud.contract.verifier.messaging.MessageVerifier;
+import org.springframework.cloud.contract.verifier.messaging.stream.StreamStubMessages;
+import org.springframework.context.ApplicationContext;
+import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpMethod;
 import org.springframework.http.HttpRequest;
@@ -44,9 +45,11 @@ import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpRequestExecution;
 import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpRequestInterceptor;
 import org.springframework.http.client.ClientHttpResponse;
 import org.springframework.integration.support.management.MessageChannelMetrics;
+import org.springframework.messaging.Message;
 import org.springframework.messaging.SubscribableChannel;
 import org.springframework.test.context.junit4.SpringJUnit4ClassRunner;
 import org.springframework.web.client.RestTemplate;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 
 import static org.assertj.core.api.Assertions.assertThat;
 import static org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest.WebEnvironment.RANDOM_PORT;
@@ -61,7 +64,7 @@ import static org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest.WebEnvironmen
 		// https://github.com/spring-cloud/spring-cloud-netflix/issues/1948
 		"spring.cloud.stream.bindings.turbineStreamInput.destination=hystrixStreamOutput",
 		"spring.jmx.enabled=true", "stubrunner.workOffline=true",
-		"stubrunner.ids=org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-netflix-hystrix-stream:${projectVersion:2.0.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT}:stubs" })
+		"stubrunner.ids=org.springframework.cloud:spring-cloud-netflix-hystrix-stream:${projectVersion:2.0.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT}:stubs"})
 @AutoConfigureStubRunner
 public class TurbineStreamTests {
 	@Autowired
@@ -85,6 +88,22 @@ public class TurbineStreamTests {
 	@EnableAutoConfiguration
 	@EnableTurbineStream
 	public static class Application {
+		@Bean
+		//TODO This can be removed after Finchley.RELEASE, once we can use Spring Cloud Contract Verifier 2.0.0
+		//This is a hack to allow compatibility between Stream 2.0.0, which is sending everything as a byte array,
+		//and contract which is assuming everything is a String.
+		public MessageVerifier<Message<?>> customMessageVerifier(ApplicationContext context) {
+			return new StreamStubMessages(context) {
+				@Override
+				public <T> void send(T payload, Map<String, Object> headers, String destination) {
+					if(String.class.isInstance(payload)){
+						super.send(((String)payload).getBytes(), headers, destination);
+						return;
+					}
+					super.send(payload, headers, destination);
+				}
+			};
+		}
 	}
 
 	@Test