diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
index d521e713d0b..ce45430d2cb 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/interface.go
@@ -206,6 +206,14 @@ type ObjectAPI interface {
 	// * "json"
 	WithInputEnc(e string) options.ObjectPutOption
 
+	// WithDataType specifies the encoding of data field when using Josn or XML
+	// input encoding.
+	//
+	// Supported types:
+	// * "text" (default)
+	// * "base64"
+	WithDataType(t string) options.ObjectPutOption
+
 	// Get returns the node for the path
 	Get(context.Context, Path) (Node, error)
 
@@ -221,20 +229,20 @@ type ObjectAPI interface {
 	// AddLink adds a link under the specified path. child path can point to a
 	// subdirectory within the patent which must be present (can be overridden
 	// with WithCreate option).
-	AddLink(ctx context.Context, base Path, name string, child Path, opts ...options.ObjectAddLinkOption) (Node, error)
+	AddLink(ctx context.Context, base Path, name string, child Path, opts ...options.ObjectAddLinkOption) (Path, error)
 
 	// WithCreate is an option for AddLink which specifies whether create required
 	// directories for the child
 	WithCreate(create bool) options.ObjectAddLinkOption
 
 	// RmLink removes a link from the node
-	RmLink(ctx context.Context, base Path, link string) (Node, error)
+	RmLink(ctx context.Context, base Path, link string) (Path, error)
 
 	// AppendData appends data to the node
-	AppendData(context.Context, Path, io.Reader) (Node, error)
+	AppendData(context.Context, Path, io.Reader) (Path, error)
 
 	// SetData sets the data contained in the node
-	SetData(context.Context, Path, io.Reader) (Node, error)
+	SetData(context.Context, Path, io.Reader) (Path, error)
 }
 
 // ObjectStat provides information about dag nodes
@@ -254,7 +262,7 @@ type ObjectStat struct {
 	// DataSize is the size of data block section
 	DataSize int
 
-	// CumulativeSize is size of node
+	// CumulativeSize is size of the tree (BlockSize + link sizes)
 	CumulativeSize int
 }
 
diff --git a/core/coreapi/interface/options/object.go b/core/coreapi/interface/options/object.go
index fe86a1cdede..9c8c9a9ddd1 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/interface/options/object.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/interface/options/object.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ type ObjectNewSettings struct {
 
 type ObjectPutSettings struct {
 	InputEnc string
+	DataType string
 }
 
 type ObjectAddLinkSettings struct {
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ func ObjectNewOptions(opts ...ObjectNewOption) (*ObjectNewSettings, error) {
 func ObjectPutOptions(opts ...ObjectPutOption) (*ObjectPutSettings, error) {
 	options := &ObjectPutSettings{
 		InputEnc: "json",
+		DataType: "text",
 	}
 
 	for _, opt := range opts {
@@ -74,6 +76,13 @@ func (api *ObjectOptions) WithInputEnc(e string) ObjectPutOption {
 	}
 }
 
+func (api *ObjectOptions) WithDataType(t string) ObjectPutOption {
+	return func(settings *ObjectPutSettings) error {
+		settings.DataType = t
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
 func (api *ObjectOptions) WithCreate(create bool) ObjectAddLinkOption {
 	return func(settings *ObjectAddLinkSettings) error {
 		settings.Create = create
diff --git a/core/coreapi/object.go b/core/coreapi/object.go
index 915c5ed8c2c..772f90bf291 100644
--- a/core/coreapi/object.go
+++ b/core/coreapi/object.go
@@ -13,15 +13,32 @@ import (
 	dag "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/merkledag"
 	ft "github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/unixfs"
 
+	"encoding/base64"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"encoding/xml"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	node "gx/ipfs/QmNwUEK7QbwSqyKBu3mMtToo8SUc6wQJ7gdZq4gGGJqfnf/go-ipld-format"
 	cid "gx/ipfs/QmeSrf6pzut73u6zLQkRFQ3ygt3k6XFT2kjdYP8Tnkwwyg/go-cid"
 )
 
+const inputLimit = 2 << 20
+
 type ObjectAPI struct {
 	*CoreAPI
 	*caopts.ObjectOptions
 }
 
+type Link struct {
+	Name, Hash string
+	Size       uint64
+}
+
+type Node struct {
+	Links []Link
+	Data  string
+}
+
 func (api *ObjectAPI) New(ctx context.Context, opts ...caopts.ObjectNewOption) (coreiface.Node, error) {
 	options, err := caopts.ObjectNewOptions(opts...)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -49,8 +66,66 @@ func (api *ObjectAPI) Put(ctx context.Context, src io.Reader, opts ...caopts.Obj
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	dagApi := api.Dag()
-	return dagApi.Put(ctx, src, dagApi.WithInputEnc(options.InputEnc), dagApi.WithCodec(cid.DagProtobuf))
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(io.LimitReader(src, inputLimit+10))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	var dagnode *dag.ProtoNode
+	switch options.InputEnc {
+	case "json":
+		node := new(Node)
+		err = json.Unmarshal(data, node)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// check that we have data in the Node to add
+		// otherwise we will add the empty object without raising an error
+		if nodeEmpty(node) {
+			return nil, errors.New("no data or links in this node")
+		}
+
+		dagnode, err = deserializeNode(node, options.DataType)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+	case "protobuf":
+		dagnode, err = dag.DecodeProtobuf(data)
+
+	case "xml":
+		node := new(Node)
+		err = xml.Unmarshal(data, node)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+		// check that we have data in the Node to add
+		// otherwise we will add the empty object without raising an error
+		if nodeEmpty(node) {
+			return nil, errors.New("no data or links in this node")
+		}
+
+		dagnode, err = deserializeNode(node, options.DataType)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+
+	default:
+		return nil, errors.New("unknown object encoding")
+	}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	_, err = api.node.DAG.Add(dagnode)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return ParseCid(dagnode.Cid()), nil
 }
 
 func (api *ObjectAPI) Get(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path) (coreiface.Node, error) {
@@ -109,7 +184,7 @@ func (api *ObjectAPI) Stat(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path) (*coreiface
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-func (api *ObjectAPI) AddLink(ctx context.Context, base coreiface.Path, name string, child coreiface.Path, opts ...caopts.ObjectAddLinkOption) (coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *ObjectAPI) AddLink(ctx context.Context, base coreiface.Path, name string, child coreiface.Path, opts ...caopts.ObjectAddLinkOption) (coreiface.Path, error) {
 	options, err := caopts.ObjectAddLinkOptions(opts...)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -147,10 +222,10 @@ func (api *ObjectAPI) AddLink(ctx context.Context, base coreiface.Path, name str
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return nnode, nil
+	return ParseCid(nnode.Cid()), nil
 }
 
-func (api *ObjectAPI) RmLink(ctx context.Context, base coreiface.Path, link string) (coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *ObjectAPI) RmLink(ctx context.Context, base coreiface.Path, link string) (coreiface.Path, error) {
 	baseNd, err := api.core().ResolveNode(ctx, base)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -173,18 +248,18 @@ func (api *ObjectAPI) RmLink(ctx context.Context, base coreiface.Path, link stri
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return nnode, nil
+	return ParseCid(nnode.Cid()), nil
 }
 
-func (api *ObjectAPI) AppendData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.Reader) (coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *ObjectAPI) AppendData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.Reader) (coreiface.Path, error) {
 	return api.patchData(ctx, path, r, true)
 }
 
-func (api *ObjectAPI) SetData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.Reader) (coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *ObjectAPI) SetData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.Reader) (coreiface.Path, error) {
 	return api.patchData(ctx, path, r, false)
 }
 
-func (api *ObjectAPI) patchData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.Reader, appendData bool) (coreiface.Node, error) {
+func (api *ObjectAPI) patchData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.Reader, appendData bool) (coreiface.Path, error) {
 	nd, err := api.core().ResolveNode(ctx, path)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
@@ -210,9 +285,41 @@ func (api *ObjectAPI) patchData(ctx context.Context, path coreiface.Path, r io.R
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	return pbnd, nil
+	return ParseCid(pbnd.Cid()), nil
 }
 
 func (api *ObjectAPI) core() coreiface.CoreAPI {
 	return api.CoreAPI
 }
+
+func deserializeNode(nd *Node, dataFieldEncoding string) (*dag.ProtoNode, error) {
+	dagnode := new(dag.ProtoNode)
+	switch dataFieldEncoding {
+	case "text":
+		dagnode.SetData([]byte(nd.Data))
+	case "base64":
+		data, _ := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(nd.Data)
+		dagnode.SetData(data)
+	default:
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("Unkown data field encoding")
+	}
+
+	dagnode.SetLinks(make([]*node.Link, len(nd.Links)))
+	for i, link := range nd.Links {
+		c, err := cid.Decode(link.Hash)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		dagnode.Links()[i] = &node.Link{
+			Name: link.Name,
+			Size: link.Size,
+			Cid:  c,
+		}
+	}
+
+	return dagnode, nil
+}
+
+func nodeEmpty(node *Node) bool {
+	return node.Data == "" && len(node.Links) == 0
+}
diff --git a/core/coreapi/object_test.go b/core/coreapi/object_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1ff90d32de6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/coreapi/object_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,385 @@
+package coreapi_test
+
+import (
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"encoding/hex"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	emptyNode, err := api.Object().New(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	dirNode, err := api.Object().New(ctx, api.Object().WithType("unixfs-dir"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if emptyNode.String() != "QmdfTbBqBPQ7VNxZEYEj14VmRuZBkqFbiwReogJgS1zR1n" {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected emptyNode path: %s", emptyNode.String())
+	}
+
+	if dirNode.String() != "QmUNLLsPACCz1vLxQVkXqqLX5R1X345qqfHbsf67hvA3Nn" {
+		t.Errorf("Unexpected dirNode path: %s", dirNode.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectPut(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"YmFy"}`), api.Object().WithDataType("base64")) //bar
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	pbBytes, err := hex.DecodeString("0a0362617a")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p3, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, bytes.NewReader(pbBytes), api.Object().WithInputEnc("protobuf"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if p1.String() != "/ipfs/QmQeGyS87nyijii7kFt1zbe4n2PsXTFimzsdxyE9qh9TST" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected path: %s", p1.String())
+	}
+
+	if p2.String() != "/ipfs/QmNeYRbCibmaMMK6Du6ChfServcLqFvLJF76PzzF76SPrZ" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected path: %s", p2.String())
+	}
+
+	if p3.String() != "/ipfs/QmZreR7M2t7bFXAdb1V5FtQhjk4t36GnrvueLJowJbQM9m" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected path: %s", p3.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectGet(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	nd, err := api.Object().Get(ctx, p1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if string(nd.RawData()[len(nd.RawData())-3:]) != "foo" {
+		t.Fatal("got non-matching data")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectData(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	r, err := api.Object().Data(ctx, p1)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if string(data) != "foo" {
+		t.Fatal("got non-matching data")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectLinks(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Links":[{"Name":"bar", "Hash":"`+p1.Cid().String()+`"}]}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	links, err := api.Object().Links(ctx, p2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(links) != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected number of links: %d", len(links))
+	}
+
+	if links[0].Cid.String() != p1.Cid().String() {
+		t.Fatal("cids didn't batch")
+	}
+
+	if links[0].Name != "bar" {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected link name")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectStat(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"bazz", "Links":[{"Name":"bar", "Hash":"`+p1.Cid().String()+`", "Size":3}]}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	stat, err := api.Object().Stat(ctx, p2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if stat.Cid.String() != p2.Cid().String() {
+		t.Error("unexpected stat.Cid")
+	}
+
+	if stat.NumLinks != 1 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected stat.NumLinks")
+	}
+
+	if stat.BlockSize != 51 {
+		t.Error("unexpected stat.BlockSize")
+	}
+
+	if stat.LinksSize != 47 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected stat.LinksSize: %d", stat.LinksSize)
+	}
+
+	if stat.DataSize != 4 {
+		t.Error("unexpected stat.DataSize")
+	}
+
+	if stat.CumulativeSize != 54 {
+		t.Error("unexpected stat.DataSize")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectAddLink(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"bazz", "Links":[{"Name":"bar", "Hash":"`+p1.Cid().String()+`", "Size":3}]}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p3, err := api.Object().AddLink(ctx, p2, "abc", p2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	links, err := api.Object().Links(ctx, p3)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(links) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected number of links: %d", len(links))
+	}
+
+	if links[0].Name != "abc" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected link 0 name: %s", links[0].Name)
+	}
+
+	if links[1].Name != "bar" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected link 1 name: %s", links[1].Name)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectAddLinkCreate(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"bazz", "Links":[{"Name":"bar", "Hash":"`+p1.Cid().String()+`", "Size":3}]}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p3, err := api.Object().AddLink(ctx, p2, "abc/d", p2)
+	if err == nil {
+		t.Fatal("expected an error")
+	}
+	if err.Error() != "no link by that name" {
+		t.Fatal("unexpected error: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+
+	p3, err = api.Object().AddLink(ctx, p2, "abc/d", p2, api.Object().WithCreate(true))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	links, err := api.Object().Links(ctx, p3)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(links) != 2 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected number of links: %d", len(links))
+	}
+
+	if links[0].Name != "abc" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected link 0 name: %s", links[0].Name)
+	}
+
+	if links[1].Name != "bar" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected link 1 name: %s", links[1].Name)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectRmLink(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"bazz", "Links":[{"Name":"bar", "Hash":"`+p1.Cid().String()+`", "Size":3}]}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p3, err := api.Object().RmLink(ctx, p2, "bar")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	links, err := api.Object().Links(ctx, p3)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(links) != 0 {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected number of links: %d", len(links))
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectAddData(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().AppendData(ctx, p1, strings.NewReader("bar"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	r, err := api.Object().Data(ctx, p2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+
+	if string(data) != "foobar" {
+		t.Error("unexpected data")
+	}
+}
+
+func TestObjectSetData(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	_, api, err := makeAPI(ctx)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p1, err := api.Object().Put(ctx, strings.NewReader(`{"Data":"foo"}`))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	p2, err := api.Object().SetData(ctx, p1, strings.NewReader("bar"))
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	r, err := api.Object().Data(ctx, p2)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	data, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+
+	if string(data) != "bar" {
+		t.Error("unexpected data")
+	}
+}