diff --git a/examples/reader.rb b/examples/reader.rb
index b168b9c..0247bda 100644
--- a/examples/reader.rb
+++ b/examples/reader.rb
@@ -9,7 +9,11 @@
     :path    => '/1/statuses/filter.json',
     :auth    => 'LOGIN:PASSWORD',
     :method  => 'POST',
-    :content => 'track=basketball,football,baseball,footy,soccer'
+    :params => {
+      :track => 'basketball,football,baseball,footy,soccer',
+      :locations => '-122.75,36.8,-121.75,37.8,-74,40,-73,41',
+      :follow => '12,13,15,16,20,87'
+    }
   )
     
   stream.each_item do |item|
diff --git a/lib/twitter/json_stream.rb b/lib/twitter/json_stream.rb
index 27f4b4d..0e26699 100644
--- a/lib/twitter/json_stream.rb
+++ b/lib/twitter/json_stream.rb
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ class JSONStream < EventMachine::Connection
       :method         => 'GET',
       :path           => '/',
       :content_type   => "application/x-www-form-urlencoded",
-      :content        => '',
       :path           => '/1/statuses/filter.json',
       :host           => 'stream.twitter.com',
       :port           => 443,
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ class JSONStream < EventMachine::Connection
       :proxy          => ENV['HTTP_PROXY'],
       :auth           => nil,
       :oauth          => {},
-      :filters        => [],
       :params         => {},
       :auto_reconnect => true
     }
@@ -90,8 +88,6 @@ def on_reconnect &block
       @reconnect_callback = block
     end
 
-    # Called when no data has been received for NO_DATA_TIMEOUT seconds.
-    # Reconnecting is probably in order as per the Twitter recommendations
     def on_no_data &block
       @no_data_callback = block
     end
@@ -127,7 +123,7 @@ def unbind
     # Receives raw data from the HTTP connection and pushes it into the
     # HTTP parser which then drives subsequent callbacks.
     def receive_data(data)
-      @last_data_received_at = Time.now
+      @last_data_received_at = Time.now if !data.strip.empty?
       @parser << data
     end
 
@@ -246,7 +242,7 @@ def send_request
         request_uri = "#{uri_base}:#{@options[:port]}#{request_uri}"
       end
 
-      content = @options[:content]
+      content = ''
 
       unless (q = query).empty?
         if @options[:method].to_s.upcase == 'GET'
@@ -346,13 +342,7 @@ def uri_base
     # Normalized query hash of escaped string keys and escaped string values
     # nil values are skipped
     def params
-      flat = {}
-      @options[:params].merge( :track => @options[:filters] ).each do |param, val|
-        next if val.to_s.empty? || (val.respond_to?(:empty?) && val.empty?)
-        val = val.join(",") if val.respond_to?(:join)
-        flat[param.to_s] = val.to_s
-      end
-      flat
+      @options[:params]
     end
 
     def query
@@ -360,7 +350,7 @@ def query
     end
 
     def escape str
-      URI.escape(str.to_s, /[^a-zA-Z0-9\-\.\_\~]/)
+      URI.escape(str.to_s)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/spec/twitter/json_stream_spec.rb b/spec/twitter/json_stream_spec.rb
index bc66a32..c353221 100644
--- a/spec/twitter/json_stream_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/twitter/json_stream_spec.rb
@@ -238,7 +238,7 @@ def receive_data data
     end
 
     it "should call no data callback after no data received for 90 seconds" do
-      connect_stream :stop_in => 6 do
+      connect_stream(stop_in: 6, ssl: false) do
         stream.last_data_received_at = Time.now - 88
         stream.should_receive(:no_data).once
       end
@@ -246,6 +246,20 @@ def receive_data data
 
   end
 
+  context "on empty data received" do
+    attr_reader :stream
+    before :each do
+      $data_to_send = "\n\r"
+      $close_connection = false
+    end
+    it "should call no data callback after empty data received for 90 seconds" do
+      connect_stream(stop_in: 6, ssl: false) do
+        stream.last_data_received_at = Time.now - 88
+        stream.should_receive(:no_data).once
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   context "on server unavailable" do
 
     attr_reader :stream