diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/Meatspace/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 246a445..35851a2 100644
--- a/Meatspace/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/Meatspace/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
           package="com.romainpiel.meatspace"
-          android:versionCode="9"
-          android:versionName="1.0.8">
+          android:versionCode="10"
+          android:versionName="1.0.9">
 
     <uses-sdk
             android:minSdkVersion="14"
diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/api/ApiManager.java b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/api/ApiManager.java
index 641a41e..090584b 100644
--- a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/api/ApiManager.java
+++ b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/api/ApiManager.java
@@ -3,13 +3,15 @@
 import android.content.Context;
 import android.os.Handler;
 
+import com.bugsense.trace.BugSenseHandler;
 import com.google.gson.Gson;
+import com.google.gson.GsonBuilder;
 import com.koushikdutta.async.http.socketio.ConnectCallback;
 import com.koushikdutta.async.http.socketio.SocketIOClient;
 import com.romainpiel.lib.bus.BusManager;
-import com.romainpiel.lib.gif.GIFUtils;
 import com.romainpiel.meatspace.BuildConfig;
 import com.romainpiel.model.ChatRequest;
+import com.romainpiel.model.GifMedia;
 
 /**
  * Meatspace
@@ -25,7 +27,8 @@ public class ApiManager {
 
     private Gson jsonParser;
 
-    private ApiManager() {}
+    private ApiManager() {
+    }
 
     public static ApiManager get() {
         if (instance == null) {
@@ -36,7 +39,9 @@ public static ApiManager get() {
 
     public Gson getJsonParser() {
         if (jsonParser == null) {
-            jsonParser = new Gson();
+            jsonParser = new GsonBuilder()
+                    .registerTypeAdapter(GifMedia.class, GifMedia.getDeserializer())
+                    .create();
         }
         return jsonParser;
     }
@@ -50,10 +55,20 @@ public void disconnect(SocketIOClient client) {
     }
 
     public void emit(Context context, String text, byte[] picture, String fingerprint) {
+        String media = GifMedia.mediaFromGIFbytes(picture);
+
+        if (media == null) {
+            // malformed GIF
+            if (!BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
+                BugSenseHandler.sendEvent("null gif, bytes==null "+ (picture == null));
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+
         ChatRequest chatRequest = new ChatRequest(
                 context.getString(BuildConfig.MEATSPACE_KEY),
                 text,
-                GIFUtils.mediaFromGIFbytes(picture),
+                media,
                 fingerprint
         );
         BusManager.get().getChatBus().post(chatRequest);
diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/gif/GIFUtils.java b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/gif/GIFUtils.java
deleted file mode 100644
index f74567c..0000000
--- a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/gif/GIFUtils.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-package com.romainpiel.lib.gif;
-
-import android.util.Base64;
-
-import com.romainpiel.lib.utils.Debug;
-
-import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
-
-/**
- * MeatspaceProject
- * User: romainpiel
- * Date: 10/11/2013
- * Time: 18:27
- */
-public class GIFUtils {
-
-    private static final String GIF_PREFIX = "data:image/gif;base64,";
-
-    public static String mediaFromGIFbytes(byte[] bytes) {
-        String result = null;
-        try {
-            result = GIF_PREFIX + new String(Base64.encode(bytes, Base64.DEFAULT), "UTF-8");
-        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
-            Debug.out(e);
-        }
-        return result;
-    }
-
-    public static byte[] mediaToGIFbytes(String media) {
-        try {
-            String gifData = media.replace(GIF_PREFIX, "");
-            return Base64.decode(gifData, Base64.DEFAULT);
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            return null;
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/ui/view/ChatItemView.java b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/ui/view/ChatItemView.java
index cf75d1d..c5dbef7 100644
--- a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/ui/view/ChatItemView.java
+++ b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/ui/view/ChatItemView.java
@@ -10,13 +10,10 @@
 import android.widget.PopupMenu;
 import android.widget.TextView;
 
-import com.bugsense.trace.BugSenseHandler;
-import com.romainpiel.lib.gif.GIFUtils;
 import com.romainpiel.lib.ui.helper.InflateHelper;
 import com.romainpiel.lib.ui.listener.OnMenuClickListener;
 import com.romainpiel.lib.ui.listener.OnViewChangedListener;
 import com.romainpiel.lib.utils.Debug;
-import com.romainpiel.meatspace.BuildConfig;
 import com.romainpiel.meatspace.R;
 import com.romainpiel.model.Chat;
 
@@ -79,15 +76,12 @@ public void bind(final Chat chat) {
             Chat.Value value = chat.getValue();
 
             try {
-                ByteArrayInputStream in = new ByteArrayInputStream(GIFUtils.mediaToGIFbytes(value.getMedia()));
+                ByteArrayInputStream in = new ByteArrayInputStream(value.getMedia().getBytes());
                 GifDrawable gifFromStream = new GifDrawable(in);
                 gif.setImageDrawable(gifFromStream);
                 gif.setVisibility(VISIBLE);
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 Debug.out(e);
-                if (!BuildConfig.DEBUG) {
-                    BugSenseHandler.sendExceptionMessage("gif", value.getMedia(), e);
-                }
                 gif.setVisibility(INVISIBLE);
             }
 
diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/utils/StringUtils.java b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/utils/StringUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a823e18
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/lib/utils/StringUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+package com.romainpiel.lib.utils;
+
+import java.util.Collection;
+
+/**
+ * Meatspace
+ * User: romainpiel
+ * Date: 28/08/2013
+ * Time: 11:50
+ */
+public class StringUtils {
+
+    /**
+     * Utility method to build a [spearator] separated string of a collection
+     * @param collection collection to read
+     * @param separator separator
+     * @param <E> generic parameter of the collection
+     * @return a string representation of the collection using the given separator
+     */
+    public static <E> String join(Collection<E> collection, String separator) {
+        StringBuilder result = new StringBuilder();
+        for(E object : collection) {
+            result.append(object.toString());
+            result.append(separator);
+        }
+        return result.length() > 0 ? result.substring(0, result.length() - 1): "";
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/Chat.java b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/Chat.java
index 142598d..ffa670a 100644
--- a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/Chat.java
+++ b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/Chat.java
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public static int compare(Chat lhs, Chat rhs) {
     public static class Value {
         private String fingerprint;
         private String message;
-        private String media;
+        private GifMedia media;
         private int ttl;
         private long created;
         private boolean isMuted;
@@ -63,11 +63,11 @@ public void setMessage(String message) {
             this.message = message;
         }
 
-        public String getMedia() {
+        public GifMedia getMedia() {
             return media;
         }
 
-        public void setMedia(String media) {
+        public void setMedia(GifMedia media) {
             this.media = media;
         }
 
diff --git a/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/GifMedia.java b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/GifMedia.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc2360e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Meatspace/src/main/java/com/romainpiel/model/GifMedia.java
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+package com.romainpiel.model;
+
+import android.util.Base64;
+
+import com.google.gson.JsonDeserializationContext;
+import com.google.gson.JsonDeserializer;
+import com.google.gson.JsonElement;
+import com.google.gson.JsonParseException;
+import com.romainpiel.lib.utils.Debug;
+import com.romainpiel.lib.utils.StringUtils;
+
+import java.io.UnsupportedEncodingException;
+import java.lang.reflect.Type;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+/**
+ * MeatspaceProject
+ * User: romainpiel
+ * Date: 08/12/2013
+ * Time: 09:13
+ */
+public class GifMedia {
+
+    private static final String GIF_PREFIX = "data:image/gif;base64,";
+
+    private byte[] bytes;
+
+    public byte[] getBytes() {
+        return bytes;
+    }
+
+    public static JsonDeserializer<GifMedia> getDeserializer() {
+        return new JsonDeserializer<GifMedia>() {
+            @Override
+            public GifMedia deserialize(JsonElement jsonElement, Type type, JsonDeserializationContext jsonDeserializationContext) throws JsonParseException {
+                String raw = jsonElement.getAsString();
+                GifMedia result = new GifMedia();
+                result.bytes = mediaToGIFbytes(raw);
+                return result;
+            }
+        };
+    }
+
+    public static String mediaFromGIFbytes(byte[] bytes) {
+        if (bytes == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        String result = null;
+        try {
+            result = GIF_PREFIX + new String(Base64.encode(bytes, Base64.DEFAULT), "UTF-8");
+        } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException e) {
+            Debug.out(e);
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    public static byte[] mediaToGIFbytes(String media) {
+        if (media == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            return Base64.decode(unescape(media), Base64.DEFAULT);
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static String unescape(String template) {
+        Map<String,String> tokens = new HashMap<String,String>();
+        tokens.put(GIF_PREFIX, "");
+        tokens.put("%2b", "+");
+        tokens.put("%2f", "/");
+
+        String patternString = "(" + StringUtils.join(tokens.keySet(), "|") + ")";
+        Pattern pattern = Pattern.compile(patternString);
+        Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(template);
+
+        StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer();
+        while(matcher.find()) {
+            matcher.appendReplacement(sb, tokens.get(matcher.group(1)));
+        }
+        matcher.appendTail(sb);
+
+        return sb.toString();
+    }
+}