diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index abac424..8ec6faf 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 language: php
 php:
-  - "5.3"
+  - "5.5"
 
 before_install:
   - composer self-update
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1e7bdaa..f0ae89f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -96,4 +96,34 @@ echo $twitter->setGetfield($getfield)
     ->performRequest();
 ```
 
+POST with JSON Request Example
+-------------------
+
+Set request header when calling performRequest();
+
+```php
+$url = 'https://api.twitter.com/1.1/direct_messages/events/new.json';
+$postJson = [
+    "event" => [
+        "type" => "message_create",
+        "message_create" => [
+          "target" => [
+            "recipient_id" => "TWITTER_ID"
+          ],
+          "message_data" => [
+            "text" => "Hello World!",
+          ]
+        ]
+    ]
+];
+$requestMethod = 'POST';
+
+$twitter = new TwitterAPIExchange($settings);
+echo $twitter->buildOauth($url, $requestMethod)
+             ->performRequest(true,[
+                CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array('Content-Type:application/json'),
+                CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($postJson)
+             ]);
+```
+
 That is it! Really simple, works great with the 1.1 API. Thanks to @lackovic10 and @rivers on SO!
diff --git a/TwitterAPIExchange.php b/TwitterAPIExchange.php
index d6e3a58..6ad95f8 100755
--- a/TwitterAPIExchange.php
+++ b/TwitterAPIExchange.php
@@ -296,6 +296,14 @@ public function performRequest($return = true, $curlOptions = array())
             CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 10,
         );
 
+
+        if(isset($curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER])){  
+            $options[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER] = array_merge(
+                $curlOptions[CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER],
+                $header
+            );
+        }
+
         if (!is_null($postfields))
         {
             $options[CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS] = http_build_query($postfields, '', '&');
diff --git a/index.php b/index.php
index ab0f790..eb3c49c 100755
--- a/index.php
+++ b/index.php
@@ -35,3 +35,27 @@
 echo $twitter->setGetfield($getfield)
              ->buildOauth($url, $requestMethod)
              ->performRequest();
+
+// /** Perform a POST request with content type "application/json" and echo the response **/
+// /** Note: `DO NOT` Set the POST field. Use curl options in performRequest instead **/
+$url = 'https://api.twitter.com/1.1/direct_messages/events/new.json';
+$postJson = [
+    "event" => [
+        "type" => "message_create",
+        "message_create" => [
+          "target" => [
+            "recipient_id" => "" // Twitter ID
+          ],
+          "message_data" => [
+            "text" => "Hello World!",
+          ]
+        ]
+    ]
+];
+$requestMethod = 'POST';
+$twitter = new TwitterAPIExchange($settings);
+echo $twitter->buildOauth($url, $requestMethod)
+             ->performRequest(true,[
+                CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => array('Content-Type:application/json'),
+                CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode($postJson)
+             ]);
diff --git a/test/TwitterAPIExchangeTest.php b/test/TwitterAPIExchangeTest.php
index 24121d6..329ff89 100644
--- a/test/TwitterAPIExchangeTest.php
+++ b/test/TwitterAPIExchangeTest.php
@@ -105,10 +105,10 @@ public function testStatusesHomeTimeline()
     {
         $url    = 'https://api.twitter.com/1.1/statuses/home_timeline.json';
         $method = 'GET';
-        $params = '?user_id=3232926711&max_id=756123701888839681';
+        $params = '?user_id=3232926711&max_id=787407826176110600';
 
         $data     = $this->exchange->request($url, $method, $params);
-        $expected = "Test Tweet";
+        $expected = "TEST TWEET";
 
         $this->assertContains($expected, $data);
     }