diff --git a/api/resources/node.hpp b/api/resources/node.hpp
index 60e6874f3..4800fc176 100644
--- a/api/resources/node.hpp
+++ b/api/resources/node.hpp
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ public:
             //      [Atom id=k]   k {1, 2, ...}
             //
             auto node = atom->first();
-
-            // TODO read the JSON body and store the properties in the
+               
+            // the json body is parsed (req.json)
+            // TODO store the properties in the
             // first version
             //
             // for(key, value in body)
diff --git a/speedy/commands.txt b/speedy/commands.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c8f593814
--- /dev/null
+++ b/speedy/commands.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+# dump of all commands used in development
+clang++ -std=c++1y -g test_2.cpp -o test_2 -luv -lhttp_parser r3/.libs/libr3.a -lpcre -L/usr/local/lib -I../ -I./rapidjson/include
diff --git a/speedy/rapidjson_middleware.hpp b/speedy/rapidjson_middleware.hpp
index 0ccb4e23d..26caa59e5 100644
--- a/speedy/rapidjson_middleware.hpp
+++ b/speedy/rapidjson_middleware.hpp
@@ -14,8 +14,12 @@ namespace sp
 
 bool rapidjson_middleware(sp::Request& req, sp::Response& res)
 {
+    // the body is empty and json parsing isn't necessary
+    if (req.body.empty())
+        return true;
+
     if (req.json.Parse(req.body.c_str()).HasParseError()) {
-        const char *errorCode = rapidjson::GetParseError_En(req.json.GetParseError());
+        auto errorCode = rapidjson::GetParseError_En(req.json.GetParseError());
         std::string parseError = "JSON parse error: " + std::string(errorCode);
         res.send(http::Status::BadRequest, parseError);
         return false;
diff --git a/speedy/response.hpp b/speedy/response.hpp
index e56ca3e9e..0b1033228 100644
--- a/speedy/response.hpp
+++ b/speedy/response.hpp
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 #include "request.hpp"
 #include "http/response.hpp"
 
+#include "rapidjson/document.h"
+#include "rapidjson/writer.h"
+#include "rapidjson/stringbuffer.h"
+
 namespace sp
 {
 
@@ -11,6 +15,28 @@ class Response : public http::Response<Request, Response>
 {
 public:
     using http::Response<Request, Response>::Response;
+
+    std::string json_string(const rapidjson::Document& document)
+    {
+        rapidjson::StringBuffer strbuf;
+        rapidjson::Writer<rapidjson::StringBuffer> writer(strbuf);
+        document.Accept(writer);
+        // TODO: error handling
+        auto str = strbuf.GetString();
+        return str;
+    }
+
+    void json(http::Status code, const rapidjson::Document& document)
+    {
+        auto str = json_string(document);
+        this->send(code, str);
+    }
+
+    void json(const rapidjson::Document& document)
+    {
+        auto str = json_string(document);
+        this->send(str);
+    }
 };
 
 using request_cb_t = std::function<void(Request&, Response&)>;
diff --git a/speedy/test.cpp b/speedy/test_speedy_1.cpp
similarity index 100%
rename from speedy/test.cpp
rename to speedy/test_speedy_1.cpp
diff --git a/speedy/test_speedy_2_rapidjson.cpp b/speedy/test_speedy_2_rapidjson.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db366598c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/speedy/test_speedy_2_rapidjson.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+#include "speedy.hpp"
+
+#include "request.hpp"
+#include "response.hpp"
+#include "rapidjson/document.h"
+
+int main() {
+
+    uv::UvLoop::sptr loop(new uv::UvLoop());
+    http::Ipv4 ip("0.0.0.0", 8765);
+    sp::Speedy app(loop);
+
+    app.get("/bla", [](sp::Request& req, sp::Response& res) {
+        rapidjson::Document document;
+        document.Parse("{ \"test\": \"test\" }");
+        res.json(http::Status::Ok, document);
+    });
+
+    app.listen(ip);
+    loop->run(uv::UvLoop::Mode::Default);
+
+    return 1;
+}