diff --git a/zephyr/tornadoviews.py b/zephyr/tornadoviews.py
index 00b23b10b2..055ff6e8ca 100644
--- a/zephyr/tornadoviews.py
+++ b/zephyr/tornadoviews.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from zephyr.models import UserActivity
 
 from zephyr.decorator import asynchronous, authenticated_api_view, \
     authenticated_json_post_view, internal_notify_view, RespondAsynchronously, \
-    has_request_variables, POST, to_non_negative_int
+    has_request_variables, POST, to_non_negative_int, json_to_bool
 
 from zephyr.lib.response import json_success
 
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ def json_get_updates(request, user_profile, handler):
 @authenticated_api_view
 @has_request_variables
 def api_get_messages(request, user_profile, handler, client_id=POST(default=None),
-                     apply_markdown=POST(default=False, converter=simplejson.loads)):
+                     apply_markdown=POST(default=False, converter=json_to_bool)):
     return get_updates_backend(request, user_profile, handler, client_id,
                                apply_markdown=apply_markdown,
                                client=request._client)
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ def get_updates_backend(request, user_profile, handler, client_id,
                         client_server_generation = POST(whence='server_generation', default=None,
                                                         converter=int),
                         client_pointer = POST(whence='pointer', converter=int, default=None),
-                        dont_block = POST(converter=simplejson.loads, default=False),
+
+                        dont_block = POST(converter=json_to_bool, default=False),
                         stream_name = POST(default=None), apply_markdown=True,
                         **kwargs):
     resp = return_messages_immediately(user_profile, client_id, last,