diff -u ../orig/output-json-alert.c ./output-json-alert.c
--- ../orig/output-json-alert.c	2014-03-27 13:26:06.661903468 -0400
+++ ./output-json-alert.c	2014-03-27 13:25:56.113884992 -0400
@@ -119,6 +119,13 @@
         /* alert */
         json_object_set_new(js, "alert", ajs);
 
+	/* payload */
+	char payload[p->payload_len + 1];
+	uint32_t offset = 0;
+	PrintStringsToBuffer((uint8_t *)payload, &offset, p->payload_len + 1,
+			 p->payload, p->payload_len);
+	json_object_set_new(js, "payload", json_string(payload));
+
         OutputJSONBuffer(js, aft->file_ctx, aft->buffer);
         json_object_del(js, "alert");
     }
diff -u ../orig/util-print.c ./util-print.c
--- ../orig/util-print.c	2014-03-27 13:26:06.657903461 -0400
+++ ./util-print.c	2014-03-27 13:25:56.113884992 -0400
@@ -215,6 +215,19 @@
     return;
 }
 
+void PrintStringsToBuffer(uint8_t *dst_buf, uint32_t *dst_buf_offset_ptr, uint32_t dst_buf_size,
+                          uint8_t *src_buf, uint32_t src_buf_len)
+{
+    uint32_t ch = 0;
+    for (ch = 0; ch < src_buf_len; ch++) {
+        PrintBufferData((char *)dst_buf, dst_buf_offset_ptr, dst_buf_size,
+                        "%c",
+                        isprint((uint8_t)src_buf[ch]) || src_buf[ch] == '\n' || src_buf[ch] == '\r' ? (uint8_t)src_buf[ch] : '.');
+    }
+
+    return;
+}
+
 #ifndef s6_addr16
 # define s6_addr16 __u6_addr.__u6_addr16
 #endif
diff -u ../orig/util-print.h ./util-print.h
--- ../orig/util-print.h	2014-03-27 13:26:06.653903454 -0400
+++ ./util-print.h	2014-03-27 13:25:56.113884992 -0400
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@
 void PrintRawDataFp(FILE *, uint8_t *, uint32_t);
 void PrintRawDataToBuffer(uint8_t *dst_buf, uint32_t *dst_buf_offset_ptr, uint32_t dst_buf_size,
                           uint8_t *src_buf, uint32_t src_buf_len);
+void PrintStringsToBuffer(uint8_t *dst_buf, uint32_t *dst_buf_offset_ptr, uint32_t dst_buf_size,
+                          uint8_t *src_buf, uint32_t src_buf_len);
 void PrintRawLineHexBuf(char *, uint32_t, uint8_t *, uint32_t );
 const char *PrintInet(int , const void *, char *, socklen_t);