diff --git a/lib/fileOperations.js b/lib/fileOperations.js
index 4c194d4d..630a3f22 100644
--- a/lib/fileOperations.js
+++ b/lib/fileOperations.js
@@ -12,6 +12,10 @@ var MASK_MODE = parseInt('0777', 8);
 var DEFAULT_FILE_MODE = parseInt('0666', 8);
 var APPEND_MODE_REGEXP = /a/;
 
+function isString(value) {
+  return (typeof value === 'string');
+}
+
 function closeFd(propagatedErr, fd, callback) {
   if (typeof fd !== 'number') {
     return callback(propagatedErr);
@@ -169,8 +173,12 @@ function writeFile(path, data, options, callback) {
   }
 
   if (!isBuffer(data)) {
-    callback(new TypeError('Data must be a Buffer'));
-    return;
+    if (isString(data)) {
+      data = new Buffer(data);
+    } else {
+      callback(new TypeError('Data must be a Buffer'));
+      return;
+    }
   }
 
   if (!options) {
diff --git a/test/fileOperations.js b/test/fileOperations.js
index 454eaba9..b0c8cda7 100644
--- a/test/fileOperations.js
+++ b/test/fileOperations.js
@@ -556,8 +556,16 @@ describe('writeFile', function() {
     });
   });
 
-  it('passes an error if called without buffer for data', function(done) {
+  it('does not pass an error if called with string as data', function(done) {
     writeFile(filepath, 'test', function(err) {
+      expect(err).toNotExist();
+
+      done();
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('passes an error if called with non-buffer/non-string as data', function(done) {
+    writeFile(filepath, {}, function(err) {
       expect(err).toExist();
 
       done();