diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 519525af..b1035ce5 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -46,9 +46,12 @@ webSocket.setOnMessageCallback(
 // Now that our callback is setup, we can start our background thread and receive messages
 webSocket.start();
 
-// Send a message to the server
+// Send a message to the server (default to BINARY mode)
 webSocket.send("hello world");
 
+// The message can be sent in TEXT mode
+webSocket.sendText("hello again");
+
 // ... finally ...
 
 // Stop the connection
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
index 9b08bf5f..b0c846e6 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.cpp
@@ -302,7 +302,13 @@ namespace ix
     WebSocketSendInfo WebSocket::send(const std::string& text,
                                       const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
     {
-        return sendMessage(text, false, onProgressCallback);
+        return sendMessage(text, SendMessageKind::Binary, onProgressCallback);
+    }
+
+    WebSocketSendInfo WebSocket::sendText(const std::string& text,
+                                          const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+    {
+        return sendMessage(text, SendMessageKind::Text, onProgressCallback);
     }
 
     WebSocketSendInfo WebSocket::ping(const std::string& text)
@@ -311,11 +317,11 @@ namespace ix
         constexpr size_t pingMaxPayloadSize = 125;
         if (text.size() > pingMaxPayloadSize) return WebSocketSendInfo(false);
 
-        return sendMessage(text, true);
+        return sendMessage(text, SendMessageKind::Ping);
     }
 
     WebSocketSendInfo WebSocket::sendMessage(const std::string& text,
-                                             bool ping,
+                                             SendMessageKind sendMessageKind,
                                              const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
     {
         if (!isConnected()) return WebSocketSendInfo(false);
@@ -332,13 +338,22 @@ namespace ix
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(_writeMutex);
         WebSocketSendInfo webSocketSendInfo;
 
-        if (ping)
+        switch (sendMessageKind)
         {
-            webSocketSendInfo = _ws.sendPing(text);
-        }
-        else
-        {
-            webSocketSendInfo = _ws.sendBinary(text, onProgressCallback);
+            case SendMessageKind::Text:
+            {
+                webSocketSendInfo = _ws.sendText(text, onProgressCallback);
+            } break;
+
+            case SendMessageKind::Binary:
+            {
+                webSocketSendInfo = _ws.sendBinary(text, onProgressCallback);
+            } break;
+
+            case SendMessageKind::Ping:
+            {
+                webSocketSendInfo = _ws.sendPing(text);
+            } break;
         }
 
         WebSocket::invokeTrafficTrackerCallback(webSocketSendInfo.wireSize, false);
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
index 8b35ebe1..3e31e339 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocket.h
@@ -101,6 +101,8 @@ namespace ix
 
         WebSocketSendInfo send(const std::string& text,
                                const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
+        WebSocketSendInfo sendText(const std::string& text,
+                                   const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback = nullptr);
         WebSocketSendInfo ping(const std::string& text);
         void close();
 
@@ -120,7 +122,7 @@ namespace ix
     private:
 
         WebSocketSendInfo sendMessage(const std::string& text,
-                                      bool ping,
+                                      SendMessageKind sendMessageKind,
                                       const OnProgressCallback& callback = nullptr);
 
         bool isConnected() const;
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp
index 414f7e00..4173b673 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.cpp
@@ -742,6 +742,15 @@ namespace ix
                         _enablePerMessageDeflate, onProgressCallback);
     }
 
+    WebSocketSendInfo WebSocketTransport::sendText(
+        const std::string& message,
+        const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback)
+
+    {
+        return sendData(wsheader_type::TEXT_FRAME, message,
+                        _enablePerMessageDeflate, onProgressCallback);
+    }
+
     void WebSocketTransport::sendOnSocket()
     {
         std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(_txbufMutex);
diff --git a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h
index 2bb96aba..61e8c73f 100644
--- a/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h
+++ b/ixwebsocket/IXWebSocketTransport.h
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ namespace ix
 {
     class Socket;
 
+    enum class SendMessageKind
+    {
+        Text,
+        Binary,
+        Ping
+    };
+
     class WebSocketTransport
     {
     public:
@@ -71,6 +78,8 @@ namespace ix
         void poll();
         WebSocketSendInfo sendBinary(const std::string& message,
                                      const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback);
+        WebSocketSendInfo sendText(const std::string& message,
+                                   const OnProgressCallback& onProgressCallback);
         WebSocketSendInfo sendPing(const std::string& message);
         void close();
         ReadyStateValues getReadyState() const;