diff --git a/runbullet/backend/kafka/__init__.py b/runbullet/backend/kafka/__init__.py
index bf2ba45ba4..0cfd797e03 100644
--- a/runbullet/backend/kafka/__init__.py
+++ b/runbullet/backend/kafka/__init__.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ class KafkaBackend(Backend):
     def _init(self, server, topic):
         self.server = server
         self.topic = topic
+        self.producer = None
 
     def _on_record(self, record):
         if record.topic != self.topic: return
@@ -26,18 +27,18 @@ class KafkaBackend(Backend):
             self.producer = KafkaProducer(bootstrap_servers=self.server)
 
     def send_msg(self, msg):
-        if isinstance(msg, bytes):
-            msg = msg.encode('utf-8')
-        if isinstance(msg, str):
+        if isinstance(msg, dict):
+            msg = json.dumps(msg)
+        if isinstance(msg, str):
+            msg = msg.encode('utf-8')
+        if not isinstance(msg, bytes):
             msg = json.dumps(msg)
-        if not isinstance(msg, dict):
             raise RuntimeError('Invalid non-JSON message')
 
         self._init_producer()
         self.producer.send(self.topic, msg)
 
     def run(self):
-        self.producer = None
         self.consumer = KafkaConsumer(self.topic, bootstrap_servers=self.server)
         for msg in self.consumer:
             self._on_record(msg)