diff --git a/insights/core/__init__.py b/insights/core/__init__.py
index 32a264f178..babc6d76bb 100644
--- a/insights/core/__init__.py
+++ b/insights/core/__init__.py
@@ -748,7 +748,12 @@ class JSONParser(Parser, LegacyItemAccess):
     """
     def parse_content(self, content):
         try:
-            self.data = json.loads(''.join(content))
+            if isinstance(content, list):
+                self.data = json.loads('\n'.join(content))
+            else:
+                self.data = json.loads(content)
+            if self.data is None:
+                raise SkipException("There is no data")
         except:
             # If content is empty then raise a skip exception instead of a parse exception.
             if not content:
diff --git a/insights/parsers/tests/test_tags.py b/insights/parsers/tests/test_tags.py
index 79efa9485f..33af8e5688 100644
--- a/insights/parsers/tests/test_tags.py
+++ b/insights/parsers/tests/test_tags.py
@@ -17,5 +17,16 @@ def test_tags_json():
     assert result.data['group'] == "app-db-01"
 
 
+def test_tags_json_bytes():
+    bytes_content = bytes(str(tags_json_content).encode("utf-8"))
+    ctx = context_wrap(bytes_content)
+    ctx.content = bytes_content
+    result = Tags(ctx)
+    assert result.data['zone'] == "east"
+    assert result.data['owner'] == "test"
+    assert result.data['exclude'] == "true"
+    assert result.data['group'] == "app-db-01"
+
+
 def test_tags_empty():
     assert 'Empty output.' in skip_exception_check(Tags)