diff --git a/lib/CoreBot.js b/lib/CoreBot.js
index fe61062ba..842692917 100755
--- a/lib/CoreBot.js
+++ b/lib/CoreBot.js
@@ -823,7 +823,7 @@ function Botkit(configuration) {
             // set up a once a second tick to process messages
             botkit.tickInterval = setInterval(function() {
                 botkit.tick();
-            }, 1000);
+            }, 1500);
         }
     };
 
diff --git a/lib/Facebook.js b/lib/Facebook.js
index feabbf7ee..1d4ecdac6 100644
--- a/lib/Facebook.js
+++ b/lib/Facebook.js
@@ -47,32 +47,35 @@ function Facebookbot(configuration) {
                 facebook_message.message.quick_replies = message.quick_replies;
             }
 
-            request.post('https://graph.facebook.com/me/messages?access_token=' + configuration.access_token,
+            //Add Access Token to outgoing request
+
+            facebook_message.access_token = configuration.access_token;
+
+            request({
+                method: "POST",
+                json: true,
+                headers: {
+                    "content-type": "application/json",
+                },
+                body: facebook_message,
+                uri: 'https://graph.facebook.com/v2.6/me/messages'
+            },
                 function(err, res, body) {
-                    if (err) {
-                        botkit.debug('WEBHOOK ERROR', err);
-                        return cb && cb(err);
-                    }
-
-                    try {
 
-                        var json = JSON.parse(body);
 
-                    } catch (err) {
-
-                        botkit.debug('JSON Parse error: ', err);
+                    if (err) {
+                        botkit.debug('WEBHOOK ERROR', err);
                         return cb && cb(err);
-
                     }
 
-                    if (json.error) {
-                        botkit.debug('API ERROR', json.error);
-                        return cb && cb(json.error.message);
+                    if (body.error) {
+                        botkit.debug('API ERROR', body.error);
+                        return cb && cb(body.error.message);
                     }
 
                     botkit.debug('WEBHOOK SUCCESS', body);
                     cb && cb(null, body);
-                }).form(facebook_message);
+                })
         };
 
         bot.reply = function(src, resp, cb) {