diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3c49b0c1c..0d07189e8 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     "eslint-plugin-react": "^7.10.0",
     "go-ipfs-dep": "~0.4.17",
     "gulp": "^3.9.1",
-    "interface-ipfs-core": "~0.75.1",
+    "interface-ipfs-core": "~0.78.0",
     "ipfsd-ctl": "~0.39.0",
     "pull-stream": "^3.6.8",
     "socket.io": "^2.1.1",
diff --git a/src/block/put.js b/src/block/put.js
index 0ec1e5c5f..5c9eba414 100644
--- a/src/block/put.js
+++ b/src/block/put.js
@@ -3,35 +3,72 @@
 const promisify = require('promisify-es6')
 const Block = require('ipfs-block')
 const CID = require('cids')
-const once = require('once')
+const multihash = require('multihashes')
 const SendOneFile = require('../utils/send-one-file')
 
 module.exports = (send) => {
   const sendOneFile = SendOneFile(send, 'block/put')
 
-  return promisify((block, cid, _callback) => {
-    // TODO this needs to be adjusted with the new go-ipfs http-api
-    if (typeof cid === 'function') {
-      _callback = cid
-      cid = {}
+  return promisify((block, options, callback) => {
+    if (typeof options === 'function') {
+      callback = options
+      options = {}
     }
 
-    const callback = once(_callback)
+    options = options || {}
 
     if (Array.isArray(block)) {
       return callback(new Error('block.put accepts only one block'))
     }
 
-    if (typeof block === 'object' && block.data) {
-      block = block.data
+    if (Buffer.isBuffer(block)) {
+      block = { data: block }
     }
 
-    sendOneFile(block, {}, (err, result) => {
+    if (!block || !block.data) {
+      return callback(new Error('invalid block arg'))
+    }
+
+    const qs = {}
+
+    if (block.cid || options.cid) {
+      let cid
+
+      try {
+        cid = new CID(block.cid || options.cid)
+      } catch (err) {
+        return callback(err)
+      }
+
+      const { name, length } = multihash.decode(cid.multihash)
+
+      qs.format = cid.codec
+      qs.mhtype = name
+      qs.mhlen = length
+      qs.version = cid.version
+    } else {
+      if (options.format) qs.format = options.format
+      if (options.mhtype) qs.mhtype = options.mhtype
+      if (options.mhlen) qs.mhlen = options.mhlen
+      if (options.version != null) qs.version = options.version
+    }
+
+    sendOneFile(block.data, { qs }, (err, result) => {
       if (err) {
-        return callback(err) // early
+        // Retry with "protobuf" format for go-ipfs
+        // TODO: remove when https://github.com/ipfs/go-cid/issues/75 resolved
+        if (qs.format === 'dag-pb') {
+          qs.format = 'protobuf'
+          return sendOneFile(block.data, { qs }, (err, result) => {
+            if (err) return callback(err)
+            callback(null, new Block(block.data, new CID(result.Key)))
+          })
+        }
+
+        return callback(err)
       }
 
-      callback(null, new Block(block, new CID(result.Key)))
+      callback(null, new Block(block.data, new CID(result.Key)))
     })
   })
 }
diff --git a/test/interface.spec.js b/test/interface.spec.js
index 5f169433f..30fe04a92 100644
--- a/test/interface.spec.js
+++ b/test/interface.spec.js
@@ -129,6 +129,11 @@ describe('interface-ipfs-core tests', () => {
       isNode ? null : {
         name: 'should get a directory',
         reason: 'FIXME https://github.com/ipfs/js-ipfs-api/issues/339'
+      },
+      // files.write
+      {
+        name: 'should write to deeply nested non existent file with create and parents flags',
+        reason: 'TODO remove when 0.4.18 is released https://github.com/ipfs/go-ipfs/pull/5359'
       }
     ]
   })