diff --git a/src/main/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClient.java b/src/main/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClient.java
index 6f7fda03..422468a1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClient.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClient.java
@@ -198,10 +198,10 @@ public CompletableFuture<Reference> createTagReference(final String tag, final S
    */
   public CompletableFuture<Reference> updateReference(final String ref, final String sha, final boolean force) {
     final String path = format(REFERENCE_URI, owner, repo, ref);
-    final ImmutableMap<String, String> body =
+    final ImmutableMap<String, Object> body =
         of(
             "sha", sha,
-            "force", Boolean.toString(force));
+            "force", force);
     return github.patch(path, github.json().toJsonUnchecked(body), Reference.class);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClientTest.java b/src/test/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClientTest.java
index 1ef3dfdd..99aed15d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClientTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/spotify/github/v3/clients/GitDataClientTest.java
@@ -184,10 +184,10 @@ public void createTagReference() throws Exception {
   public void updateReference() throws Exception {
     final CompletableFuture<Reference> fixture =
         completedFuture(json.fromJson(getFixture("branch.json"), Reference.class));
-    final ImmutableMap<String, String> body =
+    final ImmutableMap<String, Object> body =
         of(
             "sha", "aa218f56b14c9653891f9e74264a383fa43fefbd",
-            "force", "false");
+            "force", false);
     when(github.patch(
         "/repos/someowner/somerepo/git/refs/featureA",
         github.json().toJsonUnchecked(body),