diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/CommitsApi.java b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/CommitsApi.java
index 5c0381190..7b1425483 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/CommitsApi.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/CommitsApi.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.Comment;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.Commit;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitAction;
+import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitAction.Action;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitPayload;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitRef;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitRef.RefType;
@@ -23,6 +24,7 @@
 
 /**
  * This class implements the client side API for the GitLab commits calls.
+ * See <a href="https://docs.gitlab.com/ce/api/commits.html">Commits API at GitLab</a> for more information.
  */
 public class CommitsApi extends AbstractApi {
 
@@ -566,6 +568,23 @@ public Comment addComment(Object projectIdOrPath, String sha, String note) throw
     public Commit createCommit(Object projectIdOrPath, String branch, String commitMessage, String startBranch,
             String authorEmail, String authorName, List<CommitAction> actions) throws GitLabApiException {
 
+        // Validate the actions
+        if (actions == null || actions.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new GitLabApiException("actions cannot be null or empty.");
+        }
+
+        for (CommitAction action : actions) {
+
+            // File content is required for create and update
+            Action actionType = action.getAction();
+            if (actionType == Action.CREATE || actionType == Action.UPDATE) {
+                String content = action.getContent();
+                if (content == null) {
+                    throw new GitLabApiException("Content cannot be null for create or update actions.");
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         CommitPayload payload = new CommitPayload();
         payload.setBranch(branch);
         payload.setCommitMessage(commitMessage);
@@ -574,7 +593,8 @@ public Commit createCommit(Object projectIdOrPath, String branch, String commitM
         payload.setAuthorName(authorName);
         payload.setActions(actions);
 
-        Response response = post(Response.Status.CREATED, payload, "projects", getProjectIdOrPath(projectIdOrPath), "repository", "commits");
+        Response response = post(Response.Status.CREATED, payload,
+                "projects", getProjectIdOrPath(projectIdOrPath), "repository", "commits");
         return (response.readEntity(Commit.class));
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/Constants.java b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/Constants.java
index c8bbfa9c6..47f04797e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/Constants.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/Constants.java
@@ -39,6 +39,28 @@ public enum TokenType {
         ACCESS, OAUTH2_ACCESS, PRIVATE;
     }
 
+    /** Enum to specify encoding of file contents. */
+    public enum Encoding {
+        TEXT, BASE64;
+
+        private static JacksonJsonEnumHelper<Encoding> enumHelper = new JacksonJsonEnumHelper<>(Encoding.class);
+
+        @JsonCreator
+        public static Encoding forValue(String value) {
+            return enumHelper.forValue((value != null ? value.toLowerCase() : value));
+        }
+
+        @JsonValue
+        public String toValue() {
+            return (enumHelper.toString(this));
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String toString() {
+            return (enumHelper.toString(this));
+        }
+    }
+
     /** Enum to use for ordering the results of various API calls. */
     public enum SortOrder {
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/RepositoryFileApi.java b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/RepositoryFileApi.java
index c64ed5325..32013e32c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/RepositoryFileApi.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/RepositoryFileApi.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 /**
  * This class provides an entry point to all the GitLab API repository files calls.
+ * See <a href="https://docs.gitlab.com/ce/api/repository_files.html">Repository Files API at GitLab</a> for more information.
  */
 public class RepositoryFileApi extends AbstractApi {
 
@@ -67,7 +68,10 @@ public RepositoryFile getFileInfo(Object projectIdOrPath, String filePath, Strin
         RepositoryFile file = new RepositoryFile();
         file.setBlobId(response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-Blob-Id"));
         file.setCommitId(response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-Commit-Id"));
-        file.setEncoding(response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-Encoding"));
+
+        String encoding = response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-Encoding");
+        file.setEncoding(Constants.Encoding.forValue(encoding));
+
         file.setFileName(response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-File-Name"));
         file.setFilePath(response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-File-Path"));
         file.setLastCommitId(response.getHeaderString("X-Gitlab-Last-Commit-Id"));
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/CommitAction.java b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/CommitAction.java
index 02036231c..0b1335023 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/CommitAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/CommitAction.java
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 package org.gitlab4j.api.models;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+
+import org.gitlab4j.api.Constants.Encoding;
+import org.gitlab4j.api.GitLabApiException;
+import org.gitlab4j.api.utils.FileUtils;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.utils.JacksonJson;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.utils.JacksonJsonEnumHelper;
 
@@ -30,28 +36,6 @@ public String toString() {
         }
     }
 
-    public enum Encoding {
-
-        BASE64, TEXT;
-
-        private static JacksonJsonEnumHelper<Encoding> enumHelper = new JacksonJsonEnumHelper<>(Encoding.class);
-
-        @JsonCreator
-        public static Encoding forValue(String value) {
-            return enumHelper.forValue(value);
-        }
-
-        @JsonValue
-        public String toValue() {
-            return (enumHelper.toString(this));
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public String toString() {
-            return (enumHelper.toString(this));
-        }
-    }
-
     private Action action;
     private String filePath;
     private String previousPath;
@@ -151,6 +135,25 @@ public CommitAction withExecuteFilemode(Boolean executeFilemode) {
         return this;
     }
 
+    public CommitAction withFileContent(String filePath, Encoding encoding) throws GitLabApiException {
+        File file = new File(filePath);
+        return (withFileContent(file, filePath, encoding));
+    }
+
+    public CommitAction withFileContent(File file, String filePath, Encoding encoding) throws GitLabApiException {
+
+        this.encoding = (encoding != null ? encoding : Encoding.TEXT); 
+        this.filePath = filePath;
+
+        try {
+            content = FileUtils.getFileContentAsString(file, this.encoding);
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new GitLabApiException(e);
+        }
+
+        return (this);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public String toString() {
         return (JacksonJson.toJsonString(this));
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/RepositoryFile.java b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/RepositoryFile.java
index daafdbaa2..6496269a9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/RepositoryFile.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/models/RepositoryFile.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 import java.util.Base64;
 
+import org.gitlab4j.api.Constants.Encoding;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.utils.JacksonJson;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonIgnore;
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ public class RepositoryFile {
     private String fileName; // file name only, Ex. class.rb
     private String filePath; // full path to file. Ex. lib/class.rb
     private Integer size;
-    private String encoding;
+    private Encoding encoding;
     private String content;
     private String ref;
     private String blobId;
@@ -43,11 +44,11 @@ public void setSize(Integer size) {
         this.size = size;
     }
 
-    public String getEncoding() {
+    public Encoding getEncoding() {
         return encoding;
     }
 
-    public void setEncoding(String encoding) {
+    public void setEncoding(Encoding encoding) {
         this.encoding = encoding;
     }
 
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ public String getDecodedContentAsString() {
             return (null);
         }
 
-        if ("base64".equalsIgnoreCase(encoding)) {
+        if (Encoding.BASE64.equals(encoding)) {
             return (new String(Base64.getDecoder().decode(content)));
         }
 
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ public byte[] getDecodedContentAsBytes() {
             return (null);
         }
 
-        if ("base64".equalsIgnoreCase(encoding)) {
+        if (encoding == Encoding.BASE64) {
             return (Base64.getDecoder().decode(content));
         }
 
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ public void encodeAndSetContent(byte[] byteContent) {
         }
 
         this.content = Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(byteContent);
-        encoding = "base64";
+        encoding = Encoding.BASE64;
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/utils/FileUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/utils/FileUtils.java
index f3f7aad18..1316f72c4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/utils/FileUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/gitlab4j/api/utils/FileUtils.java
@@ -1,12 +1,17 @@
 package org.gitlab4j.api.utils;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.io.FileInputStream;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.Reader;
+import java.nio.file.Files;
+import java.util.Base64;
 import java.util.Scanner;
 
 import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
 
+import org.gitlab4j.api.Constants.Encoding;
+
 /**
  * This class provides static utility methods used throughout GitLab4J.
  */
@@ -79,7 +84,7 @@ public static String readFileContents(File file) throws IOException {
 
     /**
      * Reads the content of a Reader instance and returns it as a String.
-     * 
+     *
      * @param reader the Reader instance to read the content from
      * @return the content of a Reader instance as a String
      * @throws IOException if any error occurs
@@ -95,4 +100,27 @@ public static String getReaderContentAsString(Reader reader) throws IOException
 
         return (out.toString());
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads the content of a File instance and returns it as a String of either text or base64 encoded text.
+     *
+     * @param file the File instance to read from
+     * @param encoding whether to encode as Base64 or as Text, defaults to Text if null
+     * @return the content of the File as a String
+     * @throws IOException if any error occurs
+     */
+    public static String getFileContentAsString(File file, Encoding encoding) throws IOException {
+
+        if (encoding == Encoding.BASE64) {
+
+            try (FileInputStream stream = new FileInputStream(file)) {
+                byte data[] = new byte[(int) file.length()];
+                stream.read(data);
+                return (Base64.getEncoder().encodeToString(data));
+            }
+
+        } else {
+            return(new String (Files.readAllBytes(file.toPath())));
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/gitlab4j/api/TestCommitsApi.java b/src/test/java/org/gitlab4j/api/TestCommitsApi.java
index b6f9ef14d..b7c5fee31 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/gitlab4j/api/TestCommitsApi.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/gitlab4j/api/TestCommitsApi.java
@@ -1,24 +1,29 @@
 package org.gitlab4j.api;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertEquals;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
+import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue;
 
 import java.text.ParseException;
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Date;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 import javax.ws.rs.core.Response;
 
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.Comment;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.Commit;
+import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitAction;
+import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitAction.Action;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.CommitRef;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.Diff;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.Project;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.models.RepositoryFile;
 import org.gitlab4j.api.utils.ISO8601;
-import org.junit.AfterClass;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 import org.junit.FixMethodOrder;
@@ -40,9 +45,9 @@
 @FixMethodOrder(MethodSorters.NAME_ASCENDING)
 public class TestCommitsApi extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
 
+    private static final String TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH = "gitlab4j-create-commit-test-file.txt";
     private static GitLabApi gitLabApi;
     private static Project testProject;
-    private static boolean createdSubDirectoryPathFile = false;
 
     public TestCommitsApi() {
         super();
@@ -60,20 +65,10 @@ public static void setup() {
                 repoFile.setFilePath(TEST_PROJECT_SUBDIRECTORY_PATH);
                 repoFile.setContent("This is a test project used to test GitLab4J-API.");
                 gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().createFile(testProject, repoFile, "master", "Initial commit.");
-                createdSubDirectoryPathFile = true;
             } catch (GitLabApiException ignore) {}
         }
     }
 
-    @AfterClass
-    public static void teardown() {
-        if (createdSubDirectoryPathFile) {
-            try {
-                gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().deleteFile(testProject, TEST_PROJECT_SUBDIRECTORY_PATH, "master", "No longer needed.");
-            } catch (Exception ignore) {}
-        }
-    }
-
     @Before
     public void beforeMethod() {
         assumeTrue(gitLabApi != null);
@@ -198,4 +193,98 @@ public void testCommitsByPathNotFound() throws GitLabApiException {
             assertEquals(Response.Status.NOT_FOUND, gle.getHttpStatus());
         }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCreateCommit() throws GitLabApiException {
+
+        // Make sure the file to create does not exist.
+        if (gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().getOptionalFile(testProject, TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH, "master").isPresent()) {
+            gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().deleteFile(testProject, TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH, "master", "Deleted test file");
+        }
+
+        // Arrange
+        CommitAction commitAction = new CommitAction()
+                .withAction(Action.CREATE)
+                .withContent("This is the original data in the file")
+                .withFilePath(TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH);
+
+        // Act
+        Commit commit = gitLabApi.getCommitsApi().createCommit(
+                testProject, "master", "Testing createCommit() create action", null, null, null, Arrays.asList(commitAction));
+
+        // Assert
+        assertNotNull(commit);
+
+        // Arrange
+        commitAction = new CommitAction()
+                .withAction(Action.DELETE)
+                .withFilePath(TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH);
+
+        // Act
+        commit = gitLabApi.getCommitsApi().createCommit(
+                testProject, "master", "Testing createCommit() delete action", null, null, null, Arrays.asList(commitAction));
+
+        // Assert
+        assertNotNull(commit);
+
+        Optional<RepositoryFile> repoFile = gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().getOptionalFile(testProject, TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH, "master");
+        assertFalse(repoFile.isPresent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCreateCommitFromFile() throws GitLabApiException {
+
+        // Make sure the file to create does not exist.
+        if (gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().getOptionalFile(testProject, TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH, "master").isPresent()) {
+            try {
+                gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().deleteFile(testProject, TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH, "master", "Deleted test file");
+            } catch (GitLabApiException ignore) {}
+        }
+
+        // Arrange
+        CommitAction commitAction = new CommitAction()
+                .withAction(Action.CREATE)
+                .withContent("This is the original data in the file")
+                .withFilePath(TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH);
+
+        // Act
+        Commit commit = gitLabApi.getCommitsApi().createCommit(
+                testProject, "master", "Testing createCommit() create action", null, null, null, Arrays.asList(commitAction));
+
+        // Assert
+        assertNotNull(commit);
+
+        // Arrange
+        commitAction = new CommitAction()
+                .withAction(Action.DELETE)
+                .withFilePath(TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH);
+
+        // Act
+        commit = gitLabApi.getCommitsApi().createCommit(
+                testProject, "master", "Testing createCommit() delete action", null, null, null, Arrays.asList(commitAction));
+
+        // Assert
+        assertNotNull(commit);
+
+        Optional<RepositoryFile> repoFile = gitLabApi.getRepositoryFileApi().getOptionalFile(testProject, TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH, "master");
+        assertFalse(repoFile.isPresent());
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testCreateCommitCreateWithNoContent() throws GitLabApiException {
+
+        // Arrange
+        CommitAction commitAction = new CommitAction()
+                .withAction(Action.CREATE)
+                .withContent(null)
+                .withFilePath(TEST_CREATE_COMMIT_FILEPATH + ".bk");
+
+        // Act - expecting exception
+        try {
+            gitLabApi.getCommitsApi().createCommit(testProject, "master", "Testing createCommit() create action",
+                    null, null, null, Arrays.asList(commitAction));
+            fail("Commit should have been rejected due to no content.");
+        } catch (GitLabApiException ignore) {
+        }
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file