diff --git a/swh/core/api/__init__.py b/swh/core/api/__init__.py
--- a/swh/core/api/__init__.py
+++ b/swh/core/api/__init__.py
@@ -141,68 +141,67 @@
     This backend class will never be instantiated, it only serves as
     a template."""
 
-    def __init__(self, api_exception, url, timeout=None):
+    def __init__(self, api_exception, url, timeout=None, chunk_size=4096):
         super().__init__()
         self.api_exception = api_exception
         base_url = url if url.endswith('/') else url + '/'
         self.url = base_url
         self.session = requests.Session()
         self.timeout = timeout
+        self.chunk_size = chunk_size
 
     def _url(self, endpoint):
         return '%s%s' % (self.url, endpoint)
 
-    def raw_post(self, endpoint, data, **opts):
+    def raw_verb(self, verb, endpoint, **opts):
+        if 'chunk_size' in opts:
+            # if the chunk_size argument has been passed, consider the user
+            # also wants stream=True, otherwise, what's the point.
+            opts['stream'] = True
         if self.timeout and 'timeout' not in opts:
             opts['timeout'] = self.timeout
         try:
-            return self.session.post(
+            return getattr(self.session, verb)(
                 self._url(endpoint),
-                data=data,
                 **opts
             )
         except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError as e:
             raise self.api_exception(e)
 
-    def raw_get(self, endpoint, params=None, **opts):
-        if self.timeout and 'timeout' not in opts:
-            opts['timeout'] = self.timeout
-        try:
-            return self.session.get(
-                self._url(endpoint),
-                params=params,
-                **opts
-            )
-        except requests.exceptions.ConnectionError as e:
-            raise self.api_exception(e)
-
-    def post(self, endpoint, data, params=None):
-        data = encode_data(data)
-        response = self.raw_post(
-            endpoint, data, params=params,
+    def post(self, endpoint, data, **opts):
+        if isinstance(data, (collections.Iterator, collections.Generator)):
+            data = (encode_data(x) for x in data)
+        else:
+            data = encode_data(data)
+        chunk_size = opts.pop('chunk_size', self.chunk_size)
+        response = self.raw_verb(
+            'post', endpoint, data=data,
             headers={'content-type': 'application/x-msgpack',
-                     'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'})
-        return self._decode_response(response)
-
-    def get(self, endpoint, params=None):
-        response = self.raw_get(
-            endpoint, params=params,
-            headers={'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'})
-        return self._decode_response(response)
-
-    def post_stream(self, endpoint, data, params=None):
-        if not isinstance(data, collections.Iterable):
-            raise ValueError("`data` must be Iterable")
-        response = self.raw_post(
-            endpoint, data, params=params,
-            headers={'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'})
-
-        return self._decode_response(response)
-
-    def get_stream(self, endpoint, params=None, chunk_size=4096):
-        response = self.raw_get(endpoint, params=params, stream=True,
-                                headers={'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'})
-        return response.iter_content(chunk_size)
+                     'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'},
+            **opts)
+        if opts.get('stream') or \
+           response.headers.get('transfer-encoding') == 'chunked':
+            return response.iter_content(chunk_size)
+        else:
+            return self._decode_response(response)
+
+    def post_stream(self, endpoint, data, **opts):
+        return self.post(endpoint, data, stream=True, **opts)
+
+    def get(self, endpoint, **opts):
+        chunk_size = opts.pop('chunk_size', self.chunk_size)
+        response = self.raw_verb(
+            'get', endpoint,
+            headers={'accept': 'application/x-msgpack'},
+            **opts)
+        if opts.get('stream') or \
+           response.headers.get('transfer-encoding') == 'chunked':
+            return response.iter_content(chunk_size)
+        else:
+            return self._decode_response(response)
+
+    def get_stream(self, endpoint, **opts):
+        return self.get(endpoint, stream=True, **opts)
 
     def _decode_response(self, response):
         if response.status_code == 404: