diff --git a/spec/APNS.spec.js b/spec/APNS.spec.js
index ba9ac4f..fade9b9 100644
--- a/spec/APNS.spec.js
+++ b/spec/APNS.spec.js
@@ -217,6 +217,48 @@ describe('APNS', () => {
     done();
   });
 
+  it('can generate APNS notification with nested alert dictionary', (done) => {
+    //Mock request data
+    let data = {
+      'alert': { body: 'alert', title: 'title' },
+      'badge': 100,
+      'sound': 'test',
+      'content-available': 1,
+      'mutable-content': 1,
+      'targetContentIdentifier': 'window1',
+      'interruptionLevel': 'passive',
+      'category': 'INVITE_CATEGORY',
+      'threadId': 'a-thread-id',
+      'key': 'value',
+      'keyAgain': 'valueAgain'
+    };
+    let expirationTime = 1454571491354;
+    let collapseId = "collapseIdentifier";
+
+    let pushType = "alert";
+    let priority = 5;
+    let notification = APNS._generateNotification(data, { expirationTime: expirationTime, collapseId: collapseId, pushType: pushType, priority: priority });
+
+    expect(notification.aps.alert).toEqual({ body: 'alert', title: 'title' });
+    expect(notification.aps.badge).toEqual(data.badge);
+    expect(notification.aps.sound).toEqual(data.sound);
+    expect(notification.aps['content-available']).toEqual(1);
+    expect(notification.aps['mutable-content']).toEqual(1);
+    expect(notification.aps['target-content-id']).toEqual('window1');
+    expect(notification.aps['interruption-level']).toEqual('passive');
+    expect(notification.aps.category).toEqual(data.category);
+    expect(notification.aps['thread-id']).toEqual(data.threadId);
+    expect(notification.payload).toEqual({
+      'key': 'value',
+      'keyAgain': 'valueAgain'
+    });
+    expect(notification.expiry).toEqual(Math.round(expirationTime / 1000));
+    expect(notification.collapseId).toEqual(collapseId);
+    expect(notification.pushType).toEqual(pushType);
+    expect(notification.priority).toEqual(priority);
+    done();
+  });
+
   it('sets push type to alert if not defined explicitly', (done) => {
     //Mock request data
     let data = {
diff --git a/spec/FCM.spec.js b/spec/FCM.spec.js
index 4b48144..c5e67bc 100644
--- a/spec/FCM.spec.js
+++ b/spec/FCM.spec.js
@@ -65,8 +65,6 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
     expect(payload.data.android).toEqual(requestData.rawPayload.android);
     expect(payload.data.apns).toEqual(requestData.rawPayload.apns);
     expect(payload.data.tokens).toEqual(['testToken']);
-    expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-    expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
   });
 
   it('can slice devices', () => {
@@ -87,7 +85,7 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
 
       const requestData = {
         data: {
-          alert: 'alert',
+          alert: { body: 'alert', title: 'title' }
         },
         notification: {
           title: 'I am a title',
@@ -114,10 +112,10 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       expect(fcmPayload.android.ttl).toEqual(undefined);
       expect(fcmPayload.android.notification).toEqual(requestData.notification);
 
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['time']).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
 
-      const dataFromUser = fcmPayload.android.data;
+      const dataFromUser = JSON.parse(fcmPayload.android.data.data);
       expect(dataFromUser).toEqual(requestData.data);
     });
 
@@ -163,10 +161,10 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       );
       expect(fcmPayload.android.notification).toEqual(requestData.notification);
 
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['time']).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
 
-      const dataFromUser = fcmPayload.android.data;
+      const dataFromUser = JSON.parse(fcmPayload.android.data.data);
       expect(dataFromUser).toEqual(requestData.data);
     });
 
@@ -203,10 +201,10 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       expect(fcmPayload.android.ttl).toEqual(0);
       expect(fcmPayload.android.notification).toEqual(requestData.notification);
 
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['time']).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
 
-      const dataFromUser = fcmPayload.android.data;
+      const dataFromUser = JSON.parse(fcmPayload.android.data.data);
       expect(dataFromUser).toEqual(requestData.data);
     });
 
@@ -244,10 +242,10 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       expect(fcmPayload.android.ttl).toEqual(4 * 7 * 24 * 60 * 60);
       expect(fcmPayload.android.notification).toEqual(requestData.notification);
 
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['time']).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
+      expect(fcmPayload.android.data['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
 
-      const dataFromUser = fcmPayload.android.data;
+      const dataFromUser = JSON.parse(fcmPayload.android.data.data);
       expect(dataFromUser).toEqual(requestData.data);
     });
   });
@@ -329,9 +327,6 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-collapse-id']).toEqual(collapseId);
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-push-type']).toEqual(pushType);
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-priority']).toEqual(priority);
-
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
     });
 
     it('sets push type to alert if not defined explicitly', () => {
@@ -348,9 +343,9 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
         keyAgain: 'valueAgain',
       };
 
+      // unused when generating apple payload, required by Parse Android SDK
       const pushId = 'pushId';
       const timeStamp = 1454538822113;
-      const timeStampISOStr = new Date(timeStamp).toISOString();
 
       const payload = FCM.generateFCMPayload(
         data,
@@ -362,8 +357,6 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       const fcmPayload = payload.data;
 
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-push-type']).toEqual('alert');
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
     });
 
     it('can generate APNS notification from raw data', () => {
@@ -389,9 +382,9 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
         keyAgain: 'valueAgain',
       };
 
+      // unused when generating apple payload, required by Parse Android SDK
       const pushId = 'pushId';
       const timeStamp = 1454538822113;
-      const timeStampISOStr = new Date(timeStamp).toISOString();
 
       const payload = FCM.generateFCMPayload(
         data,
@@ -417,9 +410,6 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.payload.aps['thread-id']).toEqual('a-thread-id');
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.payload.key).toEqual('value');
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.payload.keyAgain).toEqual('valueAgain');
-
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
     });
 
     it('can generate an APNS notification with headers in data', () => {
@@ -433,16 +423,16 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
       let data = {
         expiration_time: expirationTime,
         data: {
-          alert: 'alert',
+          alert: { body: 'alert', title: 'title' },
           collapse_id: collapseId,
           push_type: pushType,
           priority: 6,
         },
       };
 
+      // unused when generating apple payload, required by Parse Android SDK
       const pushId = 'pushId';
       const timeStamp = 1454538822113;
-      const timeStampISOStr = new Date(timeStamp).toISOString();
 
       const payload = FCM.generateFCMPayload(
         data,
@@ -454,16 +444,13 @@ describe('FCM', () => {
 
       const fcmPayload = payload.data;
 
-      expect(fcmPayload.apns.payload.aps.alert).toEqual({ body: 'alert' });
+      expect(fcmPayload.apns.payload.aps.alert).toEqual({ body: 'alert', title: 'title' });
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-expiration']).toEqual(
         Math.round(expirationTime / 1000),
       );
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-collapse-id']).toEqual(collapseId);
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-push-type']).toEqual(pushType);
       expect(fcmPayload.apns.headers['apns-priority']).toEqual(6);
-
-      expect(payload.time).toEqual(timeStampISOStr);
-      expect(payload['push_id']).toEqual(pushId);
     });
   });
 
diff --git a/src/FCM.js b/src/FCM.js
index e6bd52e..4838cd4 100644
--- a/src/FCM.js
+++ b/src/FCM.js
@@ -178,20 +178,24 @@ function _APNSToFCMPayload(requestData) {
         apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps'] = coreData.aps;
         break;
       case 'alert':
-        if (!apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps'].hasOwnProperty('alert')) {
+        if (typeof coreData.alert == 'object') {
+          // When we receive a dictionary, use as is to remain
+          // compatible with how the APNS.js + node-apn work
+          apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert'] = coreData.alert;
+        } else {
+          // When we receive a value, prepare `alert` dictionary
+          // and set its `body` property
           apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert'] = {};
+          apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert']['body'] = coreData.alert;
         }
-        // In APNS.js we set a body with the same value as alert in requestData.
-        // See L200 in APNS.spec.js
-        apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert']['body'] = coreData.alert;
         break;
       case 'title':
         // Ensure the alert object exists before trying to assign the title
+        // title always goes into the nested `alert` dictionary
         if (!apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps'].hasOwnProperty('alert')) {
           apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert'] = {};
         }
-        apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert']['title'] =
-          coreData.title;
+        apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['alert']['title'] = coreData.title;
         break;
       case 'badge':
         apnsPayload['apns']['payload']['aps']['badge'] = coreData.badge;
@@ -237,7 +241,8 @@ function _APNSToFCMPayload(requestData) {
   return apnsPayload;
 }
 
-function _GCMToFCMPayload(requestData, timeStamp) {
+function _GCMToFCMPayload(requestData, pushId, timeStamp) {
+
   const androidPayload = {
     android: {
       priority: 'high',
@@ -255,7 +260,11 @@ function _GCMToFCMPayload(requestData, timeStamp) {
         delete requestData.data[key]
       }
     }
-    androidPayload.android.data = requestData.data;
+    androidPayload.android.data = {
+      push_id: pushId,
+      time: new Date(timeStamp).toISOString(),
+      data: JSON.stringify(requestData.data),
+    }
   }
 
   if (requestData['expiration_time']) {
@@ -281,10 +290,11 @@ function _GCMToFCMPayload(requestData, timeStamp) {
  * If the key rawPayload is present in the requestData, a raw payload will be used. Otherwise, conversion is done.
  * @param {Object} requestData The request body
  * @param {String} pushType Either apple or android.
- * @param {Number} timeStamp Used during GCM payload conversion for ttl
+ * @param {String} pushId Used during GCM payload conversion, required by Parse Android SDK.
+ * @param {Number} timeStamp Used during GCM payload conversion for ttl, required by Parse Android SDK.
  * @returns {Object} A FCMv1-compatible payload.
  */
-function payloadConverter(requestData, pushType, timeStamp) {
+function payloadConverter(requestData, pushType, pushId, timeStamp) {
   if (requestData.hasOwnProperty('rawPayload')) {
     return requestData.rawPayload;
   }
@@ -292,7 +302,7 @@ function payloadConverter(requestData, pushType, timeStamp) {
   if (pushType === 'apple') {
     return _APNSToFCMPayload(requestData);
   } else if (pushType === 'android') {
-    return _GCMToFCMPayload(requestData, timeStamp);
+    return _GCMToFCMPayload(requestData, pushId, timeStamp);
   } else {
     throw new Parse.Error(
       Parse.Error.PUSH_MISCONFIGURED,
@@ -320,12 +330,10 @@ function generateFCMPayload(
   delete requestData['where'];
 
   const payloadToUse = {
-    data: {},
-    push_id: pushId,
-    time: new Date(timeStamp).toISOString(),
+    data: {}
   };
 
-  const fcmPayload = payloadConverter(requestData, pushType, timeStamp);
+  const fcmPayload = payloadConverter(requestData, pushType, pushId, timeStamp);
   payloadToUse.data = {
     ...fcmPayload,
     tokens: deviceTokens,