diff --git a/rest_framework/utils/encoders.py b/rest_framework/utils/encoders.py
index 8896e4f2c..b48b8ec0f 100644
--- a/rest_framework/utils/encoders.py
+++ b/rest_framework/utils/encoders.py
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import datetime
 import decimal
 import json
 import uuid
+from json.encoder import (INFINITY, _make_iterencode,
+                          encode_basestring, encode_basestring_ascii)
 
 from django.db.models.query import QuerySet
 from django.utils import six, timezone
@@ -15,12 +17,68 @@ from django.utils.functional import Promise
 
 from rest_framework.compat import coreapi, total_seconds
 
+try:
+    from json.encoder import FLOAT_REPR
+except:
+    FLOAT_REPR = float.__repr__
+
 
 class JSONEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
     """
     JSONEncoder subclass that knows how to encode date/time/timedelta,
     decimal types, generators and other basic python objects.
     """
+
+    def iterencode(self, o, _one_shot=False):
+        """Encode the given object and yield each string
+        representation as available.
+        For example::
+            for chunk in JSONEncoder().iterencode(bigobject):
+                mysocket.write(chunk)
+        """
+        if self.check_circular:
+            markers = {}
+        else:
+            markers = None
+        if self.ensure_ascii:
+            _encoder = encode_basestring_ascii
+        else:
+            _encoder = encode_basestring
+        if six.PY2:
+            if self.encoding != 'utf-8':
+                def _encoder(o, _orig_encoder=_encoder,
+                             _encoding=self.encoding):
+                    if isinstance(o, str):
+                        o = o.decode(_encoding)
+                    return _orig_encoder(o)
+
+        def floatstr(o, allow_nan=self.allow_nan,
+                     _repr=FLOAT_REPR, _inf=INFINITY, _neginf=-INFINITY):
+            # Check for specials.  Note that this type of test is processor
+            # and/or platform-specific, so do tests which don't depend on the
+            # internals.
+
+            if o != o:
+                text = '"NaN"'
+            elif o == _inf:
+                text = '"Infinity"'
+            elif o == _neginf:
+                text = '"-Infinity"'
+            else:
+                return _repr(o)
+
+            if not allow_nan:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    "Out of range float values are not JSON compliant: " +
+                    repr(o))
+
+            return text
+
+        return _make_iterencode(markers, self.default, _encoder, self.indent,
+                                floatstr, self.key_separator,
+                                self.item_separator, self.sort_keys,
+                                self.skipkeys, _one_shot)(o, 0)
+
     def default(self, obj):
         # For Date Time string spec, see ECMA 262
         # http://ecma-international.org/ecma-262/5.1/#sec-15.9.1.15
@@ -55,7 +113,8 @@ class JSONEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
         elif hasattr(obj, 'tolist'):
             # Numpy arrays and array scalars.
             return obj.tolist()
-        elif (coreapi is not None) and isinstance(obj, (coreapi.Document, coreapi.Error)):
+        elif (coreapi is not None) and isinstance(obj, (coreapi.Document,
+                                                        coreapi.Error)):
             raise RuntimeError(
                 'Cannot return a coreapi object from a JSON view. '
                 'You should be using a schema renderer instead for this view.'
diff --git a/tests/test_encoders.py b/tests/test_encoders.py
index 8f8694c47..61e049ae1 100644
--- a/tests/test_encoders.py
+++ b/tests/test_encoders.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
 from datetime import date, datetime, timedelta
 from decimal import Decimal
 from uuid import uuid4
 
 import pytest
 from django.test import TestCase
+from django.utils import six
 from django.utils.timezone import utc
 
 from rest_framework.compat import coreapi
@@ -92,3 +95,28 @@ class JSONEncoderTests(TestCase):
         """
         foo = MockList()
         assert self.encoder.default(foo) == [1, 2, 3]
+
+    def test_encode_float(self):
+        """
+        Tests encoding floats with special values
+        """
+
+        f = [3.141592653, float('inf'), float('-inf'), float('nan')]
+        assert self.encoder.encode(f) == '[3.141592653, "Infinity", "-Infinity", "NaN"]'
+
+        encoder = JSONEncoder(allow_nan=False)
+        try:
+            encoder.encode(f)
+        except ValueError:
+            pass
+        else:
+            assert False
+
+    def test_encode_string(self):
+        """
+        Tests encoding string
+        """
+
+        if six.PY2:
+            encoder2 = JSONEncoder(encoding='latin_1', check_circular=False)
+            assert encoder2.encode(['foo☺']) == '["foo\\u00e2\\u0098\\u00ba"]'