diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index b2d75b158..fc651d88c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -111,6 +111,13 @@
     * Optimization: Initialize debugbar only after the configuration has been loaded
     * Optimization: Combine some early Grav processors into a single one
 
+# v1.6.16
+## mm/dd/2019
+
+1. [](#bugfix)
+    * Fixed Flex user creation if file storage is being used [#2444](https://github.com/getgrav/grav/issues/2444)
+    * Fixed `Badly encoded JSON data` warning when uploading files [#2663](https://github.com/getgrav/grav/issues/2663)
+
 # v1.6.15
 ## 08/20/2019
 
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Common/User/FlexUser/User.php b/system/src/Grav/Common/User/FlexUser/User.php
index 6c7e50fbb..c458a1bc7 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Common/User/FlexUser/User.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Common/User/FlexUser/User.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use Grav\Framework\File\Formatter\JsonFormatter;
 use Grav\Framework\File\Formatter\YamlFormatter;
 use Grav\Framework\Flex\FlexDirectory;
 use Grav\Framework\Flex\FlexObject;
+use Grav\Framework\Flex\Storage\FileStorage;
 use Grav\Framework\Flex\Traits\FlexAuthorizeTrait;
 use Grav\Framework\Flex\Traits\FlexMediaTrait;
 use Grav\Framework\Form\FormFlashFile;
@@ -424,6 +425,15 @@ class User extends FlexObject implements UserInterface, MediaManipulationInterfa
      */
     public function save()
     {
+        // TODO: We may want to handle this in the storage layer in the future.
+        $key = $this->getStorageKey();
+        if (!$key || strpos($key, '@@')) {
+            $storage = $this->getFlexDirectory()->getStorage();
+            if ($storage instanceof FileStorage) {
+                $this->setStorageKey($this->getKey());
+            }
+        }
+
         $password = $this->getProperty('password');
         if (null !== $password) {
             $this->unsetProperty('password');
diff --git a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Form/Traits/FormTrait.php b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Form/Traits/FormTrait.php
index 227369146..33990ca52 100644
--- a/system/src/Grav/Framework/Form/Traits/FormTrait.php
+++ b/system/src/Grav/Framework/Form/Traits/FormTrait.php
@@ -678,7 +678,7 @@ trait FormTrait
         foreach ($data as $key => &$value) {
             if (\is_array($value)) {
                 $value = $this->jsonDecode($value);
-            } elseif ($value === '') {
+            } elseif (trim($value) === '') {
                 unset($data[$key]);
             } else {
                 $value = json_decode($value, true);