diff --git a/application/core/EA_Input.php b/application/core/EA_Input.php
index f4ef1b3d..80793a14 100644
--- a/application/core/EA_Input.php
+++ b/application/core/EA_Input.php
@@ -45,12 +45,12 @@ class EA_Input extends CI_Input {
     /**
      * Fetch an item from JSON data.
      *
-     * @param string $index Index for item to be fetched from the JSON payload.
+     * @param string|null $index Index for item to be fetched from the JSON payload.
      * @param bool|false $xss_clean Whether to apply XSS filtering
      *
      * @return mixed
      */
-    public function json(string $index, bool $xss_clean = FALSE)
+    public function json(string $index = NULL, bool $xss_clean = FALSE)
     {
         /** @var EA_Controller $CI */
         $CI = &get_instance();
@@ -69,8 +69,19 @@ class EA_Input extends CI_Input {
 
         $payload = json_decode($input_stream, TRUE);
 
-        $value = $payload[$index] ?? NULL;
+        if ($xss_clean)
+        {
+            foreach ($payload as $name => $value)
+            {
+                $payload[$name] = $CI->security->xss_clean($value);
+            }
+        }
 
-        return $value && $xss_clean ? $CI->security->xss_clean($value) : $value;
+        if (empty($index))
+        {
+            return $payload;
+        }
+
+        return $payload[$index] ?? NULL;;
     }
 }
diff --git a/application/helpers/http_helper.php b/application/helpers/http_helper.php
index 60595967..82c9c1b0 100644
--- a/application/helpers/http_helper.php
+++ b/application/helpers/http_helper.php
@@ -21,20 +21,27 @@ if ( ! function_exists('request'))
      * $first_name = request('first_name', 'John');
      *
      * @param string|null $key Request variable key.
-     * @param mixed $default Default value in case the requested variable has no value.
+     * @param mixed|null $default Default value in case the requested variable has no value.
      *
      * @return mixed
      *
      * @throws InvalidArgumentException
      */
-    function request(string $key, $default = NULL)
+    function request(string $key = NULL, $default = NULL)
     {
         /** @var EA_Controller $CI */
         $CI = &get_instance();
 
         if (empty($key))
         {
-            throw new InvalidArgumentException('The $key argument cannot be empty.');
+            $payload = $CI->input->post_get($key);
+
+            if (empty($payload))
+            {
+                $payload = $CI->input->json($key);
+            }
+            
+            return $payload;
         }
 
         return $CI->input->post_get($key) ?? $CI->input->json($key) ?? $default;