diff --git a/src/pg-copy/copy-batch.lisp b/src/pg-copy/copy-batch.lisp
index 4a599f6..7647ff0 100644
--- a/src/pg-copy/copy-batch.lisp
+++ b/src/pg-copy/copy-batch.lisp
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
       (push-row current-batch pg-vector-row bytes))))
 
 (defun add-row-to-current-batch (table columns copy nbcols batch row
-                                 send-batch-fn)
+                                 &key send-batch-fn format-row-fn)
   "Add another ROW we just received to CURRENT-BATCH, and prepare a new
    batch if needed. The current-batch (possibly a new one) is returned. When
    the batch is full, the function SEND-BATCH-FN is called with TABLE,
@@ -83,7 +83,10 @@
 
     ;; also add up the time it takes to format the rows
     (let ((start-time (get-internal-real-time)))
-      (format-row-in-batch copy nbcols row current-batch)
+      (multiple-value-bind (pg-vector-row bytes)
+          (funcall format-row-fn copy nbcols row)
+        (when pg-vector-row
+          (push-row current-batch pg-vector-row bytes)))
       (incf seconds (elapsed-time-since start-time)))
 
     (values current-batch seconds)))
diff --git a/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch-through-s3.lisp b/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch-through-s3.lisp
index a0c61e6..b6db4c0 100644
--- a/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch-through-s3.lisp
+++ b/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch-through-s3.lisp
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@
        :do (multiple-value-bind (maybe-new-batch seconds-in-this-batch)
                (add-row-to-current-batch table columns copy nbcols
                                          current-batch row
-                                         (function send-batch-through-s3))
+                                         :send-batch-fn #'send-batch-through-s3
+                                         :format-row-fn #'prepare-and-format-row-for-s3)
              (setf current-batch maybe-new-batch)
              (incf seconds seconds-in-this-batch)))
 
@@ -30,6 +31,22 @@
     seconds))
 
 
+(defun prepare-and-format-row-for-s3 (copy nbcols row)
+  "Redshift doesn't know how to parse COPY format, we need to upload CSV
+   instead. That said, we don't have to be as careful with the data layout
+   and unicode representation when COPYing from a CSV file as we do when
+   implementing the data streaming outselves."
+  (declare (ignore copy nbcols))
+  (let ((pg-vector-row (cl-csv:write-csv-row (coerce row 'list)
+                                             :separator #\,
+                                             :quote #\"
+                                             :escape #(#\" #\")
+                                             :newline #(#\Newline)
+                                             :always-quote t)))
+    (log-message :data "> ~s" pg-vector-row)
+    (values pg-vector-row (length pg-vector-row))))
+
+
 (defun send-batch-through-s3 (table columns batch &key (db pomo:*database*))
   "Copy current *writer-batch* into TABLE-NAME."
   (let ((batch-start-time (get-internal-real-time))
@@ -71,13 +88,7 @@
         ;;
         (handler-case
             (with-pgsql-transaction (:database db)
-              (let ((sql (format nil "~
-             COPY ~a
-             FROM 's3://~a/~a'
-        DELIMITER '\\t'
-       TIMEFORMAT 'auto'
-           REGION '~a'
-    ACCESS_KEY_ID '~a'"
+              (let ((sql (format nil "COPY ~a FROM 's3://~a/~a' FORMAT CSV TIMEFORMAT 'auto' REGION '~a' ACCESS_KEY_ID '~a'"
                                  table-name
                                  aws-s3-bucket
                                  s3-filename
@@ -153,7 +164,7 @@ SECRET_ACCESS_KEY '~a'"
       ;; So now we now how many bytes we need to finalize this batch
       ;;
       (let* ((bytes  (batch-bytes batch))
-             (vector (make-array bytes :element-type '(unsigned-byte 8))))
+             (vector (make-array bytes :element-type 'character)))
         (loop :for count :below (batch-count batch)
            :for pos := 0 :then (+ pos (length row))
            :for row :across (batch-data batch)
diff --git a/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch.lisp b/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch.lisp
index b34dd9f..deb27d2 100644
--- a/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch.lisp
+++ b/src/pg-copy/copy-rows-in-batch.lisp
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@
        :do (multiple-value-bind (maybe-new-batch seconds-in-this-batch)
                (add-row-to-current-batch table columns copy nbcols
                                          current-batch row
-                                         (function send-batch))
+                                         :send-batch-fn (function send-batch)
+                                         :format-row-fn #'prepare-and-format-row)
              (setf current-batch maybe-new-batch)
              (incf seconds seconds-in-this-batch)))