diff --git a/homeassistant/components/alexa/__init__.py b/homeassistant/components/alexa/__init__.py
index 0bfa01a83ca1..8491268dfd6d 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/alexa/__init__.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/alexa/__init__.py
@@ -72,6 +72,6 @@ async def async_setup(hass, config):
         pass
     else:
         smart_home_config = smart_home_config or SMART_HOME_SCHEMA({})
-        smart_home.async_setup(hass, smart_home_config)
+        await smart_home.async_setup(hass, smart_home_config)
 
     return True
diff --git a/homeassistant/components/alexa/smart_home.py b/homeassistant/components/alexa/smart_home.py
index beb1a9c15eeb..7240912883a8 100644
--- a/homeassistant/components/alexa/smart_home.py
+++ b/homeassistant/components/alexa/smart_home.py
@@ -1036,8 +1036,7 @@ class Config:
         self.entity_config = entity_config or {}
 
 
-@ha.callback
-def async_setup(hass, config):
+async def async_setup(hass, config):
     """Activate Smart Home functionality of Alexa component.
 
     This is optional, triggered by having a `smart_home:` sub-section in the
@@ -1063,8 +1062,7 @@ def async_setup(hass, config):
     hass.http.register_view(SmartHomeView(smart_home_config))
 
     if AUTH_KEY in hass.data:
-        hass.loop.create_task(
-            async_enable_proactive_mode(hass, smart_home_config))
+        await async_enable_proactive_mode(hass, smart_home_config)
 
 
 async def async_enable_proactive_mode(hass, smart_home_config):
@@ -1380,8 +1378,7 @@ async def async_send_changereport_message(hass, config, alexa_entity):
         return
 
     headers = {
-        "Authorization": "Bearer {}".format(token),
-        "Content-Type": "application/json;charset=UTF-8"
+        "Authorization": "Bearer {}".format(token)
     }
 
     endpoint = alexa_entity.entity_id()
@@ -1402,14 +1399,14 @@ async def async_send_changereport_message(hass, config, alexa_entity):
                              payload=payload)
     message.set_endpoint_full(token, endpoint)
 
-    message_str = json.dumps(message.serialize())
+    message_serialized = message.serialize()
 
     try:
         session = aiohttp_client.async_get_clientsession(hass)
         with async_timeout.timeout(DEFAULT_TIMEOUT, loop=hass.loop):
             response = await session.post(config.endpoint,
                                           headers=headers,
-                                          data=message_str,
+                                          json=message_serialized,
                                           allow_redirects=True)
 
     except (asyncio.TimeoutError, aiohttp.ClientError):
@@ -1418,7 +1415,7 @@ async def async_send_changereport_message(hass, config, alexa_entity):
 
     response_text = await response.text()
 
-    _LOGGER.debug("Sent: %s", message_str)
+    _LOGGER.debug("Sent: %s", json.dumps(message_serialized))
     _LOGGER.debug("Received (%s): %s", response.status, response_text)
 
     if response.status != 202:
diff --git a/tests/components/alexa/test_smart_home.py b/tests/components/alexa/test_smart_home.py
index 536112e9b0bc..845e59295ac6 100644
--- a/tests/components/alexa/test_smart_home.py
+++ b/tests/components/alexa/test_smart_home.py
@@ -1783,7 +1783,7 @@ async def test_report_state(hass, aioclient_mock):
     assert len(aioclient_mock.mock_calls) == 1
     call = aioclient_mock.mock_calls
 
-    call_json = json.loads(call[0][2])
+    call_json = call[0][2]
     assert call_json["event"]["payload"]["change"]["properties"][0][
                "value"] == "NOT_DETECTED"
     assert call_json["event"]["endpoint"][