diff --git a/python/pyspark/streaming/dstream.py b/python/pyspark/streaming/dstream.py
index 5a56a3d958254..18415fcebe771 100644
--- a/python/pyspark/streaming/dstream.py
+++ b/python/pyspark/streaming/dstream.py
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ def combineByKey(self, createCombiner, mergeValue, mergeCombiners,
         def combineLocally(iterator):
             combiners = {}
             for x in iterator:
+
+                #TODO for count operation make sure count implementation
+                # This is different from what pyspark does
+                if isinstance(x, int):
+                    x = ("", x)
+
                 (k, v) = x
                 if k not in combiners:
                     combiners[k] = createCombiner(v)