diff --git a/request.js b/request.js
index 61e51fad3..af91a11d3 100644
--- a/request.js
+++ b/request.js
@@ -1198,9 +1198,6 @@ Request.prototype.json = function (val) {
   }
 
   self._json = true
-  if (!self.hasHeader('content-type')) {
-    self.setHeader('content-type', 'application/json')
-  }
   if (typeof val === 'boolean') {
     if (self.body !== undefined) {
       if (!/^application\/x-www-form-urlencoded\b/.test(self.getHeader('content-type'))) {
@@ -1208,9 +1205,15 @@ Request.prototype.json = function (val) {
       } else {
         self.body = self._qs.rfc3986(self.body)
       }
+      if (!self.hasHeader('content-type')) {
+        self.setHeader('content-type', 'application/json')
+      }
     }
   } else {
     self.body = safeStringify(val)
+    if (!self.hasHeader('content-type')) {
+      self.setHeader('content-type', 'application/json')
+    }
   }
 
   if (typeof self.jsonReviver === 'function') {
diff --git a/tests/test-defaults.js b/tests/test-defaults.js
index 4f8e3c7fe..5b58304cf 100644
--- a/tests/test-defaults.js
+++ b/tests/test-defaults.js
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ tape('deep extend', function(t) {
   }, function (e, r, b) {
     delete b.headers.host
     delete b.headers.accept
-    delete b.headers['content-type']
     delete b.headers.connection
     t.deepEqual(b.headers, { a: '1', b: '3', c: '4' })
     t.deepEqual(b.qs, { a: '1', b: '3', c: '4' })
@@ -98,7 +97,7 @@ tape('post(string, object, function)', function(t) {
   }).post(s.url + '/', { json: true }, function (e, r, b) {
     t.equal(b.method, 'POST')
     t.equal(b.headers.foo, 'bar')
-    t.equal(b.headers['content-type'], 'application/json')
+    t.equal(b.headers['content-type'], undefined)
     t.end()
   })
 })
@@ -109,7 +108,7 @@ tape('patch(string, object, function)', function(t) {
   }).patch(s.url + '/', { json: true }, function (e, r, b) {
     t.equal(b.method, 'PATCH')
     t.equal(b.headers.foo, 'bar')
-    t.equal(b.headers['content-type'], 'application/json')
+    t.equal(b.headers['content-type'], undefined)
     t.end()
   })
 })
diff --git a/tests/test-json-request.js b/tests/test-json-request.js
index f45c753d7..e7f39556e 100644
--- a/tests/test-json-request.js
+++ b/tests/test-json-request.js
@@ -72,6 +72,16 @@ testJSONValueReviver('jsonReviver', -48269.592, function (k, v) {
 }, 48269.592)
 testJSONValueReviver('jsonReviverInvalid', -48269.592, 'invalid reviver', -48269.592)
 
+tape('missing body', function (t) {
+  s.on('/missing-body', function (req, res) {
+    t.equal(req.headers['content-type'], undefined)
+    res.end()
+  })
+  request({url:s.url + '/missing-body', json:true}, function () {
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
 tape('cleanup', function(t) {
   s.close(function() {
     t.end()