diff --git a/request.js b/request.js
index eaa866576..124157e86 100644
--- a/request.js
+++ b/request.js
@@ -920,8 +920,20 @@ Request.prototype.onRequestResponse = function (response) {
       self._ended = true
     })
 
+    var noBody = function (code) {
+      return (
+        self.method === 'HEAD'
+        // Informational
+        || (code >= 100 && code < 200)
+        // No Content
+        || code === 204
+        // Not Modified
+        || code === 304
+      )
+    }
+
     var responseContent
-    if (self.gzip) {
+    if (self.gzip && !noBody(response.statusCode)) {
       var contentEncoding = response.headers['content-encoding'] || 'identity'
       contentEncoding = contentEncoding.trim().toLowerCase()
 
diff --git a/tests/test-gzip.js b/tests/test-gzip.js
index 85870eb4d..cf5ce48ad 100644
--- a/tests/test-gzip.js
+++ b/tests/test-gzip.js
@@ -16,6 +16,20 @@ var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
   res.statusCode = 200
   res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain')
 
+  if (req.method === 'HEAD') {
+    res.setHeader('Content-Encoding', 'gzip')
+    res.end()
+    return
+  }
+  if (req.headers.code) {
+    res.writeHead(req.headers.code, {
+      'Content-Encoding': 'gzip',
+      code: req.headers.code
+    })
+    res.end()
+    return
+  }
+
   if (/\bgzip\b/i.test(req.headers['accept-encoding'])) {
     res.setHeader('Content-Encoding', 'gzip')
     if (req.url === '/error') {
@@ -226,6 +240,43 @@ tape('transparently supports deflate decoding to callbacks', function(t) {
   })
 })
 
+tape('do not try to pipe HEAD request responses', function(t) {
+  var options = { method: 'HEAD', url: 'http://localhost:6767/foo', gzip: true }
+
+  request(options, function(err, res, body) {
+    t.equal(err, null)
+    t.equal(body, '')
+    t.end()
+  })
+})
+
+tape('do not try to pipe responses with no body', function(t) {
+  var options = { url: 'http://localhost:6767/foo', gzip: true }
+
+  options.headers = {code: 105}
+  request.post(options, function(err, res, body) {
+    t.equal(err, null)
+    t.equal(res.headers.code, '105')
+    t.equal(body, '')
+    
+    options.headers = {code: 204}
+    request.post(options, function(err, res, body) {
+      t.equal(err, null)
+      t.equal(res.headers.code, '204')
+      t.equal(body, '')
+      
+      options.headers = {code: 304}
+      request.post(options, function(err, res, body) {
+        t.equal(err, null)
+        t.equal(res.headers.code, '304')
+        t.equal(body, '')
+
+        t.end()
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})
+
 
 tape('cleanup', function(t) {
   server.close(function() {