diff --git a/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts b/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts
index c7123ae792..0d14a01bfa 100644
--- a/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts
+++ b/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts
@@ -191,6 +191,14 @@ export class HttpXhrBackend implements HttpBackend {
             // The parse error contains the text of the body that failed to parse.
             body = { error, text: body } as HttpJsonParseError;
           }
+        } else if (!ok && req.responseType === 'json' && typeof body === 'string') {
+          try {
+            // Attempt to parse the body as JSON.
+            body = JSON.parse(body);
+          } catch (error) {
+            // Cannot be certain that the body was meant to be parsed as JSON.
+            // Leave the body as a string.
+          }
         }
 
         if (ok) {
diff --git a/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts b/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts
index 6c37619333..4c76dce6ad 100644
--- a/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ import {MockXhrFactory} from './xhr_mock';
 
 function trackEvents(obs: Observable<HttpEvent<any>>): HttpEvent<any>[] {
   const events: HttpEvent<any>[] = [];
-  obs.subscribe(event => events.push(event));
+  obs.subscribe(event => events.push(event), err => events.push(err));
   return events;
 }
 
@@ -92,6 +92,13 @@ export function main() {
       const res = events[1] as HttpResponse<{data: string}>;
       expect(res.body !.data).toBe('some data');
     });
+    it('handles a json error response', () => {
+      const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
+      factory.mock.mockFlush(500, 'Error', JSON.stringify({data: 'some data'}));
+      expect(events.length).toBe(2);
+      const res = events[1] as any as HttpErrorResponse;
+      expect(res.error !.data).toBe('some data');
+    });
     it('handles a json string response', () => {
       const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
       expect(factory.mock.responseType).toEqual('text');