diff --git a/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/apicast-policy.json b/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/apicast-policy.json
index 59536fb89..79ab484c9 100644
--- a/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/apicast-policy.json
+++ b/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/apicast-policy.json
@@ -18,6 +18,11 @@
         "type": "string",
         "description": "HTTP response to return",
         "default": "Service Unavailable - Maintenance"
+      },
+      "message_content_type": {
+        "type": "string",
+        "description": "Content-Type header for the response",
+        "default": "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode.lua b/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode.lua
index 4a85eacf1..d651fce07 100644
--- a/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode.lua
+++ b/gateway/src/apicast/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode.lua
@@ -9,22 +9,26 @@ local new = _M.new
 
 local default_status_code = 503
 local default_message = "Service Unavailable - Maintenance"
+local default_message_content_type = "text/plain; charset=utf-8"
 
 function _M.new(configuration)
   local policy = new(configuration)
 
   policy.status_code = default_status_code
   policy.message = default_message
+  policy.message_content_type = default_message_content_type
 
   if configuration then
     policy.status_code = tonumber(configuration.status) or policy.status_code
     policy.message = configuration.message or policy.message
+    policy.message_content_type = configuration.message_content_type or policy.message_content_type
   end
 
   return policy
 end
 
 function _M:rewrite()
+  ngx.header['Content-Type'] = self.message_content_type
   ngx.status = self.status_code
   ngx.say(self.message)
 
diff --git a/spec/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode_spec.lua b/spec/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode_spec.lua
index ae9a7ad0c..7721df2af 100644
--- a/spec/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/policy/maintenance_mode/maintenance_mode_spec.lua
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ describe('Maintenance mode policy', function()
     before_each(function()
       stub(ngx, 'say')
       stub(ngx, 'exit')
+      ngx.header = {}
     end)
 
     context('when using the defaults', function()
@@ -21,6 +22,12 @@ describe('Maintenance mode policy', function()
 
         assert.stub(ngx.say).was_called_with('Service Unavailable - Maintenance')
       end)
+
+      it('returns the default Content-Type header', function()
+        maintenance_policy:rewrite()
+
+        assert.equals('text/plain; charset=utf-8', ngx.header['Content-Type'])
+      end)
     end)
 
     context('when using a custom status code', function()
@@ -48,5 +55,22 @@ describe('Maintenance mode policy', function()
         assert.stub(ngx.say).was_called_with(custom_msg)
       end)
     end)
+
+    context('when using a custom content type', function()
+      it('sets the Content-Type header accordingly', function()
+        local custom_content_type = 'application/json'
+        local maintenance_policy = MaintenancePolicy.new(
+            {
+              message = '{ "msg": "some_msg" }',
+              message_content_type = custom_content_type
+            }
+        )
+
+
+        maintenance_policy:rewrite()
+
+        assert.equals('application/json', ngx.header['Content-Type'])
+      end)
+    end)
   end)
 end)
diff --git a/t/apicast-policy-maintenance-mode.t b/t/apicast-policy-maintenance-mode.t
index cafc26d9a..7f3e8429a 100644
--- a/t/apicast-policy-maintenance-mode.t
+++ b/t/apicast-policy-maintenance-mode.t
@@ -136,3 +136,48 @@ Service Unavailable - Maintenance
 --- error_code: 503
 --- no_error_log
 [error]
+
+=== TEST 4: custom content-type
+--- configuration
+{
+  "services": [
+    {
+      "id": 42,
+      "backend_version":  1,
+      "backend_authentication_type": "service_token",
+      "backend_authentication_value": "token-value",
+      "proxy": {
+        "policy_chain": [
+          {
+            "name": "apicast.policy.maintenance_mode",
+            "configuration": {
+              "message": "{ \"msg\": \"Be back soon\" }",
+              "message_content_type": "application/json"
+            }
+          },
+          { "name": "apicast.policy.apicast" }
+        ],
+        "api_backend": "http://test:$TEST_NGINX_SERVER_PORT/",
+        "proxy_rules": [
+          { "pattern": "/", "http_method": "GET", "metric_system_name": "hits", "delta": 2 }
+        ]
+      }
+    }
+  ]
+}
+--- upstream
+  location / {
+    content_by_lua_block {
+      local assert = require('luassert')
+      assert.is_true(false)
+    }
+  }
+--- request
+GET /
+--- response_body
+{ "msg": "Be back soon" }
+--- response_headers
+Content-Type: application/json
+--- error_code: 503
+--- no_error_log
+[error]