diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 30afa4f1d..a918b18ff 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -590,7 +590,7 @@ For Node.js v12 you can use [abort-controller](https://github.com/mysticatea/abo
 
 #### Why do I have to install `graphql`?
 
-`graphql-request` uses a TypeScript type from the `graphql` package such that if you are using TypeScript to build your project and you are using `graphql-request` but don't have `graphql` installed TypeScript build will fail. Details [here](https://github.com/prisma-labs/graphql-request/pull/183#discussion_r464453076). If you are a JS user then you do not technically need to install `graphql`. However if you use an IDE that picks up TS types even for JS (like VSCode) then its still in your interest to install `graphql` so that you can benefit from enhanced type safety during development.
+`graphql-request` uses methods exposed by the `graphql` package to handle some internal logic. On top of that, for TypeScript users, some types are used from the `graphql` package to provide better typings.
 
 #### Do I need to wrap my GraphQL documents inside the `gql` template exported by `graphql-request`?
 
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 903a2902b..88c7b9b6a 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import crossFetch, * as CrossFetch from 'cross-fetch'
-import { OperationDefinitionNode } from 'graphql/language/ast'
+import { OperationDefinitionNode, DocumentNode } from 'graphql/language/ast'
+
+import { parse } from 'graphql/language/parser'
 import { print } from 'graphql/language/printer'
 import createRequestBody from './createRequestBody'
 import {
@@ -553,12 +555,10 @@ function getResult(response: Dom.Response): Promise<any> {
  * helpers
  */
 
-function resolveRequestDocument(document: RequestDocument): { query: string; operationName?: string } {
-  if (typeof document === 'string') return { query: document }
-
+function extractOperationName(document: DocumentNode): string | undefined {
   let operationName = undefined
 
-  let operationDefinitions = document.definitions.filter(
+  const operationDefinitions = document.definitions.filter(
     (definition) => definition.kind === 'OperationDefinition'
   ) as OperationDefinitionNode[]
 
@@ -566,6 +566,25 @@ function resolveRequestDocument(document: RequestDocument): { query: string; ope
     operationName = operationDefinitions[0].name?.value
   }
 
+  return operationName
+}
+
+function resolveRequestDocument(document: RequestDocument): { query: string; operationName?: string } {
+  if (typeof document === 'string') {
+    let operationName = undefined
+
+    try {
+      const parsedDocument = parse(document)
+      operationName = extractOperationName(parsedDocument)
+    } catch (err) {
+      // Failed parsing the document, the operationName will be undefined
+    }
+
+    return { query: document, operationName }
+  }
+
+  const operationName = extractOperationName(document)
+
   return { query: print(document), operationName }
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/general.test.ts b/tests/general.test.ts
index acc701bcd..ac6ce0ff9 100644
--- a/tests/general.test.ts
+++ b/tests/general.test.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import gql from 'graphql-tag'
 import { GraphQLClient, rawRequest, request } from '../src'
 import { setupTestServer } from './__helpers'
 import * as Dom from '../src/types.dom'
@@ -179,3 +180,35 @@ test('case-insensitive content-type header for custom fetch', async () => {
 
   expect(result).toBe(testData.data)
 })
+
+describe('operationName parsing', () => {
+  it('should work for gql documents', async () => {
+    const mock = ctx.res({ body: { data: { foo: 1 } } })
+    await request(
+      ctx.url,
+      gql`
+        query myGqlOperation {
+          users
+        }
+      `
+    )
+
+    const requestBody = mock.requests[0].body
+    expect(requestBody.operationName).toEqual('myGqlOperation')
+  })
+
+  it('should work for string documents', async () => {
+    const mock = ctx.res({ body: { data: { foo: 1 } } })
+    await request(
+      ctx.url,
+      `
+        query myStringOperation {
+          users
+        }
+      `
+    )
+
+    const requestBody = mock.requests[0].body
+    expect(requestBody.operationName).toEqual('myStringOperation')
+  })
+})