diff --git a/lib/Cake/Network/Http/Response.php b/lib/Cake/Network/Http/Response.php
index f679157d164..ca0a472aea6 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Network/Http/Response.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Network/Http/Response.php
@@ -325,12 +325,12 @@ protected function _getJson() {
  * @return null|SimpleXML
  */
 	protected function _getXml() {
-		try {
-			$data = new \SimpleXMLElement($this->_body);
-		} catch (Exception $e) {
-			return null;
+		$restore = libxml_use_internal_errors();
+		$data = simplexml_load_string($this->_body);
+		if ($data) {
+			return $data;
 		}
-		return $data;
+		return null;
 	}
 
 /**
diff --git a/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/Network/Http/ResponseTest.php b/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/Network/Http/ResponseTest.php
index 933dc325c59..44d598eebd1 100644
--- a/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/Network/Http/ResponseTest.php
+++ b/lib/Cake/Test/TestCase/Network/Http/ResponseTest.php
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ public function testBodyJson() {
 		$response = new Response([], $encoded);
 		$this->assertTrue(isset($response->json));
 		$this->assertEquals($data['property'], $response->json['property']);
+
+		$data = '';
+		$response = new Response([], $data);
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($response->json));
 	}
 
 /**
@@ -102,6 +106,10 @@ public function testBodyXml() {
 		$response = new Response([], $data);
 		$this->assertTrue(isset($response->xml));
 		$this->assertEquals('Test', (string)$response->xml->test);
+
+		$data = '';
+		$response = new Response([], $data);
+		$this->assertFalse(isset($response->xml));
 	}
 
 /**