diff --git a/src/sagemaker_inference/default_inference_handler.py b/src/sagemaker_inference/default_inference_handler.py
index b7cd6cf..ad01285 100644
--- a/src/sagemaker_inference/default_inference_handler.py
+++ b/src/sagemaker_inference/default_inference_handler.py
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 """
 import textwrap
 
-from sagemaker_inference import decoder, encoder
+from sagemaker_inference import decoder, encoder, errors, utils
 
 
 class DefaultInferenceHandler(object):
@@ -85,4 +85,7 @@ def default_output_fn(self, prediction, accept):  # pylint: disable=no-self-use
             obj: prediction data.
 
         """
-        return encoder.encode(prediction, accept), accept
+        for content_type in utils.parse_accept(accept):
+            if content_type in encoder.SUPPORTED_CONTENT_TYPES:
+                return encoder.encode(prediction, content_type), content_type
+        raise errors.UnsupportedFormatError(accept)
diff --git a/src/sagemaker_inference/encoder.py b/src/sagemaker_inference/encoder.py
index 2f54086..fdf38a0 100644
--- a/src/sagemaker_inference/encoder.py
+++ b/src/sagemaker_inference/encoder.py
@@ -87,6 +87,9 @@ def _array_to_csv(array_like):
 }
 
 
+SUPPORTED_CONTENT_TYPES = set(_encoder_map.keys())
+
+
 def encode(array_like, content_type):
     """Encode an array-like object in a specific content_type to a numpy array.
 
diff --git a/src/sagemaker_inference/utils.py b/src/sagemaker_inference/utils.py
index 15eb941..592d54f 100644
--- a/src/sagemaker_inference/utils.py
+++ b/src/sagemaker_inference/utils.py
@@ -66,3 +66,16 @@ def retrieve_content_type_header(request_property):
             return request_property[key]
 
     return None
+
+
+def parse_accept(accept):
+    """Parses the Accept header sent with a request.
+
+    Args:
+        accept (str): the value of an Accept header.
+
+    Returns:
+        (list): A list containing the MIME types that the client is able to
+            understand.
+    """
+    return accept.replace(" ", "").split(",")
diff --git a/test/unit/test_default_inference_handler.py b/test/unit/test_default_inference_handler.py
index c82a49e..e6527ae 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_default_inference_handler.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_default_inference_handler.py
@@ -24,11 +24,19 @@ def test_default_input_fn(loads):
     loads.assert_called_with(42, content_types.JSON)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "accept, expected_content_type",
+    [
+        ("text/csv", "text/csv"),
+        ("text/csv, application/json", "text/csv"),
+        ("unsupported/type, text/csv", "text/csv"),
+    ],
+)
 @patch("sagemaker_inference.encoder.encode", lambda prediction, accept: prediction ** 2)
-def test_default_output_fn():
-    result, accept = DefaultInferenceHandler().default_output_fn(2, content_types.CSV)
+def test_default_output_fn(accept, expected_content_type):
+    result, content_type = DefaultInferenceHandler().default_output_fn(2, accept)
     assert result == 4
-    assert accept == content_types.CSV
+    assert content_type == expected_content_type
 
 
 def test_default_model_fn():
diff --git a/test/unit/test_utils.py b/test/unit/test_utils.py
index 2113d62..e739686 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_utils.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_utils.py
@@ -13,7 +13,12 @@
 from mock import Mock, mock_open, patch
 import pytest
 
-from sagemaker_inference.utils import read_file, retrieve_content_type_header, write_file
+from sagemaker_inference.utils import (
+    parse_accept,
+    read_file,
+    retrieve_content_type_header,
+    write_file,
+)
 
 TEXT = "text"
 CONTENT_TYPE = "content_type"
@@ -74,3 +79,16 @@ def test_content_type_header(content_type_key):
     result = retrieve_content_type_header(request_property)
 
     assert result == CONTENT_TYPE
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "input, expected",
+    [
+        ("application/json", ["application/json"]),
+        ("application/json, text/csv", ["application/json", "text/csv"]),
+        ("application/json,text/csv", ["application/json", "text/csv"]),
+    ],
+)
+def test_parse_accept(input, expected):
+    actual = parse_accept(input)
+    assert actual == expected