diff --git a/lib/router/index.js b/lib/router/index.js
index 5c127eab25..df6e7e21c9 100644
--- a/lib/router/index.js
+++ b/lib/router/index.js
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ Router.prototype._optionsFor = function(path){
  * @api private
  */
 
-Router.prototype._match = function(req, i){
+Router.prototype._match = function(req, i, head){
   var method = req.method.toLowerCase()
     , url = parse(req.url)
     , path = url.pathname
@@ -340,8 +340,17 @@ Router.prototype._match = function(req, i){
     , route
     , keys;
 
-  // pass HEAD to GET routes
-  if ('head' == method) method = 'get';
+  // HEAD support
+  // TODO: clean this up
+  if (!head && 'head' == method) {
+    // attempt lookup
+    route = this._match(req, i, true);
+    if (route) return route;
+
+    // default to GET as res.render() / res.send()
+    // etc support HEAD
+     method = 'get';
+  }
 
   // routes for this method
   if (routes = routes[method]) {
diff --git a/test/app.head.js b/test/app.head.js
index d3fa7bb345..a37c47bfde 100644
--- a/test/app.head.js
+++ b/test/app.head.js
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ describe('app.head()', function(){
       , called;
 
     app.head('/tobi', function(req, res){
-      res.end();
+      called = true;
+      res.end('');
     });
 
     app.get('/tobi', function(req, res){