diff --git a/lib/response.js b/lib/response.js
index fede486c06..55b3a52c10 100644
--- a/lib/response.js
+++ b/lib/response.js
@@ -209,14 +209,6 @@ res.send = function send(body) {
   // freshness
   if (req.fresh) this.statusCode = 304;
 
-  // strip irrelevant headers
-  if (204 === this.statusCode || 304 === this.statusCode) {
-    this.removeHeader('Content-Type');
-    this.removeHeader('Content-Length');
-    this.removeHeader('Transfer-Encoding');
-    chunk = '';
-  }
-
   // alter headers for 205
   if (this.statusCode === 205) {
     this.set('Content-Length', '0')
@@ -224,8 +216,12 @@ res.send = function send(body) {
     chunk = ''
   }
 
-  if (req.method === 'HEAD') {
-    // skip body for HEAD
+  if (
+    req.method === 'HEAD' ||
+    204 === this.statusCode ||
+    304 === this.statusCode
+  ) {
+    // skip body
     this.end();
   } else {
     // respond