diff --git a/github/repos_contents.go b/github/repos_contents.go
index 02d45a12ce0..782daf74226 100644
--- a/github/repos_contents.go
+++ b/github/repos_contents.go
@@ -117,26 +117,30 @@ func (s *RepositoriesService) GetReadme(ctx context.Context, owner, repo string,
 // specified file. This function will work with files of any size, as opposed
 // to GetContents which is limited to 1 Mb files. It is the caller's
 // responsibility to close the ReadCloser.
-func (s *RepositoriesService) DownloadContents(ctx context.Context, owner, repo, filepath string, opts *RepositoryContentGetOptions) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+//
+// It is possible for the download to result in a failed response when the
+// returned error is nil. Callers should check the returned Response status
+// code to verify the content is from a successful response.
+func (s *RepositoriesService) DownloadContents(ctx context.Context, owner, repo, filepath string, opts *RepositoryContentGetOptions) (io.ReadCloser, *Response, error) {
 	dir := path.Dir(filepath)
 	filename := path.Base(filepath)
-	_, dirContents, _, err := s.GetContents(ctx, owner, repo, dir, opts)
+	_, dirContents, resp, err := s.GetContents(ctx, owner, repo, dir, opts)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, err
+		return nil, resp, err
 	}
 	for _, contents := range dirContents {
 		if *contents.Name == filename {
 			if contents.DownloadURL == nil || *contents.DownloadURL == "" {
-				return nil, fmt.Errorf("No download link found for %s", filepath)
+				return nil, resp, fmt.Errorf("No download link found for %s", filepath)
 			}
-			resp, err := s.client.client.Get(*contents.DownloadURL)
+			dlResp, err := s.client.client.Get(*contents.DownloadURL)
 			if err != nil {
-				return nil, err
+				return nil, &Response{Response: dlResp}, err
 			}
-			return resp.Body, nil
+			return dlResp.Body, &Response{Response: dlResp}, nil
 		}
 	}
-	return nil, fmt.Errorf("No file named %s found in %s", filename, dir)
+	return nil, resp, fmt.Errorf("No file named %s found in %s", filename, dir)
 }
 
 // GetContents can return either the metadata and content of a single file
diff --git a/github/repos_contents_test.go b/github/repos_contents_test.go
index f122525800a..a0c4695c202 100644
--- a/github/repos_contents_test.go
+++ b/github/repos_contents_test.go
@@ -118,11 +118,15 @@ func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_Success(t *testing.T) {
 		fmt.Fprint(w, "foo")
 	})
 
-	r, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
+	r, resp, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents returned error: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	if got, want := resp.Response.StatusCode, http.StatusOK; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents returned status code %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+
 	bytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Errorf("Error reading response body: %v", err)
@@ -134,6 +138,43 @@ func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_Success(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_FailedResponse(t *testing.T) {
+	client, mux, serverURL, teardown := setup()
+	defer teardown()
+	mux.HandleFunc("/repos/o/r/contents/d", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		testMethod(t, r, "GET")
+		fmt.Fprint(w, `[{
+			"type": "file",
+			"name": "f",
+			"download_url": "`+serverURL+baseURLPath+`/download/f"
+		  }]`)
+	})
+	mux.HandleFunc("/download/f", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		testMethod(t, r, "GET")
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusInternalServerError)
+		fmt.Fprint(w, "foo error")
+	})
+
+	r, resp, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents returned error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if got, want := resp.Response.StatusCode, http.StatusInternalServerError; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents returned status code %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+
+	bytes, err := ioutil.ReadAll(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Error reading response body: %v", err)
+	}
+	r.Close()
+
+	if got, want := string(bytes), "foo error"; got != want {
+		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents returned %v, want %v", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_NoDownloadURL(t *testing.T) {
 	client, mux, _, teardown := setup()
 	defer teardown()
@@ -145,10 +186,14 @@ func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_NoDownloadURL(t *testing.T) {
 		}]`)
 	})
 
-	_, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
+	_, resp, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents did not return expected error")
 	}
+
+	if resp == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents did not return expected response")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_NoFile(t *testing.T) {
@@ -159,10 +204,14 @@ func TestRepositoriesService_DownloadContents_NoFile(t *testing.T) {
 		fmt.Fprint(w, `[]`)
 	})
 
-	_, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
+	_, resp, err := client.Repositories.DownloadContents(context.Background(), "o", "r", "d/f", nil)
 	if err == nil {
 		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents did not return expected error")
 	}
+
+	if resp == nil {
+		t.Errorf("Repositories.DownloadContents did not return expected response")
+	}
 }
 
 func TestRepositoriesService_GetContents_File(t *testing.T) {