diff --git a/lib/grape/middleware/base.rb b/lib/grape/middleware/base.rb
index 089878d27..5ffb55114 100644
--- a/lib/grape/middleware/base.rb
+++ b/lib/grape/middleware/base.rb
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ module Formats
         FORMATTERS = {
           :json => :encode_json,
           :txt => :encode_txt,
+          :xml => :encode_xml
         }
         PARSERS = {
           :json => :decode_json
@@ -120,6 +121,10 @@ def encode_json(object)
         def encode_txt(object)
           object.respond_to?(:to_txt) ? object.to_txt : object.to_s
         end
+        
+        def encode_xml(object)
+          object.respond_to?(:to_xml) ? object.to_xml : object.to_s
+        end
       end
 
     end
diff --git a/spec/grape/middleware/formatter_spec.rb b/spec/grape/middleware/formatter_spec.rb
index d8c676283..dafadbcd6 100644
--- a/spec/grape/middleware/formatter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/grape/middleware/formatter_spec.rb
@@ -35,6 +35,17 @@ def serializable_hash
       
       subject.call({'PATH_INFO' => '/somewhere'}).last.each{|b| b.should == '{"abc":"def"}'}
     end
+    
+    it 'should call #to_xml if the content type is xml' do
+      @body = "string"
+      @body.instance_eval do
+        def to_xml
+          "<bar/>"
+        end
+      end
+      
+      subject.call({'PATH_INFO' => '/somewhere.xml'}).last.each{|b| b.should == '<bar/>'}
+    end
   end
   
   context 'detection' do