diff --git a/scalate/src/main/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupport.scala b/scalate/src/main/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupport.scala
index c7637dfe7..30999c95d 100644
--- a/scalate/src/main/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupport.scala
+++ b/scalate/src/main/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupport.scala
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ trait ScalateSupport extends ScalatraKernel {
   // Hack: Have to pass it the request and response, because we're outside the
   // scope of the super handler.
   private def renderScalateErrorPage(req: HttpServletRequest, resp: HttpServletResponse, e: Throwable) = {
+    resp.setStatus(500)
     resp.setContentType("text/html")
     val errorPage = templateEngine.load("/WEB-INF/scalate/errors/500.scaml")
     val context = createRenderContext(req, resp, resp.getWriter)
diff --git a/scalate/src/test/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupportSpec.scala b/scalate/src/test/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupportSpec.scala
index af82895e0..e0d5a3b79 100644
--- a/scalate/src/test/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupportSpec.scala
+++ b/scalate/src/test/scala/org/scalatra/scalate/ScalateSupportSpec.scala
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@ class ScalateSupportSpec extends ScalatraSpec { def is =
     "implicitly bind session"                                     ! e19^
     "implicitly bind params"                                      ! e20^
     "implicitly bind multiParams"                                 ! e21^
-    "render to a string instead of response"                      ! e22
+    "render to a string instead of response"                      ! e22^
+    "set status to 500 when rendering 500.scaml"                  ! e23
 
   addServlet(new ScalatraServlet with ScalateSupport
     with ScalateUrlGeneratorSupport with FlashMapSupport with CookieSupport {
@@ -218,4 +219,8 @@ class ScalateSupportSpec extends ScalatraSpec { def is =
   def e22 = get("/render-to-string") {
     header("X-Template-Output") must_== "<div>SSP template</div>"
   }
+
+  def e23 = get("/barf") {
+    status must_== 500
+  }
 }