diff --git a/lib/hls/hls_parser.js b/lib/hls/hls_parser.js
index 57f3b8570c..b80799778e 100644
--- a/lib/hls/hls_parser.js
+++ b/lib/hls/hls_parser.js
@@ -3753,14 +3753,26 @@ shaka.hls.HlsParser = class {
 
     // If unable to guess mime type, request a segment and try getting it
     // from the response.
+    let contentMimeType;
+    const type = shaka.net.NetworkingEngine.AdvancedRequestType.MEDIA_SEGMENT;
     const headRequest = shaka.net.NetworkingEngine.makeRequest(
         middleSegmentUris, this.config_.retryParameters);
-    headRequest.method = 'HEAD';
-    const type = shaka.net.NetworkingEngine.AdvancedRequestType.MEDIA_SEGMENT;
-    const response = await this.makeNetworkRequest_(
-        headRequest, requestType, {type});
+    try {
+      headRequest.method = 'HEAD';
+      const response = await this.makeNetworkRequest_(
+          headRequest, requestType, {type});
+
+      contentMimeType = response.headers['content-type'];
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (error && error.code == shaka.util.Error.Code.HTTP_ERROR) {
+        headRequest.method = 'GET';
+        const response = await this.makeNetworkRequest_(
+            headRequest, requestType, {type});
+
+        contentMimeType = response.headers['content-type'];
+      }
+    }
 
-    const contentMimeType = response.headers['content-type'];
     if (contentMimeType) {
       // Split the MIME type in case the server sent additional parameters.
       return contentMimeType.split(';')[0];