diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5720d9f..2694754 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ Contributors
 * [runemadsen](https://github.com/runemadsen)
 * [mulderp](https://github.com/mulderp)
 * [creynders](https://github.com/creynders)
+* [jkjustjoshing](https://github.com/jkjustjoshing)
 
 License
 -------
diff --git a/canned.js b/canned.js
index b2b6484..5978b47 100644
--- a/canned.js
+++ b/canned.js
@@ -84,13 +84,24 @@ Canned.prototype._extractOptions = function (data) {
     }
     lines.splice(0, 1)
   }
-  opts.statusCode = opts.statusCode || 200
+  var defaultStatusCode
+  if (lines.length === 0 || lines[0].length === 0) {
+    defaultStatusCode = 204
+  } else {
+    defaultStatusCode = 200
+  }
+  opts.statusCode = opts.statusCode || defaultStatusCode
   opts.data = lines.join('\n')
   return opts
 }
 
 Canned.prototype.sanatizeContent = function (data, fileObject) {
   var sanatized
+
+  if (data.length === 0) {
+    return data
+  }
+
   switch (fileObject.mimetype) {
   case 'json':
     // make sure we return valid JSON even so we support comments
@@ -123,7 +134,7 @@ Canned.prototype._responseForFile = function (httpObj, files, cb) {
         data = _data.data
         var statusCode = _data.statusCode
         var content = that.sanatizeContent(data, fileObject)
-        if (content) {
+        if (content !== false) {
           response = new Response(_data.contentType || getContentType(fileObject.mimetype), content, statusCode, httpObj.res, that.response_opts)
           cb(null, response)
         } else {
diff --git a/spec/canned.spec.js b/spec/canned.spec.js
index 618c8ca..4f677ef 100644
--- a/spec/canned.spec.js
+++ b/spec/canned.spec.js
@@ -62,6 +62,24 @@ describe('canned', function () {
       }
       can(req, res)
     })
+
+    it('sets 204 for empty file', function (done) {
+      req.url = '/empty'
+      res.end = function () {
+        expect(res.statusCode).toBe(204)
+        done()
+      }
+      can(req, res)
+    })
+
+    it('sets specified status for empty file with headers set', function (done) {
+      req.url = '/empty_with_headers'
+      res.end = function () {
+        expect(res.statusCode).toBe(420)
+        done()
+      }
+      can(req, res)
+    })
   })
 
   describe('content type', function () {
diff --git a/spec/test_responses/_empty.get.json b/spec/test_responses/_empty.get.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/spec/test_responses/_empty_with_headers.get.json b/spec/test_responses/_empty_with_headers.get.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f855d0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/test_responses/_empty_with_headers.get.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+//! statusCode: 420
\ No newline at end of file