diff --git a/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpProtocol.cc b/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpProtocol.cc
index 4cfc4a62677..0825913a69d 100644
--- a/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpProtocol.cc
+++ b/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpProtocol.cc
@@ -1426,9 +1426,12 @@ int XrdHttpProtocol::StartSimpleResp(int code, const char *desc, const char *hea
     ss << desc;
   } else {
     if (code == 200) ss << "OK";
-    else if (code == 206) ss << "Partial content";
+    else if (code == 206) ss << "Partial Content";
     else if (code == 302) ss << "Redirect";
-    else if (code == 404) ss << "Not found";
+    else if (code == 403) ss << "Forbidden";
+    else if (code == 404) ss << "Not Found";
+    else if (code == 405) ss << "Method Not Allowed";
+    else if (code == 500) ss << "Internal Server Error";
     else ss << "Unknown";
   }
   ss << crlf;
diff --git a/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.cc b/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.cc
index 233a6d4cde7..0d635adbe13 100644
--- a/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.cc
+++ b/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.cc
@@ -770,6 +770,38 @@ void XrdHttpReq::parseResource(char *res) {
   
 }
 
+// Map an XRootD error code to an appropriate HTTP status code and message
+// The variables httpStatusCode and httpStatusText will be populated
+
+void XrdHttpReq::mapXrdErrorToHttpStatus() {
+  // Set default HTTP status values for an error case
+  httpStatusCode = 500;
+  httpStatusText = "Unrecognized error";
+
+  // Do error mapping
+  if (xrdresp == kXR_error) {
+    switch (xrderrcode) {
+      case kXR_NotAuthorized:
+        httpStatusCode = 403; httpStatusText = "Operation not permitted";
+        break;
+      case kXR_NotFound:
+        httpStatusCode = 404; httpStatusText = "File not found";
+        break;
+      case kXR_Unsupported:
+        httpStatusCode = 405; httpStatusText = "Operation not supported";
+      default:
+        break;
+    }
+
+    if (!etext.empty()) httpStatusText = etext;
+
+    TRACEI(REQ, "PostProcessHTTPReq mapping Xrd error [" << xrderrcode
+                 << "] to status code [" << httpStatusCode << "]");
+
+    httpStatusText += "\n";
+  }
+}
+
 int XrdHttpReq::ProcessHTTPReq() {
 
   kXR_int32 l;
@@ -1419,6 +1451,7 @@ int XrdHttpReq::ProcessHTTPReq() {
 int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
 
   TRACEI(REQ, "PostProcessHTTPReq req: " << request << " reqstate: " << reqstate);
+  mapXrdErrorToHttpStatus();
 
   switch (request) {
     case XrdHttpReq::rtUnknown:
@@ -1452,11 +1485,13 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
           return 1;
         }
 
-        prot->SendSimpleResp(500, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0);
+        prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                             httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
         reset();
         return 1;
       } else {
-        prot->SendSimpleResp(404, NULL, NULL, (char *) "Error man!", 0);
+        prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                             httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
         return -1;
       }
     }
@@ -1467,7 +1502,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
 
 
         if (xrdresp == kXR_error) {
-          prot->SendSimpleResp(404, NULL, NULL, (char *) etext.c_str(), 0);
+          prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                               httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
           return -1;
         }
 
@@ -1695,7 +1731,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
             // We are here if the request failed
             
             if (prot->myRole == kXR_isManager) {
-              prot->SendSimpleResp(404, NULL, NULL, (char *) "File not found.", 0);
+              prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                                   httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
               return -1;
             }
 
@@ -1785,8 +1822,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
               //  reqstate--;
               //  return 0;
               //}
-              
-              prot->SendSimpleResp(404, NULL, NULL, (char *) "Error man!", 0);
+              prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                                   httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
               return -1;
             }
             
@@ -1796,7 +1833,7 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
           }
           default: //read or readv
           {
-            
+
             // Nothing to do if we are postprocessing a close
             if (ntohs(xrdreq.header.requestid) == kXR_close) return 1;
             
@@ -1923,7 +1960,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
             prot->SendSimpleResp(200, NULL, NULL, (char *) ":-)", 0);
             return 1;
           } else {
-            prot->SendSimpleResp(500, NULL, NULL, (char *) etext.c_str(), 0);
+            prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                                 httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
             return -1;
           }
         }
@@ -1944,7 +1982,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
     {
 
       if (xrdresp != kXR_ok) {
-        prot->SendSimpleResp(404, NULL, NULL, (char *) etext.c_str(), 0);
+        prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                             httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
         return -1;
       }
 
@@ -1976,7 +2015,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
             prot->SendSimpleResp(200, NULL, NULL, (char *) ":-)", 0);
             return 1;
           }
-          prot->SendSimpleResp(500, NULL, NULL, (char *) "Internal Error", 0);
+          prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                               httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
           return -1;
         }
       }
@@ -1988,7 +2028,8 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
     {
 
       if (xrdresp == kXR_error) {
-        prot->SendSimpleResp(404, NULL, NULL, (char *) etext.c_str(), 0);
+        prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                             httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
         return -1;
       }
 
@@ -2226,12 +2267,10 @@ int XrdHttpReq::PostProcessHTTPReq(bool final_) {
   }
 
 
-
-
-
   switch (xrdresp) {
     case kXR_error:
-      prot->SendSimpleResp(500, NULL, NULL, (char *) etext.c_str(), 0);
+      prot->SendSimpleResp(httpStatusCode, NULL, NULL,
+                           httpStatusText.c_str(), httpStatusText.length());
       return -1;
       break;
 
diff --git a/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.hh b/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.hh
index c364eaa6663..83f7900960f 100644
--- a/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.hh
+++ b/src/XrdHttp/XrdHttpReq.hh
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@ class XrdOucEnv;
 
 class XrdHttpReq : public XrdXrootd::Bridge::Result {
 private:
+  // HTTP response parameters to be sent back to the user
+  int httpStatusCode;
+  std::string httpStatusText;
+
   int parseContentRange(char *);
   int parseHost(char *);
   int parseRWOp(char *);
@@ -93,6 +97,8 @@ private:
 
   // Parse a resource string, typically a filename, setting the resource field and the opaque data
   void parseResource(char *url);
+  // Map an XRootD error code to an appropriate HTTP status code and message
+  void mapXrdErrorToHttpStatus();
 public:
 
   XrdHttpReq(XrdHttpProtocol *protinstance) {