diff --git a/doc/xml/release.xml b/doc/xml/release.xml
index 4614bf6c1..5534a347a 100644
--- a/doc/xml/release.xml
+++ b/doc/xml/release.xml
@@ -41,6 +41,14 @@
                         <p>The <cmd>expire</cmd> command now checks if a stop file is present.</p>
                     </release-item>
 
+                    <release-item>
+                        <release-item-contributor-list>
+                             <release-item-ideator id="ctenuun"/>
+                        </release-item-contributor-list>
+
+                        <p>Handle missing reason phrase in HTTP response.</p>
+                    </release-item>
+
                     <release-item>
                         <release-item-contributor-list>
                              <release-item-ideator id="eric.radman"/>
@@ -8149,6 +8157,11 @@
             <contributor-id type="github">cjames53</contributor-id>
         </contributor>
 
+        <contributor id="ctenuun">
+            <contributor-name-display>Tenuun</contributor-name-display>
+            <contributor-id type="github">ctenuun</contributor-id>
+        </contributor>
+
         <contributor id="cynthia.shang">
             <contributor-name-display>Cynthia Shang</contributor-name-display>
             <contributor-id type="github">cmwshang</contributor-id>
diff --git a/src/common/io/http/client.c b/src/common/io/http/client.c
index 33793d037..bbfaad8f6 100644
--- a/src/common/io/http/client.c
+++ b/src/common/io/http/client.c
@@ -320,13 +320,13 @@ httpClientRequest(
                 ioWriteFlush(tlsSessionIoWrite(this->tlsSession));
 
                 // Read status and make sure it starts with the correct http version
-                String *status = strTrim(ioReadLine(tlsSessionIoRead(this->tlsSession)));
+                String *status = ioReadLine(tlsSessionIoRead(this->tlsSession));
 
                 if (!strBeginsWith(status, HTTP_VERSION_STR))
-                    THROW_FMT(FormatError, "http version of response '%s' must be " HTTP_VERSION, strPtr(status));
+                    THROW_FMT(FormatError, "http version of response '%s' must be " HTTP_VERSION, strPtr(strTrim(status)));
 
-                // Now read the response code and message
-                status = strSub(status, sizeof(HTTP_VERSION));
+                // Now read the response code and message (and strip the trailing CR)
+                status = strSubN(status, sizeof(HTTP_VERSION), strSize(status) - sizeof(HTTP_VERSION) - 1);
 
                 int spacePos = strChr(status, ' ');
 
diff --git a/test/src/module/common/ioHttpTest.c b/test/src/module/common/ioHttpTest.c
index 27f875956..ebdc56f87 100644
--- a/test/src/module/common/ioHttpTest.c
+++ b/test/src/module/common/ioHttpTest.c
@@ -230,7 +230,7 @@ testHttpServer(void)
         "\r\n");
 
     harnessTlsServerReply(
-        "HTTP/1.1 403 Auth Error\r\n"
+        "HTTP/1.1 403 \r\n"
         "content-length:7\r\n"
         "\r\n"
         "CONTENT");
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ testRun(void)
                     buffer, httpClientRequest(client, strNew("GET"), strNew("/"), NULL, NULL, NULL, false),
                     "error with content length");
                 TEST_RESULT_UINT(httpClientResponseCode(client), 403, "    check response code");
-                TEST_RESULT_STR_Z(httpClientResponseMessage(client), "Auth Error", "    check response message");
+                TEST_RESULT_STR_Z(httpClientResponseMessage(client), "", "    check empty response message");
                 TEST_RESULT_STR_Z(
                     httpHeaderToLog(httpClientResponseHeader(client)),  "{content-length: '7'}", "    check response headers");
                 TEST_RESULT_STR_Z(strNewBuf(buffer),  "CONTENT", "    check response");