diff --git a/lib/maverick.ex b/lib/maverick.ex
index e5159c8..59bb5ec 100644
--- a/lib/maverick.ex
+++ b/lib/maverick.ex
@@ -28,12 +28,7 @@ defmodule Maverick do
         arg = Maverick.Api.Generator.decode_arg_type(conn, route.args)
         response = apply(__MODULE__, route.function, [arg])
 
-        Maverick.Api.Generator.wrap_response(
-          conn,
-          response,
-          route.success_code,
-          route.error_code
-        )
+        Maverick.handle_response(response, conn)
       end
     end
   end
@@ -102,6 +97,15 @@ defmodule Maverick do
     []
   end
 
+  def handle_response(%Plug.Conn{} = conn, _) do
+    conn
+  end
+
+  def handle_response(term, conn) do
+    response = Maverick.Response.handle(term, conn)
+    handle_response(response, conn)
+  end
+
   defp parse_http_code(code) when is_integer(code), do: code
 
   defp parse_http_code(code) when is_binary(code) do
diff --git a/lib/maverick/api/generator.ex b/lib/maverick/api/generator.ex
index 019faf4..f85af8c 100644
--- a/lib/maverick/api/generator.ex
+++ b/lib/maverick/api/generator.ex
@@ -59,29 +59,6 @@ defmodule Maverick.Api.Generator do
     end
   end
 
-  def wrap_response(conn, {:ok, headers, response}, success, _error) do
-    conn
-    |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json", nil)
-    |> add_headers(headers)
-    |> Plug.Conn.send_resp(success, Jason.encode!(response))
-  end
-
-  def wrap_response(conn, {:error, error_message}, _success, error) do
-    response =
-      %{error_code: error, error_message: error_message}
-      |> Jason.encode!()
-
-    conn
-    |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json", nil)
-    |> Plug.Conn.send_resp(error, response)
-  end
-
-  def wrap_response(conn, response, success, _error) do
-    conn
-    |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json", nil)
-    |> Plug.Conn.send_resp(success, Jason.encode!(response))
-  end
-
   def decode_arg_type(conn, :conn) do
     conn
   end
@@ -89,10 +66,4 @@ defmodule Maverick.Api.Generator do
   def decode_arg_type(conn, _) do
     Map.get(conn, :params)
   end
-
-  defp add_headers(conn, headers) do
-    Enum.reduce(headers, conn, fn {key, value}, conn ->
-      Plug.Conn.put_resp_header(conn, key, value)
-    end)
-  end
 end
diff --git a/lib/maverick/exception.ex b/lib/maverick/exception.ex
index 351a5b4..fc4784a 100644
--- a/lib/maverick/exception.ex
+++ b/lib/maverick/exception.ex
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ defmodule Maverick.Exception.Default do
           |> Jason.encode!()
 
         conn
-        |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json", nil)
+        |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json")
         |> Plug.Conn.send_resp(status, response)
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/maverick/response.ex b/lib/maverick/response.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9b094cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/maverick/response.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+defprotocol Maverick.Response do
+  @fallback_to_any true
+  def handle(t, conn)
+end
+
+defimpl Maverick.Response, for: Any do
+  def handle(term, %Plug.Conn{private: %{maverick_route: route}} = conn) do
+    conn
+    |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json")
+    |> Plug.Conn.resp(route.success_code, Jason.encode!(term))
+  end
+end
+
+defimpl Maverick.Response, for: Tuple do
+  def handle({:ok, term}, conn) do
+    Maverick.Response.handle(term, conn)
+  end
+
+  def handle({status, headers, term}, conn) do
+    conn
+    |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json")
+    |> add_headers(headers)
+    |> Plug.Conn.resp(status, Jason.encode!(term))
+  end
+
+  def handle({:error, exception}, conn) when is_exception(exception) do
+    Maverick.Exception.handle(exception, conn)
+  end
+
+  def handle({:error, error_message}, %Plug.Conn{private: %{maverick_route: route}} = conn) do
+    response =
+      %{error_code: route.error_code, error_message: error_message}
+      |> Jason.encode!()
+
+    conn
+    |> Plug.Conn.put_resp_content_type("application/json")
+    |> Plug.Conn.send_resp(route.error_code, response)
+  end
+
+  defp add_headers(conn, headers) do
+    Enum.reduce(headers, conn, fn {key, value}, conn ->
+      Plug.Conn.put_resp_header(conn, key, value)
+    end)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/maverick/api_test.exs b/test/maverick/api_test.exs
index aa129e9..f6e32c9 100644
--- a/test/maverick/api_test.exs
+++ b/test/maverick/api_test.exs
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 defmodule Maverick.ApiTest do
-  use ExUnit.Case
+  use ExUnit.Case, async: true
+
+  import Maverick.Test.Helpers
 
   @host "http://localhost:4000"
 
@@ -94,12 +96,22 @@ defmodule Maverick.ApiTest do
 
   defp resp_headers({:ok, _status_code, headers, _ref}), do: headers
 
+  defp resp_header({:ok, _, headers, _}, key) do
+    Enum.find(headers, fn {k, _} -> k == key end)
+  end
+
   defp resp_body({:ok, _status_code, _headers, ref}) do
     {:ok, body} = :hackney.body(ref)
     Jason.decode!(body)
   end
 
   defp resp_content_type(resp) do
-    {"content-type", "application/json"} in resp_headers(resp)
+    case resp_header(resp, "content-type") do
+      nil ->
+        flunk("Content-type is not set")
+
+      {_, content_type} ->
+        assert response_content_type?(content_type, :json)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/maverick/exception_test.exs b/test/maverick/exception_test.exs
index 8e3e033..e4cbe3c 100644
--- a/test/maverick/exception_test.exs
+++ b/test/maverick/exception_test.exs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 defmodule Maverick.ExceptionTest do
   use ExUnit.Case
 
+  import Maverick.Test.Helpers
+
   @host "http://localhost:4000"
   @headers [{"content-type", "application/json"}]
 
@@ -52,7 +54,9 @@ defmodule Maverick.ExceptionTest do
 
   defp resp_code({:ok, status_code, _headers, _ref}), do: status_code
 
-  defp resp_headers({:ok, _status_code, headers, _ref}), do: headers
+  defp resp_header({:ok, _, headers, _}, key) do
+    Enum.find(headers, fn {k, _} -> k == key end)
+  end
 
   defp resp_body({:ok, _status_code, _headers, ref}) do
     {:ok, body} = :hackney.body(ref)
@@ -60,6 +64,12 @@ defmodule Maverick.ExceptionTest do
   end
 
   defp resp_content_type(resp) do
-    {"content-type", "application/json"} in resp_headers(resp)
+    case resp_header(resp, "content-type") do
+      nil ->
+        flunk("Content-type is not set")
+
+      {_, content_type} ->
+        assert response_content_type?(content_type, :json)
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/maverick/response_test.exs b/test/maverick/response_test.exs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..554fb19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/maverick/response_test.exs
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+defmodule Maverick.ResponseTest do
+  use Maverick.ConnCase, async: true
+  use Plug.Test
+
+  setup do
+    route = %Maverick.Route{success_code: 200, error_code: 403}
+
+    [
+      route: route,
+      conn: conn(:get, "/") |> Plug.Conn.put_private(:maverick_route, route)
+    ]
+  end
+
+  test "a raw map is json encoded with success response", ctx do
+    response =
+      Maverick.Response.handle(%{one: 1}, ctx.conn)
+      |> json_response(200)
+
+    assert %{"one" => 1} == response
+  end
+
+  test "a raw string is json encoded with success response", ctx do
+    response =
+      Maverick.Response.handle("hello world", ctx.conn)
+      |> json_response(200)
+
+    assert "hello world" == response
+  end
+
+  test "an ok tuple with json encode the term with success response", ctx do
+    response =
+      Maverick.Response.handle({:ok, %{one: 1}}, ctx.conn)
+      |> json_response(200)
+
+    assert %{"one" => 1} == response
+  end
+
+  test "a 3 element tuple controle status, headers and response explicitly", ctx do
+    conn = Maverick.Response.handle({202, [{"key", "value"}], %{one: 1}}, ctx.conn)
+    response = json_response(conn, 202)
+
+    assert %{"one" => 1} == response
+    assert ["value"] = Plug.Conn.get_resp_header(conn, "key")
+  end
+
+  test "a error tuple json encodes reason with error response", ctx do
+    response =
+      Maverick.Response.handle({:error, "bad stuff"}, ctx.conn)
+      |> json_response(403)
+
+    assert %{"error_code" => 403, "error_message" => "bad stuff"} == response
+  end
+
+  test "an error exception tuple triggers Maverick.Exception protocol", ctx do
+    exception = ArgumentError.exception(message: "argument is bad")
+
+    response =
+      Maverick.Response.handle({:error, exception}, ctx.conn)
+      |> json_response(500)
+
+    assert %{"error_code" => 500, "error_message" => "argument is bad"} == response
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/support/conn_case.ex b/test/support/conn_case.ex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fff70ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/support/conn_case.ex
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+defmodule Maverick.ConnCase do
+  use ExUnit.CaseTemplate
+
+  using do
+    quote do
+      import Maverick.Test.Helpers
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+defmodule Maverick.Test.Helpers do
+  require ExUnit.Assertions
+
+  def response(%Plug.Conn{status: status, resp_body: body}, given) do
+    given = Plug.Conn.Status.code(given)
+
+    if given == status do
+      body
+    else
+      raise "expected response with status #{given}, got: #{status}, with body:\n#{inspect(body)}"
+    end
+  end
+
+  def json_response(conn, status) do
+    body = response(conn, status)
+    _ = response_content_type(conn, :json)
+
+    Jason.decode!(body)
+  end
+
+  def response_content_type(conn, format) when is_atom(format) do
+    case Plug.Conn.get_resp_header(conn, "content-type") do
+      [] ->
+        raise "no content-type was set, expected a #{format} response"
+
+      [h] ->
+        if response_content_type?(h, format) do
+          h
+        else
+          raise "expected content-type for #{format}, got: #{inspect(h)}"
+        end
+
+      [_ | _] ->
+        raise "more than one content-type was set, expected a #{format} response"
+    end
+  end
+
+  def response_content_type?(header, format) do
+    case parse_content_type(header) do
+      {part, subpart} ->
+        format = Atom.to_string(format)
+
+        format in MIME.extensions(part <> "/" <> subpart) or
+          format == subpart or String.ends_with?(subpart, "+" <> format)
+
+      _ ->
+        false
+    end
+  end
+
+  defp parse_content_type(header) do
+    case Plug.Conn.Utils.content_type(header) do
+      {:ok, part, subpart, _params} ->
+        {part, subpart}
+
+      _ ->
+        false
+    end
+  end
+end