diff --git a/src/hlua.c b/src/hlua.c
index c343a7b..48fcf1a 100644
--- a/src/hlua.c
+++ b/src/hlua.c
@@ -3591,6 +3591,7 @@
 	lua_rawseti(L, -2, 0);
 	appctx->appctx = ctx;
 	appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.status = 200; /* Default status code returned. */
+	appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.reason = NULL; /* Use default reason based on status */
 	appctx->htxn.s = s;
 	appctx->htxn.p = px;
 
@@ -4119,6 +4120,7 @@
 {
 	struct hlua_appctx *appctx = MAY_LJMP(hlua_checkapplet_http(L, 1));
 	int status = MAY_LJMP(luaL_checkinteger(L, 2));
+	const char *reason = MAY_LJMP(luaL_optlstring(L, 3, NULL, NULL));
 
 	if (status < 100 || status > 599) {
 		lua_pushboolean(L, 0);
@@ -4126,6 +4128,7 @@
 	}
 
 	appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.status = status;
+	appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.reason = reason;
 	lua_pushboolean(L, 1);
 	return 1;
 }
@@ -4178,12 +4181,16 @@
 	int hdr_connection = 0;
 	int hdr_contentlength = -1;
 	int hdr_chunked = 0;
+	const char *reason = appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.reason;
+
+	if (reason == NULL)
+		reason = get_reason(appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.status);
 
 	/* Use the same http version than the request. */
 	chunk_appendf(tmp, "HTTP/1.%c %d %s\r\n",
 	              appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.flags & APPLET_HTTP11 ? '1' : '0',
 	              appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.status,
-	              get_reason(appctx->appctx->ctx.hlua_apphttp.status));
+	              reason);
 
 	/* Get the array associated to the field "response" in the object AppletHTTP. */
 	lua_pushvalue(L, 0);
@@ -4737,17 +4744,18 @@
 	return 1;
 }
 
-/* This function set the response code. */
+/* This function set the response code & optionally reason. */
 static int hlua_http_res_set_status(lua_State *L)
 {
 	struct hlua_txn *htxn = MAY_LJMP(hlua_checkhttp(L, 1));
 	unsigned int code = MAY_LJMP(luaL_checkinteger(L, 2));
+	const char *reason = MAY_LJMP(luaL_optlstring(L, 3, NULL, NULL));
 
 	/* Check if a valid response is parsed */
 	if (unlikely(htxn->s->txn->rsp.msg_state < HTTP_MSG_BODY))
 		return 0;
 
-	http_set_status(code, htxn->s);
+	http_set_status(code, reason, htxn->s);
 	return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/proto_http.c b/src/proto_http.c
index 1507001..f7f7545 100644
--- a/src/proto_http.c
+++ b/src/proto_http.c
@@ -12454,14 +12454,14 @@
 /* This function replace the HTTP status code and the associated message. The
  * variable <status> contains the new status code. This function never fails.
  */
-void http_set_status(unsigned int status, struct stream *s)
+void http_set_status(unsigned int status, const char *reason, struct stream *s)
 {
 	struct http_txn *txn = s->txn;
 	char *cur_ptr, *cur_end;
 	int delta;
 	char *res;
 	int c_l;
-	const char *msg;
+	const char *msg = reason;
 	int msg_len;
 
 	chunk_reset(&trash);
@@ -12472,9 +12472,10 @@
 	trash.str[c_l] = ' ';
 	trash.len = c_l + 1;
 
-	msg = get_reason(status);
+	/* Do we have a custom reason format string? */
+	if (msg == NULL)
+		msg = get_reason(status);
 	msg_len = strlen(msg);
-
 	strncpy(&trash.str[trash.len], msg, trash.size - trash.len);
 	trash.len += msg_len;
 
@@ -12520,7 +12521,7 @@
 enum act_return action_http_set_status(struct act_rule *rule, struct proxy *px,
                                        struct session *sess, struct stream *s, int flags)
 {
-	http_set_status(rule->arg.status.code, s);
+	http_set_status(rule->arg.status.code, rule->arg.status.reason, s);
 	return ACT_RET_CONT;
 }
 
@@ -12596,7 +12597,7 @@
 
 	/* Check if an argument is available */
 	if (!*args[*orig_arg]) {
-		memprintf(err, "expects exactly 1 argument <status>");
+		memprintf(err, "expects 1 argument: <status>; or 3 arguments: <status> reason <fmt>");
 		return ACT_RET_PRS_ERR;
 	}
 
@@ -12608,6 +12609,16 @@
 	}
 
 	(*orig_arg)++;
+
+	/* set custom reason string */
+	rule->arg.status.reason = NULL; // If null, we use the default reason for the status code.
+	if (*args[*orig_arg] && strcmp(args[*orig_arg], "reason") == 0 &&
+	    (*args[*orig_arg + 1] && strcmp(args[*orig_arg + 1], "if") != 0 && strcmp(args[*orig_arg + 1], "unless") != 0)) {
+		(*orig_arg)++;
+		rule->arg.status.reason = strdup(args[*orig_arg]);
+		(*orig_arg)++;
+	}
+
 	return ACT_RET_PRS_OK;
 }