diff --git a/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts b/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts
index 4c299d9a06..02ba1cb4d6 100644
--- a/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts
+++ b/packages/common/http/src/xhr.ts
@@ -180,24 +180,20 @@ export class HttpXhrBackend implements HttpBackend {
 
         // Check whether the body needs to be parsed as JSON (in many cases the browser
         // will have done that already).
-        if (ok && req.responseType === 'json' && typeof body === 'string') {
+        if (req.responseType === 'json' && typeof body === 'string') {
           // Attempt the parse. If it fails, a parse error should be delivered to the user.
           body = body.replace(XSSI_PREFIX, '');
           try {
-            body = JSON.parse(body);
+            body = body !== '' ? JSON.parse(body) : null;
           } catch (error) {
-            // Even though the response status was 2xx, this is still an error.
-            ok = false;
-            // The parse error contains the text of the body that failed to parse.
-            body = { error, text: body } as HttpJsonParseError;
-          }
-        } else if (!ok && req.responseType === 'json' && typeof body === 'string') {
-          try {
-            // Attempt to parse the body as JSON.
-            body = JSON.parse(body);
-          } catch (error) {
-            // Cannot be certain that the body was meant to be parsed as JSON.
-            // Leave the body as a string.
+            // If this was an error request to begin with, leave it as a string, it probably
+            // just isn't JSON. Otherwise, deliver the parsing error to the user.
+            if (ok) {
+              // Even though the response status was 2xx, this is still an error.
+              ok = false;
+              // The parse error contains the text of the body that failed to parse.
+              body = { error, text: body } as HttpJsonParseError;
+            }
           }
         }
 
diff --git a/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts b/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts
index 4c76dce6ad..f6e3a9ab5d 100644
--- a/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/common/http/test/xhr_spec.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ const TEST_POST = new HttpRequest('POST', '/test', 'some body', {
   responseType: 'text',
 });
 
+const XSSI_PREFIX = ')]}\'\n';
+
 export function main() {
   describe('XhrBackend', () => {
     let factory: MockXhrFactory = null !;
@@ -92,6 +94,13 @@ export function main() {
       const res = events[1] as HttpResponse<{data: string}>;
       expect(res.body !.data).toBe('some data');
     });
+    it('handles a blank json response', () => {
+      const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
+      factory.mock.mockFlush(200, 'OK', '');
+      expect(events.length).toBe(2);
+      const res = events[1] as HttpResponse<{data: string}>;
+      expect(res.body).toBeNull();
+    });
     it('handles a json error response', () => {
       const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
       factory.mock.mockFlush(500, 'Error', JSON.stringify({data: 'some data'}));
@@ -99,6 +108,13 @@ export function main() {
       const res = events[1] as any as HttpErrorResponse;
       expect(res.error !.data).toBe('some data');
     });
+    it('handles a json error response with XSSI prefix', () => {
+      const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
+      factory.mock.mockFlush(500, 'Error', XSSI_PREFIX + JSON.stringify({data: 'some data'}));
+      expect(events.length).toBe(2);
+      const res = events[1] as any as HttpErrorResponse;
+      expect(res.error !.data).toBe('some data');
+    });
     it('handles a json string response', () => {
       const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
       expect(factory.mock.responseType).toEqual('text');
@@ -109,7 +125,7 @@ export function main() {
     });
     it('handles a json response with an XSSI prefix', () => {
       const events = trackEvents(backend.handle(TEST_POST.clone({responseType: 'json'})));
-      factory.mock.mockFlush(200, 'OK', ')]}\'\n' + JSON.stringify({data: 'some data'}));
+      factory.mock.mockFlush(200, 'OK', XSSI_PREFIX + JSON.stringify({data: 'some data'}));
       expect(events.length).toBe(2);
       const res = events[1] as HttpResponse<{data: string}>;
       expect(res.body !.data).toBe('some data');