diff --git a/binding/json.go b/binding/json.go
index 6e532443..7f3e2d39 100644
--- a/binding/json.go
+++ b/binding/json.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package binding
 
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
 
 	"net/http"
 )
@@ -17,6 +18,10 @@ func (jsonBinding) Name() string {
 }
 
 func (jsonBinding) Bind(req *http.Request, obj interface{}) error {
+	if req.Body == nil {
+		return errors.New("can not bind a request with a nil body")
+	}
+
 	decoder := json.NewDecoder(req.Body)
 	if err := decoder.Decode(obj); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/context_test.go b/context_test.go
index 97d4957c..cb35950d 100644
--- a/context_test.go
+++ b/context_test.go
@@ -670,6 +670,22 @@ func TestContextBindWithJSON(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, w.Body.Len(), 0)
 }
 
+func TestContextBindWithNilBody(t *testing.T) {
+	c, _, _ := CreateTestContext()
+	c.Request, _ = http.NewRequest("POST", "/", nil)
+	c.Request.Header.Add("Content-Type", MIMEXML) // set fake content-type
+
+	var obj struct {
+		Foo string `json:"foo"`
+		Bar string `json:"bar"`
+	}
+
+	assert.Error(t, c.BindJSON(&obj))
+	assert.NotPanics(t, func() {
+		c.BindJSON(&obj)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestContextBadAutoBind(t *testing.T) {
 	c, w, _ := CreateTestContext()
 	c.Request, _ = http.NewRequest("POST", "http://example.com", bytes.NewBufferString("\"foo\":\"bar\", \"bar\":\"foo\"}"))