diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index f87a33e2..95ad0a3e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
   * remove type from changes on initialize
   * ensure that query builder doesn't propagate query values to resource attributes via #build method
 
+- [#324](https://github.com/JsonApiClient/json_api_client/pull/324) - add possibility to override status handling
+  * add status_handlers to JsonApiClient::Resource.connection_options
+
 ## 1.8.0
 
 - [#316](https://github.com/JsonApiClient/json_api_client/pull/316) - Allow custom error messages
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d1425d5f..a7b0966b 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -474,6 +474,44 @@ module MyApi
 end
 ```
 
+##### Custom status handler
+
+You can change handling of response status using `connection_options`. For example you can override 400 status handling. 
+By default it raises `JsonApiClient::Errors::ClientError` but you can skip exception if you want to process errors from the server.
+You need to provide a `proc` which should call `throw(:handled)` default handler for this status should be skipped.
+```ruby
+class ApiBadRequestHandler
+  def self.call(_env)
+    # do not raise exception
+  end
+end
+
+class CustomUnauthorizedError < StandardError
+  attr_reader :env
+
+  def initialize(env)
+    @env = env
+    super('not authorized')
+  end
+end
+
+MyApi::Base.connection_options[:status_handlers] = {
+    400 => ApiBadRequestHandler,
+    401 => ->(env) { raise CustomUnauthorizedError, env }
+}
+
+module MyApi
+  class User < Base
+    # will use the customized status_handlers
+  end
+end
+
+user = MyApi::User.create(name: 'foo')
+# server responds with { errors: [ { detail: 'bad request' } ] }
+user.errors.messages # { base: ['bad request'] }
+# on 401 it will raise CustomUnauthorizedError instead of JsonApiClient::Errors::NotAuthorized
+```
+
 ##### Specifying an HTTP Proxy
 
 All resources have a class method ```connection_options``` used to pass options to the JsonApiClient::Connection initializer.
diff --git a/lib/json_api_client/connection.rb b/lib/json_api_client/connection.rb
index 2f207ec4..227628a1 100644
--- a/lib/json_api_client/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/json_api_client/connection.rb
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@ def initialize(options = {})
       site = options.fetch(:site)
       connection_options = options.slice(:proxy, :ssl, :request, :headers, :params)
       adapter_options = Array(options.fetch(:adapter, Faraday.default_adapter))
+      status_middleware_options = {}
+      status_middleware_options[:custom_handlers] = options[:status_handlers] if options[:status_handlers].present?
       @faraday = Faraday.new(site, connection_options) do |builder|
         builder.request :json
         builder.use Middleware::JsonRequest
-        builder.use Middleware::Status
+        builder.use Middleware::Status, status_middleware_options
         builder.use Middleware::ParseJson
         builder.adapter(*adapter_options)
       end
diff --git a/lib/json_api_client/middleware/status.rb b/lib/json_api_client/middleware/status.rb
index ad31de29..71b22a1c 100644
--- a/lib/json_api_client/middleware/status.rb
+++ b/lib/json_api_client/middleware/status.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 module JsonApiClient
   module Middleware
     class Status < Faraday::Middleware
+      def initialize(app, options)
+        super(app)
+        @options = options
+      end
+
       def call(environment)
         @app.call(environment).on_complete do |env|
           handle_status(env[:status], env)
@@ -15,9 +20,16 @@ def call(environment)
         raise Errors::ConnectionError.new environment, e.to_s
       end
 
-      protected
+      private
+
+      def custom_handler_for(code)
+        @options.fetch(:custom_handlers, {})[code]
+      end
 
       def handle_status(code, env)
+        custom_handler = custom_handler_for(code)
+        return custom_handler.call(env) if custom_handler.present?
+
         case code
         when 200..399
         when 401
diff --git a/test/test_helper.rb b/test/test_helper.rb
index 28cfdde1..dac3d5cf 100644
--- a/test/test_helper.rb
+++ b/test/test_helper.rb
@@ -37,6 +37,30 @@ class Comment < TestResource
 class User < TestResource
 end
 
+class ApiBadRequestHandler
+  def self.call(_env)
+    # do not raise exception
+  end
+end
+
+class CustomUnauthorizedError < StandardError
+  attr_reader :env
+
+  def initialize(env)
+    @env = env
+    super('not authorized')
+  end
+end
+
+class UserWithCustomStatusHandler < TestResource
+  self.connection_options = {
+      status_handlers: {
+          400 => ApiBadRequestHandler,
+          401 => ->(env) { raise CustomUnauthorizedError, env }
+      }
+  }
+end
+
 class UserPreference < TestResource
   self.primary_key = :user_id
 end
diff --git a/test/unit/status_test.rb b/test/unit/status_test.rb
index 848fa2f9..aedb5951 100644
--- a/test/unit/status_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/status_test.rb
@@ -70,6 +70,85 @@ def test_server_responding_with_408_status
     end
   end
 
+  def test_server_responding_with_400_status
+    stub_request(:get, "http://example.com/users/1")
+        .to_return(headers: {content_type: "application/vnd.api+json"}, body: {
+            meta: {
+                status: 400,
+                message: "Bad Request"
+            }
+        }.to_json)
+
+    assert_raises JsonApiClient::Errors::ClientError do
+      User.find(1)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_server_responding_with_401_status
+    stub_request(:get, "http://example.com/users/1")
+        .to_return(headers: {content_type: "application/vnd.api+json"}, body: {
+            meta: {
+                status: 401,
+                message: "Not Authorized"
+            }
+        }.to_json)
+
+    assert_raises JsonApiClient::Errors::NotAuthorized do
+      User.find(1)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_server_responding_with_400_status_in_meta_with_custom_status_handler
+    stub_request(:get, "http://example.com/user_with_custom_status_handlers/1")
+        .to_return(headers: {content_type: "application/vnd.api+json"}, body: {
+            meta: {
+                status: 400,
+                message: "Bad Request"
+            }
+        }.to_json)
+
+    UserWithCustomStatusHandler.find(1)
+  end
+
+  def test_server_responding_with_401_status_in_meta_with_custom_status_handler
+    stub_request(:get, "http://example.com/user_with_custom_status_handlers/1")
+        .to_return(headers: {content_type: "application/vnd.api+json"}, body: {
+            meta: {
+                status: 401,
+                message: "Not Authorized"
+            }
+        }.to_json)
+
+    assert_raises CustomUnauthorizedError do
+      UserWithCustomStatusHandler.find(1)
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_server_responding_with_400_status_with_custom_status_handler
+    stub_request(:post, "http://example.com/user_with_custom_status_handlers")
+        .with(headers: { content_type: 'application/vnd.api+json', accept: 'application/vnd.api+json' }, body: {
+            data: {
+                type: 'user_with_custom_status_handlers',
+                attributes: {
+                    name: 'foo'
+                }
+            }
+        }.to_json)
+        .to_return(status: 400, headers: { content_type: "application/vnd.api+json" }, body: {
+            errors: [
+                {
+                    status: '400',
+                    detail: 'Bad Request'
+                }
+            ]
+        }.to_json)
+
+    user = UserWithCustomStatusHandler.create(name: 'foo')
+    refute user.persisted?
+    expected_errors = { base: ['Bad Request'] }
+    assert_equal expected_errors, user.errors.messages
+  end
+
   def test_server_responding_with_422_status
     stub_request(:get, "http://example.com/users/1")
       .to_return(headers: {content_type: "application/vnd.api+json"}, body: {