diff --git a/metricbeat/docs/fields.asciidoc b/metricbeat/docs/fields.asciidoc
index 608a4013abdc..6d51fcc7a0a0 100644
--- a/metricbeat/docs/fields.asciidoc
+++ b/metricbeat/docs/fields.asciidoc
@@ -4117,6 +4117,16 @@ type: keyword
 The HTTP status code
 
 
+[float]
+=== `http.response.phrase`
+
+type: keyword
+
+example: Not found
+
+The HTTP status phrase
+
+
 [float]
 === `http.response.body`
 
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/fields.yml b/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/fields.yml
index 5f7601685634..6a3fae885ad7 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/fields.yml
+++ b/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/fields.yml
@@ -37,6 +37,11 @@
               type: keyword
               description: >
                 The HTTP status code
+            - name: phrase
+              type: keyword
+              example: Not found
+              description: >
+                The HTTP status phrase
             - name: body
               type: keyword
               description: >
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/test/main.go b/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/test/main.go
index a2a7cad313aa..9dc520f6e1a7 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/test/main.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/http/_meta/test/main.go
@@ -15,5 +15,5 @@ func main() {
 }
 
 func serve(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
-	fmt.Fprintf(w, `{"hello":"world"}`)
+	fmt.Fprint(w, `{"hello":"world"}`)
 }
diff --git a/metricbeat/module/http/json/json.go b/metricbeat/module/http/json/json.go
index 5b914c2d4345..95f23f14bb30 100644
--- a/metricbeat/module/http/json/json.go
+++ b/metricbeat/module/http/json/json.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"net/http"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
@@ -124,9 +125,11 @@ func (m *MetricSet) Fetch() (common.MapStr, error) {
 	}
 
 	if m.responseEnabled {
+		phrase := strings.TrimPrefix(response.Status, strconv.Itoa(response.StatusCode)+" ")
 		event[mb.ModuleDataKey] = common.MapStr{
 			"response": common.MapStr{
 				"status_code": response.StatusCode,
+				"phrase":      phrase,
 				"headers":     m.getHeaders(response.Header),
 			},
 		}