diff --git a/lib/http-proxy/common.js b/lib/http-proxy/common.js
index 43919b1b5..a6aca80b0 100644
--- a/lib/http-proxy/common.js
+++ b/lib/http-proxy/common.js
@@ -31,9 +31,8 @@ common.setupOutgoing = function(outgoing, options, req, forward) {
     function(e) { outgoing[e] = options[forward || 'target'][e]; }
   );
 
-  ['method', 'headers'].forEach(
-    function(e) { outgoing[e] = req[e]; }
-  );
+  outgoing.method = req.method;
+  outgoing.headers = extend({}, req.headers);
 
   if (options.headers){
     extend(outgoing.headers, options.headers);
@@ -141,7 +140,7 @@ common.urlJoin = function() {
       last = args[lastIndex],
       lastSegs = last.split('?'),
       retSegs;
-      
+
   args[lastIndex] = lastSegs[0];
 
   //
diff --git a/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js b/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
index b74fd021f..149c4226b 100644
--- a/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
+++ b/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ describe('lib/http-proxy/common.js', function () {
       {
         method    : 'i',
         url      : 'am',
-        headers   : 'proxy'
+        headers   : {pro:'xy'}
       });
 
       expect(outgoing.host).to.eql('how');
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ describe('lib/http-proxy/common.js', function () {
 
       expect(outgoing.method).to.eql('i');
       expect(outgoing.path).to.eql('am');
-      expect(outgoing.headers).to.eql('proxy')
+      expect(outgoing.headers.pro).to.eql('xy');
 
       expect(outgoing.port).to.eql(443);
     });