diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 077d7e36..d638702d 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -2259,10 +2259,10 @@
         "p-defer": "^1.0.0"
       }
     },
-    "media-typer": {
-      "version": "0.3.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/media-typer/-/media-typer-0.3.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha1-hxDXrwqmJvj/+hzgAWhUUmMlV0g="
+    "media-type": {
+      "version": "0.3.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/media-type/-/media-type-0.3.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha1-XVac3QxS2cQcfGRRlz7dJn+yG8s="
     },
     "mem": {
       "version": "4.3.0",
@@ -3650,6 +3650,11 @@
         "mime-types": "~2.1.24"
       },
       "dependencies": {
+        "media-typer": {
+          "version": "0.3.0",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/media-typer/-/media-typer-0.3.0.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha1-hxDXrwqmJvj/+hzgAWhUUmMlV0g="
+        },
         "mime-db": {
           "version": "1.40.0",
           "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/mime-db/-/mime-db-1.40.0.tgz",
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 511e8626..36f71303 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
     "js-yaml": "^3.13.1",
     "lodash": "^4.17.15",
     "lodash.merge": "^4.6.2",
+    "media-type": "^0.3.1",
     "multer": "^1.4.2",
     "ono": "^5.0.1",
     "path-to-regexp": "^6.0.0",
diff --git a/src/middlewares/ajv/index.ts b/src/middlewares/ajv/index.ts
index 3c551d09..3f6a40bd 100644
--- a/src/middlewares/ajv/index.ts
+++ b/src/middlewares/ajv/index.ts
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import { formats } from './formats';
 import { OpenAPIV3 } from '../../framework/types';
 import ajv = require('ajv');
 
-const TYPE_JSON = 'application/json';
-
 export function createRequestAjv(
   openApiSpec: OpenAPIV3.Document,
   options: ajv.Options = {},
@@ -95,17 +93,5 @@ function createAjv(
     );
   }
 
-  if (openApiSpec.components.requestBodies) {
-    Object.entries(openApiSpec.components.requestBodies).forEach(
-      ([id, schema]: any[]) => {
-        // TODO add support for content all content types
-        ajv.addSchema(
-          schema.content[TYPE_JSON].schema,
-          `#/components/requestBodies/${id}`,
-        );
-      },
-    );
-  }
-
   return ajv;
 }
diff --git a/src/middlewares/openapi.request.validator.ts b/src/middlewares/openapi.request.validator.ts
index aed0db00..ca5881ee 100644
--- a/src/middlewares/openapi.request.validator.ts
+++ b/src/middlewares/openapi.request.validator.ts
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ import {
   ValidateRequestOpts,
 } from '../framework/types';
 import { Ajv } from 'ajv';
-
-const TYPE_JSON = 'application/json';
+import * as mediaTypeParser from 'media-type';
 
 export class RequestValidator {
   private _middlewareCache;
@@ -246,7 +245,7 @@ export class RequestValidator {
       : [];
   }
 
-  private parametersToSchema(path, parameters = []) {
+  private parametersToSchema(path: string, parameters = []) {
     const schema = { query: {}, headers: {}, params: {}, cookies: {} };
     const reqFields = {
       query: 'query',
@@ -280,9 +279,21 @@ export class RequestValidator {
       }
 
       let parameterSchema = parameter.schema;
-      if (parameter.content && parameter.content[TYPE_JSON]) {
-        parameterSchema = parameter.content[TYPE_JSON].schema;
-        parseJson.push({ name, reqField });
+      if (parameter.content) {
+        /**
+         * Per the OpenAPI3 spec:
+         * A map containing the representations for the parameter. The key is the media type
+         * and the value describes it. The map MUST only contain one entry.
+         * https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification/blob/master/versions/3.0.2.md#parameterContent
+         */
+        const mediaType = Object.keys(parameter.content)[0]
+        const mediaTypeParsed = mediaTypeParser.fromString(mediaType)
+
+        parameterSchema = parameter.content[mediaType].schema;
+
+        if (mediaTypeParsed.subtype === 'json' || mediaTypeParsed.suffix === 'json') {
+          parseJson.push({ name, reqField });
+        }
       }
 
       if (!parameterSchema) {
diff --git a/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts b/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts
index 261987eb..9e76ff7f 100644
--- a/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts
+++ b/src/middlewares/openapi.response.validator.ts
@@ -9,8 +9,7 @@ import {
   validationError,
 } from './util';
 import { OpenAPIV3 } from '../framework/types';
-
-const TYPE_JSON = 'application/json';
+import * as mediaTypeParser from 'media-type';
 
 export class ResponseValidator {
   private ajv: Ajv.Ajv;
@@ -100,21 +99,34 @@ export class ResponseValidator {
    * @returns a map of validators
    */
   private buildValidators(responses) {
-    const canValidate = r =>
-      typeof r.content === 'object' &&
-      r.content[TYPE_JSON] &&
-      r.content[TYPE_JSON].schema;
+    const canValidate = response => {
+      if (typeof response.content !== 'object') {
+        return false;
+      }
+      for (let mediaType of Object.keys(response.content)) {
+        const mediaTypeParsed = mediaTypeParser.fromString(mediaType);
+
+        if (mediaTypeParsed.subtype === 'json' || mediaTypeParsed.suffix === 'json') {
+          return response.content[mediaType] &&
+                 response.content[mediaType].schema ? mediaType : false;
+        }
+      }
+
+      return false;
+    }
 
     const schemas = {};
-    for (const entry of <any[]>Object.entries(responses)) {
-      const [name, response] = entry;
-      if (!canValidate(response)) {
+    for (const [name, response] of <any[]>Object.entries(responses)) {
+      const mediaTypeToValidate = canValidate(response);
+
+      if (!mediaTypeToValidate) {
         // TODO support content other than JSON
         // don't validate
         // assume is valid
         continue;
       }
-      const schema = response.content[TYPE_JSON].schema;
+      const schema = response.content[mediaTypeToValidate].schema;
+
       schemas[name] = {
         // $schema: 'http://json-schema.org/schema#',
         // $schema: "http://json-schema.org/draft-04/schema#",
@@ -126,6 +138,7 @@ export class ResponseValidator {
       };
     }
 
+
     const validators = {};
     for (const [name, schema] of Object.entries(schemas)) {
       validators[name] = this.ajv.compile(<object>schema);
diff --git a/test/common/app.ts b/test/common/app.ts
index 582f5fba..9a90cbd5 100644
--- a/test/common/app.ts
+++ b/test/common/app.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ export async function createApp(
   (<any>app).basePath = '/v1';
 
   app.use(bodyParser.json());
+  app.use(bodyParser.json({type: 'application/hal+json'}));
   app.use(bodyParser.text());
   app.use(logger('dev'));
   app.use(express.json());
diff --git a/test/request.bodies.ref.spec.ts b/test/request.bodies.ref.spec.ts
index a9c3b7ee..248e8692 100644
--- a/test/request.bodies.ref.spec.ts
+++ b/test/request.bodies.ref.spec.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import * as path from 'path';
-import * as express from 'express';
 import { expect } from 'chai';
 import * as request from 'supertest';
 import { createApp } from './common/app';
@@ -22,8 +21,10 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
       app => {
         // Define new coercion routes
         app.post(`${app.basePath}/request_bodies_ref`, (req, res) => {
-          if (req.headers['content-type'].indexOf('text/plain') > -1) {
+          if (req.header('accept') && req.header('accept').indexOf('text/plain') > -1) {
             res.type('text').send(req.body);
+          } else if (req.header('accept') && req.header('accept').indexOf('application/hal+json') > -1) {
+            res.type('application/hal+json').send(req.body);
           } else if (req.query.bad_body) {
             const r = req.body;
             r.unexpected_prop = 'bad';
@@ -46,6 +47,7 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
     return request(app)
       .post(`${app.basePath}/request_bodies_ref`)
       .set('content-type', 'text/plain')
+      .set('accept', 'text/plain')
       .send(stringData)
       .expect(200)
       .then(r => {
@@ -79,6 +81,21 @@ describe(packageJson.name, () => {
         expect(body).to.have.property('testProperty');
       }));
 
+  it('should return 200 if a json suffex is used for content-type', async () =>
+    request(app)
+      .post(`${app.basePath}/request_bodies_ref`)
+      .set('accept', 'application/hal+json')
+      .set('content-type', 'application/hal+json')
+      .send({
+        testProperty: 'abc',
+      })
+      .expect(200)
+      .then(r => {
+        const { body } = r;
+        expect(r.get('content-type')).to.contain('application/hal+json')
+        expect(body).to.have.property('testProperty');
+      }));
+
   it('should return 500 if additional response body property is returned', async () =>
     request(app)
       .post(`${app.basePath}/request_bodies_ref`)
diff --git a/test/resources/request.bodies.ref.yaml b/test/resources/request.bodies.ref.yaml
index 8d86cecf..41f53357 100644
--- a/test/resources/request.bodies.ref.yaml
+++ b/test/resources/request.bodies.ref.yaml
@@ -20,7 +20,10 @@ paths:
               schema:
                 type: string
             application/json:
-              schema: 
+              schema:
+                $ref: '#/components/schemas/Test'
+            application/hal+json:
+              schema:
                 $ref: '#/components/schemas/Test'
         '400':
           description: Bad Request
@@ -36,7 +39,7 @@ components:
           example: +15017122661
           format: phone-number
       required:
-        - testProperty      
+        - testProperty
 
   requestBodies:
     TestBody:
@@ -48,3 +51,6 @@ components:
         application/json:
           schema:
             $ref: '#/components/schemas/Test'
+        application/hal+json:
+          schema:
+            $ref: '#/components/schemas/Test'