diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Controller/ExceptionController.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Controller/ExceptionController.php
index 7601be9ca7..54be66a8fc 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Controller/ExceptionController.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Controller/ExceptionController.php
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class ExceptionController extends ContainerAware
         $templating = $this->container->get('templating');
         $code = $exception->getStatusCode();
 
-        $response = $templating->renderResponse(
+        return $templating->renderResponse(
             $this->findTemplate($templating, $format, $code, $this->container->get('kernel')->isDebug()),
             array(
                 'status_code'    => $code,
@@ -55,11 +55,6 @@ class ExceptionController extends ContainerAware
                 'currentContent' => $currentContent,
             )
         );
-
-        $response->setStatusCode($code);
-        $response->headers->replace($exception->getHeaders());
-
-        return $response;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Tests/Controller/ExceptionControllerTest.php b/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Tests/Controller/ExceptionControllerTest.php
index b35b0fc464..394008332e 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Tests/Controller/ExceptionControllerTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Bundle/TwigBundle/Tests/Controller/ExceptionControllerTest.php
@@ -35,10 +35,6 @@ class ExceptionControllerTest extends TestCase
             ->expects($this->once())
             ->method('getStatusCode')
             ->will($this->returnValue(404));
-        $this->flatten
-            ->expects($this->once())
-            ->method('getHeaders')
-            ->will($this->returnValue(array()));
         $this->controller = new ExceptionController();
         $this->kernel = $this->getMock('Symfony\\Component\\HttpKernel\\KernelInterface');
         $this->templating = $this->getMockBuilder('Symfony\\Bundle\\TwigBundle\\TwigEngine')
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php
index de51ac51a6..12ebed3503 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/HttpKernel.php
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ namespace Symfony\Component\HttpKernel;
 
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Controller\ControllerResolverInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\NotFoundHttpException;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\HttpExceptionInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Event\FilterControllerEvent;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Event\FilterResponseEvent;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Event\GetResponseEvent;
@@ -191,10 +192,23 @@ class HttpKernel implements HttpKernelInterface, TerminableInterface
             throw $e;
         }
 
+        $response = $event->getResponse();
+
+        // ensure that we actually have an error response
+        if (!$response->isClientError() && !$response->isServerError() && !$response->isRedirect()) {
+            if ($e instanceof HttpExceptionInterface) {
+                // keep the HTTP status code and headers
+                $response->setStatusCode($e->getStatusCode());
+                $response->headers->add($e->getHeaders());
+            } else {
+                $response->setStatusCode(500);
+            }
+        }
+
         try {
-            return $this->filterResponse($event->getResponse(), $request, $type);
+            return $this->filterResponse($response, $request, $type);
         } catch (\Exception $e) {
-            return $event->getResponse();
+            return $response;
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpKernelTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpKernelTest.php
index 88ff28b051..e1e17012c8 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpKernelTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/HttpKernel/Tests/HttpKernelTest.php
@@ -14,8 +14,11 @@ namespace Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Tests;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernel;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\HttpKernelInterface;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\KernelEvents;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\MethodNotAllowedHttpException;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpKernel\Exception\AccessDeniedHttpException;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Request;
 use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Response;
+use Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RedirectResponse;
 use Symfony\Component\EventDispatcher\EventDispatcher;
 
 class HttpKernelTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
@@ -59,8 +62,38 @@ class HttpKernelTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         });
 
         $kernel = new HttpKernel($dispatcher, $this->getResolver(function () { throw new \RuntimeException('foo'); }));
+        $response = $kernel->handle(new Request());
 
-        $this->assertEquals('foo', $kernel->handle(new Request())->getContent());
+        $this->assertEquals('500', $response->getStatusCode());
+        $this->assertEquals('foo', $response->getContent());
+    }
+
+    public function testHandleExceptionWithARedirectionResponse()
+    {
+        $dispatcher = new EventDispatcher();
+        $dispatcher->addListener(KernelEvents::EXCEPTION, function ($event) {
+            $event->setResponse(new RedirectResponse('/login', 301));
+        });
+
+        $kernel = new HttpKernel($dispatcher, $this->getResolver(function () { throw new AccessDeniedHttpException(); }));
+        $response = $kernel->handle(new Request());
+
+        $this->assertEquals('301', $response->getStatusCode());
+        $this->assertEquals('/login', $response->headers->get('Location'));
+    }
+
+    public function testHandleHttpException()
+    {
+        $dispatcher = new EventDispatcher();
+        $dispatcher->addListener(KernelEvents::EXCEPTION, function ($event) {
+            $event->setResponse(new Response($event->getException()->getMessage()));
+        });
+
+        $kernel = new HttpKernel($dispatcher, $this->getResolver(function () { throw new MethodNotAllowedHttpException(array('POST')); }));
+        $response = $kernel->handle(new Request());
+
+        $this->assertEquals('405', $response->getStatusCode());
+        $this->assertEquals('POST', $response->headers->get('Allow'));
     }
 
     public function testHandleWhenAListenerReturnsAResponse()
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/ExceptionListener.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/ExceptionListener.php
index 7094c5444e..f134f9c819 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/ExceptionListener.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Security/Http/Firewall/ExceptionListener.php
@@ -129,7 +129,6 @@ class ExceptionListener
                         $subRequest->attributes->set(SecurityContextInterface::ACCESS_DENIED_ERROR, $exception);
 
                         $response = $event->getKernel()->handle($subRequest, HttpKernelInterface::SUB_REQUEST, true);
-                        $response->setStatusCode(403);
                     } else {
                         return;
                     }