diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/HttpCharset.scala b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/HttpCharset.scala
index c6d6e45eb8..c94582d416 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/HttpCharset.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/HttpCharset.scala
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@
 
 package akka.http.model
 
+import java.lang.{ Iterable ⇒ JIterable }
 import language.implicitConversions
 import scala.collection.immutable
+import scala.util.Try
 import java.nio.charset.Charset
 import akka.http.util._
-import java.lang.{ Iterable ⇒ JIterable }
 
 /**
  * A charset range as encountered in `Accept-Charset`. Can either be a single charset, or `*`
@@ -52,12 +53,14 @@ object HttpCharsetRange {
 
 final case class HttpCharset private[http] (override val value: String)(val aliases: immutable.Seq[String])
   extends japi.HttpCharset with SingletonValueRenderable with WithQValue[HttpCharsetRange] {
-  @transient private[this] var _nioCharset: Charset = Charset.forName(value)
-  def nioCharset: Charset = _nioCharset
+  @transient private[this] var _nioCharset: Try[Charset] = HttpCharset.findNioCharset(value)
+
+  /** Returns the Charset for this charset if available or throws an exception otherwise */
+  def nioCharset: Charset = _nioCharset.get
 
   private def readObject(in: java.io.ObjectInputStream): Unit = {
     in.defaultReadObject()
-    _nioCharset = Charset.forName(value)
+    _nioCharset = HttpCharset.findNioCharset(value)
   }
 
   def withQValue(qValue: Float): HttpCharsetRange = HttpCharsetRange(this, qValue.toFloat)
@@ -70,12 +73,10 @@ final case class HttpCharset private[http] (override val value: String)(val alia
 }
 
 object HttpCharset {
-  def custom(value: String, aliases: String*): Option[HttpCharset] =
-    try Some(HttpCharset(value)(immutable.Seq(aliases: _*)))
-    catch {
-      // per documentation all exceptions thrown by `Charset.forName` are IllegalArgumentExceptions
-      case e: IllegalArgumentException ⇒ None
-    }
+  def custom(value: String, aliases: String*): HttpCharset =
+    HttpCharset(value)(immutable.Seq(aliases: _*))
+
+  private[http] def findNioCharset(name: String): Try[Charset] = Try(Charset.forName(name))
 }
 
 // see http://www.iana.org/assignments/character-sets
diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonActions.scala b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonActions.scala
index d4cbd6d128..b03916b4aa 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonActions.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonActions.scala
@@ -35,6 +35,5 @@ private[parser] trait CommonActions {
   def getCharset(name: String): HttpCharset =
     HttpCharsets
       .getForKeyCaseInsensitive(name)
-      .orElse(HttpCharset.custom(name))
-      .getOrElse(throw new ParsingException("Unsupported charset", name))
+      .getOrElse(HttpCharset.custom(name))
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonRules.scala b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonRules.scala
index 9fb4e4ebda..d7db5252d2 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonRules.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/main/scala/akka/http/model/parser/CommonRules.scala
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@ private[parser] trait CommonRules { this: Parser with StringBuilding ⇒
     token ~> { s ⇒
       HttpMethods.getForKey(s) match {
         case Some(m) ⇒ m
-        case None    ⇒ throw new ParsingException("Unknown HTTP method", s)
+        case None    ⇒ HttpMethod.custom(s)
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/SerializabilitySpec.scala b/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/SerializabilitySpec.scala
index 3756e2d0fa..07b1412f0b 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/SerializabilitySpec.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/SerializabilitySpec.scala
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ class SerializabilitySpec extends WordSpec with Matchers {
       }
       "with accept-charset" in {
         HttpRequest().withHeaders(`Accept-Charset`(HttpCharsets.`UTF-16`)) should beSerializable
-        HttpRequest().withHeaders(`Accept-Charset`(HttpCharset.custom("utf8").get)) should beSerializable
+        HttpRequest().withHeaders(`Accept-Charset`(HttpCharset.custom("utf8"))) should beSerializable
       }
       "with accepted encodings" in {
         HttpRequest().withHeaders(`Accept-Encoding`(HttpEncodings.chunked)) should beSerializable
diff --git a/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/parser/HttpHeaderSpec.scala b/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/parser/HttpHeaderSpec.scala
index 3ef2c08807..4bb1fc8bb3 100644
--- a/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/parser/HttpHeaderSpec.scala
+++ b/akka-http-core/src/test/scala/akka/http/model/parser/HttpHeaderSpec.scala
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import HttpMethods._
 
 class HttpHeaderSpec extends FreeSpec with Matchers {
   val `application/vnd.spray` = MediaType.custom("application/vnd.spray")
+  val PROPFIND = HttpMethod.custom("PROPFIND")
 
   "The HTTP header model must correctly parse and render the headers" - {
 
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ class HttpHeaderSpec extends FreeSpec with Matchers {
         `Accept-Charset`(`ISO-8859-1`, `UTF-16` withQValue 0, HttpCharsetRange.`*` withQValue 0.8).renderedTo(
           "ISO-8859-1, UTF-16;q=0.0, *;q=0.8")
       `Accept-Charset`(`UTF-16` withQValue 0.234567).toString shouldEqual "Accept-Charset: UTF-16;q=0.235"
+      "Accept-Charset: UTF-16, unsupported42" =!= `Accept-Charset`(`UTF-16`, HttpCharset.custom("unsupported42"))
     }
 
     "Access-Control-Allow-Credentials" in {
@@ -61,6 +63,7 @@ class HttpHeaderSpec extends FreeSpec with Matchers {
 
     "Access-Control-Allow-Methods" in {
       "Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, POST" =!= `Access-Control-Allow-Methods`(GET, POST)
+      "Access-Control-Allow-Methods: GET, PROPFIND, POST" =!= `Access-Control-Allow-Methods`(GET, PROPFIND, POST)
     }
 
     "Access-Control-Allow-Origin" in {
@@ -85,6 +88,7 @@ class HttpHeaderSpec extends FreeSpec with Matchers {
 
     "Access-Control-Request-Method" in {
       "Access-Control-Request-Method: POST" =!= `Access-Control-Request-Method`(POST)
+      "Access-Control-Request-Method: PROPFIND" =!= `Access-Control-Request-Method`(PROPFIND)
     }
 
     "Accept-Ranges" in {
@@ -113,6 +117,7 @@ class HttpHeaderSpec extends FreeSpec with Matchers {
     "Allow" in {
       "Allow: " =!= Allow()
       "Allow: GET, PUT" =!= Allow(GET, PUT)
+      "Allow: GET, PROPFIND, PUT" =!= Allow(GET, PROPFIND, PUT)
     }
 
     "Authorization" in {
@@ -177,7 +182,7 @@ class HttpHeaderSpec extends FreeSpec with Matchers {
       "Content-Type: text/xml; version=3; charset=windows-1252" =!=
         `Content-Type`(ContentType(MediaType.custom("text", "xml", params = Map("version" -> "3")), HttpCharsets.getForKey("windows-1252")))
       "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=fancy-pants" =!=
-        ErrorInfo("Illegal HTTP header 'Content-Type': Unsupported charset", "fancy-pants")
+        `Content-Type`(ContentType(`text/plain`, HttpCharset.custom("fancy-pants")))
       "Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary=ABC123" =!=
         `Content-Type`(ContentType(`multipart/mixed` withBoundary "ABC123"))
       "Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary=\"ABC/123\"" =!=