diff --git a/src/request.rs b/src/request.rs
index a262e3372..9994227a8 100644
--- a/src/request.rs
+++ b/src/request.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ use serde::Deserialize;
 use async_std::io::{self, prelude::*, BufReader};
 use async_std::task::{Context, Poll};
 
+use std::ops::Index;
 use std::pin::Pin;
 use std::{str::FromStr, sync::Arc};
 
@@ -377,6 +378,34 @@ impl<'a, State> IntoIterator for &'a mut Request<State> {
     }
 }
 
+impl<State> Index<HeaderName> for Request<State> {
+    type Output = HeaderValues;
+
+    /// Returns a reference to the value corresponding to the supplied name.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the name is not present in `Request`.
+    #[inline]
+    fn index(&self, name: HeaderName) -> &HeaderValues {
+        &self.request[name]
+    }
+}
+
+impl<State> Index<&str> for Request<State> {
+    type Output = HeaderValues;
+
+    /// Returns a reference to the value corresponding to the supplied name.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the name is not present in `Request`.
+    #[inline]
+    fn index(&self, name: &str) -> &HeaderValues {
+        &self.request[name]
+    }
+}
+
 pub(crate) fn rest(route_params: &[Params]) -> Option<&str> {
     route_params
         .last()
diff --git a/src/response.rs b/src/response.rs
index 620ac2fba..2d043e6ee 100644
--- a/src/response.rs
+++ b/src/response.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 use async_std::io::prelude::*;
 use std::convert::TryFrom;
+use std::ops::Index;
 
 use mime::Mime;
 use serde::Serialize;
@@ -324,3 +325,31 @@ impl<'a> IntoIterator for &'a mut Response {
         self.res.iter_mut()
     }
 }
+
+impl Index<HeaderName> for Response {
+    type Output = HeaderValues;
+
+    /// Returns a reference to the value corresponding to the supplied name.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the name is not present in `Response`.
+    #[inline]
+    fn index(&self, name: HeaderName) -> &HeaderValues {
+        &self.res[name]
+    }
+}
+
+impl Index<&str> for Response {
+    type Output = HeaderValues;
+
+    /// Returns a reference to the value corresponding to the supplied name.
+    ///
+    /// # Panics
+    ///
+    /// Panics if the name is not present in `Response`.
+    #[inline]
+    fn index(&self, name: &str) -> &HeaderValues {
+        &self.res[name]
+    }
+}