diff --git a/src/ng/httpBackend.js b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
index 99da6549ac08..3e7406b0fde7 100644
--- a/src/ng/httpBackend.js
+++ b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
@@ -56,7 +56,9 @@ function createHttpBackend($browser, XHR, $browserDefer, callbacks, rawDocument,
       var xhr = new XHR();
       xhr.open(method, url, true);
       forEach(headers, function(value, key) {
-        if (value) xhr.setRequestHeader(key, value);
+        if (isDefined(value)) {
+            xhr.setRequestHeader(key, value);
+        }
       });
 
       // In IE6 and 7, this might be called synchronously when xhr.send below is called and the
diff --git a/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js b/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
index 5d2654a9d7d7..faec5737e4c5 100644
--- a/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
+++ b/test/ng/httpBackendSpec.js
@@ -101,6 +101,22 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
     });
   });
 
+  it('should set requested headers even if they have falsy values', function() {
+    $backend('POST', 'URL', null, noop, {
+      'X-header1': 0,
+      'X-header2': '',
+      'X-header3': false,
+      'X-header4': undefined
+    });
+
+    xhr = MockXhr.$$lastInstance;
+
+    expect(xhr.$$reqHeaders).toEqual({
+      'X-header1': 0,
+      'X-header2': '',
+      'X-header3': false
+    });
+  });
 
   it('should abort request on timeout', function() {
     callback.andCallFake(function(status, response) {
@@ -388,6 +404,7 @@ describe('$httpBackend', function() {
       expect(callback).toHaveBeenCalled();
       expect(callback.mostRecentCall.args[0]).toBe(404);
     });
+
   });
 });