diff --git a/docs/source-1.0/spec/core/http-traits.rst b/docs/source-1.0/spec/core/http-traits.rst
index ebebd477065..49fb3fb7551 100644
--- a/docs/source-1.0/spec/core/http-traits.rst
+++ b/docs/source-1.0/spec/core/http-traits.rst
@@ -1137,10 +1137,11 @@ Summary
 Trait selector
     .. code-block:: none
 
-        structure > member :test(> integer)
+        structure :not([trait|input]) > member :test(> integer)
 
     The ``httpResponseCode`` trait can be applied to ``structure`` members
-    that target an ``integer``.
+    that target an ``integer`` within any ``structure`` that has no ``input``
+    trait applied.
 Value type
     Annotation trait.
 Conflicts with
@@ -1157,12 +1158,12 @@ to the `code` set by the :ref:`http-trait`.
 
 .. rubric:: ``httpResponseCode`` is only used on output
 
-``httpResponseCode`` is ignored when resolving the HTTP bindings of an
-operation's input structure. This means that if a structure that contains
-members marked with the ``httpResponseCode`` trait is used as the top-level
-input structure of an operation, then those members are sent as part of the
-:ref:`protocol-specific document <http-protocol-document-payloads>` sent in
-the body of the request.
+``httpResponseCode`` is ignored when resolving the HTTP bindings of any
+structure except an operation's output structure. This means that if a
+structure that contains members marked with the ``httpResponseCode`` trait
+is not used as an output structure of an operation, then those members are
+sent as part of the :ref:`protocol-specific document <http-protocol-document-payloads>`
+sent in the body of the request.
 
 
 .. smithy-trait:: smithy.api#cors
diff --git a/docs/source-2.0/spec/http-bindings.rst b/docs/source-2.0/spec/http-bindings.rst
index ee8ae939be6..237c495180f 100644
--- a/docs/source-2.0/spec/http-bindings.rst
+++ b/docs/source-2.0/spec/http-bindings.rst
@@ -1139,10 +1139,11 @@ Summary
 Trait selector
     .. code-block:: none
 
-        structure > member :test(> integer)
+        structure :not([trait|input]) > member :test(> integer)
 
     The ``httpResponseCode`` trait can be applied to ``structure`` members
-    that target an ``integer``.
+    that target an ``integer`` within any ``structure`` that has no ``input``
+    trait applied.
 Value type
     Annotation trait.
 Conflicts with
@@ -1159,12 +1160,12 @@ to the `code` set by the :ref:`http-trait`.
 
 .. rubric:: ``httpResponseCode`` is only used on output
 
-``httpResponseCode`` is ignored when resolving the HTTP bindings of an
-operation's input structure. This means that if a structure that contains
-members marked with the ``httpResponseCode`` trait is used as the top-level
-input structure of an operation, then those members are sent as part of the
-:ref:`protocol-specific document <http-protocol-document-payloads>` sent in
-the body of the request.
+``httpResponseCode`` is ignored when resolving the HTTP bindings of any
+structure except an operation's output structure. This means that if a
+structure that contains members marked with the ``httpResponseCode`` trait
+is not used as an output structure of an operation, then those members are
+sent as part of the :ref:`protocol-specific document <http-protocol-document-payloads>`
+sent in the body of the request.
 
 
 .. smithy-trait:: smithy.api#cors
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/prelude.smithy b/smithy-model/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/prelude.smithy
index e159f104306..715ec891404 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/prelude.smithy
+++ b/smithy-model/src/main/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/loader/prelude.smithy
@@ -855,7 +855,7 @@ integer httpError
 /// status code. The value MAY differ from the HTTP status code provided
 /// on the response.
 @trait(
-    selector: "structure > member :test(> integer)",
+    selector: "structure :not([trait|input]) > member :test(> integer)",
     structurallyExclusive: "member",
     conflicts: [httpLabel, httpQuery, httpHeader, httpPrefixHeaders, httpPayload, httpQueryParams],
     breakingChanges: [{change: "any"}]
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-response-code-input-conflicts.errors b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-response-code-input-conflicts.errors
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e1668858acf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-response-code-input-conflicts.errors
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+[ERROR] ns.foo#HttpOperationInput$Int: Trait `httpResponseCode` cannot be applied to `ns.foo#HttpOperationInput$Int`. This trait may only be applied to shapes that match the following selector: structure :not([trait|input]) > member :test(> integer) | TraitTarget
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-response-code-input-conflicts.smithy b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-response-code-input-conflicts.smithy
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3857f0175bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-response-code-input-conflicts.smithy
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+$version: "2.0"
+
+namespace ns.foo
+
+@input
+structure HttpOperationInput {
+
+    @httpResponseCode
+    Int: Integer
+
+}
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.errors b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.errors
index 28cf8acde8c..25ef52ec5be 100644
--- a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.errors
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.errors
@@ -1 +1 @@
-[ERROR] ns.foo#HttpOperationInput$Int: Found conflicting traits on member shape: `httpHeader` conflicts with `httpLabel`, `httpHeader` conflicts with `httpQuery`, `httpHeader` conflicts with `httpResponseCode`, `httpLabel` conflicts with `httpHeader`, `httpLabel` conflicts with `httpQuery`, `httpLabel` conflicts with `httpResponseCode`, `httpQuery` conflicts with `httpHeader`, `httpQuery` conflicts with `httpLabel`, `httpQuery` conflicts with `httpResponseCode`, `httpResponseCode` conflicts with `httpHeader`, `httpResponseCode` conflicts with `httpLabel`, `httpResponseCode` conflicts with `httpQuery` | TraitConflict
+[ERROR] ns.foo#HttpOperationOutput$Int: Found conflicting traits on member shape: `httpHeader` conflicts with `httpLabel`, `httpHeader` conflicts with `httpQuery`, `httpHeader` conflicts with `httpResponseCode`, `httpLabel` conflicts with `httpHeader`, `httpLabel` conflicts with `httpQuery`, `httpLabel` conflicts with `httpResponseCode`, `httpQuery` conflicts with `httpHeader`, `httpQuery` conflicts with `httpLabel`, `httpQuery` conflicts with `httpResponseCode`, `httpResponseCode` conflicts with `httpHeader`, `httpResponseCode` conflicts with `httpLabel`, `httpResponseCode` conflicts with `httpQuery` | TraitConflict
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.json b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 635cee657c5..00000000000
--- a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-{
-    "smithy": "2.0",
-    "shapes": {
-        "ns.foo#HttpOperationInput": {
-            "type": "structure",
-            "members": {
-                "Int": {
-                    "target": "smithy.api#Integer",
-                    "traits": {
-                        "smithy.api#required": {},
-                        "smithy.api#httpResponseCode": {},
-                        "smithy.api#httpLabel": {},
-                        "smithy.api#httpQuery": "foo",
-                        "smithy.api#httpHeader": "x-amz-foo"
-                    }
-                }
-            },
-            "traits": {
-                "smithy.api#input": {}
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.smithy b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.smithy
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c636c07d23e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/smithy-model/src/test/resources/software/amazon/smithy/model/errorfiles/validators/http-trait-conflicts.smithy
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+$version: "2.0"
+
+namespace ns.foo
+
+@output
+structure HttpOperationOutput {
+
+    @required
+    @httpResponseCode
+    @httpLabel
+    @httpQuery("foo")
+    @httpHeader("x-amz-foo")
+    Int: Integer
+
+}