diff --git a/library/network/protocol/http/src/http_media_type.e b/library/network/protocol/http/src/http_media_type.e
index 940f3d84..2addad59 100644
--- a/library/network/protocol/http/src/http_media_type.e
+++ b/library/network/protocol/http/src/http_media_type.e
@@ -97,9 +97,16 @@ feature {NONE} -- Initialization
 					-- Extract type and subtype
 				p := t.index_of ('/', 1)
 				if p = 0 then
-					has_error := True
+					t.right_adjust
 					type := t
-					subtype := ""
+					if t.same_string ("*") then
+							-- Flexible parser allowing "*" even if this is not really a valid media-type
+							-- let's interpret it as "*/*"
+						subtype := "*"
+					else
+						has_error := True
+						subtype := "*"
+					end
 				else
 					subtype := t.substring (p + 1, t.count)
 					type := t
diff --git a/library/network/protocol/http/tests/http_content_type_set.e b/library/network/protocol/http/tests/http_content_type_set.e
index 1a37ffba..f93b4eab 100644
--- a/library/network/protocol/http/tests/http_content_type_set.e
+++ b/library/network/protocol/http/tests/http_content_type_set.e
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@ feature -- Content type
 			test_content_type_with_params ("text/plain; param1=%"something;foo=bar%"; param2=%"another-thing%"",
 					"text", "plain", <<["param1", "something;foo=bar"], ["param2", "another-thing"]>>
 				)
+			test_content_type ("*", "*", "*")
+			test_content_type_with_params ("* ; q=0.8", "*", "*", <<["q", "0.8"]>>)
+			test_content_type ("*/*", "*", "*")
+			test_content_type ("text/*", "text", "*")
 		end
 
 	test_http_content_type