diff --git a/handler/handler.go b/handler/handler.go
index 68aaaa0..cd85dde 100644
--- a/handler/handler.go
+++ b/handler/handler.go
@@ -137,7 +137,12 @@ func (h *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 
 		req.Close(h.log, r)
 		h.putReq(req)
-		http.Error(w, errors.E(op, err).Error(), 500)
+		status := http.StatusInternalServerError
+		var maxBytesErr *http.MaxBytesError
+		if stderr.As(err, &maxBytesErr) {
+			status = http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge
+		}
+		http.Error(w, errors.E(op, err).Error(), status)
 		h.log.Error(
 			"request forming error",
 			zap.Time("start", start),
diff --git a/tests/http_plugin2_test.go b/tests/http_plugin2_test.go
index 1e18af5..7c2526a 100644
--- a/tests/http_plugin2_test.go
+++ b/tests/http_plugin2_test.go
@@ -605,7 +605,7 @@ func TestHTTPBigRespMaxReqSize(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, 500, r.StatusCode)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge, r.StatusCode)
 
 	stopCh <- struct{}{}
 	wg.Wait()
diff --git a/tests/http_plugin3_test.go b/tests/http_plugin3_test.go
index e3aadca..43bb7f7 100644
--- a/tests/http_plugin3_test.go
+++ b/tests/http_plugin3_test.go
@@ -1152,7 +1152,7 @@ func TestHTTPBigURLEncoded(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	_, _ = io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
 
-	require.Equal(t, http.StatusInternalServerError, resp.StatusCode)
+	require.Equal(t, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge, resp.StatusCode)
 
 	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		_ = resp.Body.Close()
diff --git a/tests/http_plugin_test.go b/tests/http_plugin_test.go
index f817e2e..f172aba 100644
--- a/tests/http_plugin_test.go
+++ b/tests/http_plugin_test.go
@@ -1786,7 +1786,7 @@ func TestHTTPBigRequestSize(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
 	b, err := io.ReadAll(r.Body)
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.Equal(t, 500, r.StatusCode)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusRequestEntityTooLarge, r.StatusCode)
 	assert.Equal(t, "serve_http: http: request body too large\n", string(b))
 
 	err = r.Body.Close()