diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h
index 3a391b0..813c956 100644
--- a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.h
@@ -114,11 +114,16 @@
 
 /**
  The string representation of the response data.
- 
- @discussion This method uses the string encoding of the response, or if UTF-8 if not specified, to construct a string from the response data.
  */
 @property (readonly, nonatomic, copy) NSString *responseString;
 
+/**
+ The string encoding of the response.
+ 
+ @discussion If the response does not specify a valid string encoding, `responseStringEncoding` will return `NSUTF8StringEncoding`. 
+ */
+@property (readonly, nonatomic, assign) NSStringEncoding responseStringEncoding;
+
 ///------------------------
 /// @name Accessing Streams
 ///------------------------
diff --git a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
index db8c0fe..9440d01 100644
--- a/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
+++ b/AFNetworking/AFURLConnectionOperation.m
@@ -115,6 +115,7 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, strong) NSError *error;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, strong) NSData *responseData;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, copy) NSString *responseString;
+@property (readwrite, nonatomic, assign) NSStringEncoding responseStringEncoding;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, assign) long long totalBytesRead;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, assign) AFBackgroundTaskIdentifier backgroundTaskIdentifier;
 @property (readwrite, nonatomic, copy) AFURLConnectionOperationProgressBlock uploadProgress;
@@ -139,6 +140,7 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
 @synthesize error = _error;
 @synthesize responseData = _responseData;
 @synthesize responseString = _responseString;
+@synthesize responseStringEncoding = _responseStringEncoding;
 @synthesize totalBytesRead = _totalBytesRead;
 @dynamic inputStream;
 @synthesize outputStream = _outputStream;
@@ -326,6 +328,16 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
 - (NSString *)responseString {
     [self.lock lock];
     if (!_responseString && self.response && self.responseData) {
+        self.responseString = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:self.responseData encoding:self.responseStringEncoding];
+    }
+    [self.lock unlock];
+    
+    return _responseString;
+}
+
+- (NSStringEncoding)responseStringEncoding {
+    [self.lock lock];
+    if (!_responseStringEncoding) {
         NSStringEncoding stringEncoding = NSUTF8StringEncoding;
         if (self.response.textEncodingName) {
             CFStringEncoding IANAEncoding = CFStringConvertIANACharSetNameToEncoding((__bridge CFStringRef)self.response.textEncodingName);
@@ -334,11 +346,11 @@ static inline BOOL AFStateTransitionIsValid(AFOperationState fromState, AFOperat
             }
         }
         
-        self.responseString = [[NSString alloc] initWithData:self.responseData encoding:stringEncoding];
+        self.responseStringEncoding = stringEncoding;
     }
     [self.lock unlock];
     
-    return _responseString;
+    return _responseStringEncoding;
 }
 
 - (void)pause {