diff --git a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/baseline.json b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/baseline.json
index 1fe8d7f..8158902 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/baseline.json
+++ b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/baseline.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error on unknown pet",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[4].response.body",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[5].response.body",
       "value": {
         "petType": "Spider"
       }
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error with invalid response",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[5].response.body.detail",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[6].response.body.detail",
       "value": null
     },
     "specDetails": {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error with unknown response body",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[6].response.body",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[7].response.body",
       "value": {
         "unknown": "schema"
       }
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error with unknown response body",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[6].response.headers.Content-Type",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[7].response.headers.Content-Type",
       "value": "application/json"
     },
     "specDetails": {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/oas.yaml b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/oas.yaml
index f56395b..5c136c6 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/oas.yaml
+++ b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/oas.yaml
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ paths:
         "200":
           description: OK
           content: {}
+  /throws-error:
+    get:
+      responses:
+        "500":
+          description: OK
+          content:
+            "text/html":
+              schema:
+                type: string
 components:
   schemas:
     Animal:
diff --git a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/pact.json b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/pact.json
index 4de5983..8fd51e1 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/pact.json
+++ b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/pact.json
@@ -91,6 +91,17 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    {
+      "description": "should pass when unable to validate content-type",
+      "request": {
+        "method": "GET",
+        "path": "/throws-error"
+      },
+      "response": {
+        "status": 500,
+        "body": "boom"
+      }
+    },
     {
       "description": "should error on unknown pet",
       "request": {
diff --git a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/results.json b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/results.json
index 33eae19..b93fe69 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/results.json
+++ b/src/__tests__/fixtures/response-body/results.json
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error on unknown pet",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[4].response.body",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[5].response.body",
       "value": {
         "petType": "Spider"
       }
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error with invalid response",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[5].response.body.detail",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[6].response.body.detail",
       "value": null
     },
     "specDetails": {
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error with unknown response body",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[6].response.headers.content-type",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[7].response.headers.content-type",
       "value": "application/json"
     },
     "specDetails": {
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
     "mockDetails": {
       "interactionDescription": "should error with unknown response body",
       "interactionState": "[none]",
-      "location": "[root].interactions[6].response.body",
+      "location": "[root].interactions[7].response.body",
       "value": {
         "unknown": "schema"
       }
diff --git a/src/compare/responseBody.ts b/src/compare/responseBody.ts
index 4368251..b1d7428 100644
--- a/src/compare/responseBody.ts
+++ b/src/compare/responseBody.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ import { dereferenceOas, splitPath } from "../utils/schema";
 import { getValidateFunction } from "../utils/validation";
 import { findMatchingType } from "./utils/content";
 
+const canValidate = (contentType = ""): boolean => {
+  return !!findMatchingType(contentType, ["application/json"]);
+};
+
 const DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE = "application/json";
 
 export function* compareResBody(
@@ -64,7 +68,9 @@ export function* compareResBody(
       findMatchingType(
         requestHeaders.get("accept") || DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE,
         availableResponseContentTypes,
-      ) || DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE;
+      ) ||
+      availableResponseContentTypes[0] ||
+      DEFAULT_CONTENT_TYPE;
     const dereferencedResponse = dereferenceOas(response, oas);
     const schema: SchemaObject | undefined =
       (dereferencedResponse as OpenAPIV2.ResponseObject)?.schema ||
@@ -90,7 +96,7 @@ export function* compareResBody(
       };
     }
 
-    if (value && !schema) {
+    if (value && canValidate(contentType) && !schema) {
       yield {
         code: "response.body.unknown",
         message: "No matching schema found for response body",
@@ -109,7 +115,7 @@ export function* compareResBody(
       };
     }
 
-    if (value && schema) {
+    if (value && canValidate(contentType) && schema) {
       const schemaId = `[root].paths.${path}.${method}.responses.${status}.content.${contentType}`;
       const validate = getValidateFunction(ajv, schemaId, () =>
         transformResponseSchema(minimumSchema(schema, oas)),