diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index eec41543..3271637d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ jobs:
     - name: Install requirements (2.9)
       run: |
         pip install -U pytest-rerunfailures
-      if: ${{ matrix.ckan-version == '2.9' }}        
+      if: ${{ matrix.ckan-version == '2.9' }}
     - name: Setup extension (CKAN >= 2.9)
       run: |
         ckan -c test.ini db init
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index d3508ac0..266630f4 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ For example, in case you want to retain changes made by the users to the fields
 Command line interface
 ======================
 
-The ``ckan harvester`` command provides utilities to manage harvest operations from the command line. 
+The ``ckan harvester`` command provides utilities to manage harvest operations from the command line.
 Please refer to the help message of each command for more details::
 
 
@@ -329,6 +329,9 @@ field. The currently supported configuration options are:
 *   api_key: If the remote CKAN instance has restricted access to the API, you
     can provide a CKAN API key, which will be sent in any request.
 
+*   user_agent: Set a custom user agent string on gathering and fetching,
+    to handle servers that whitelist or blacklist specific values.
+
 *   read_only: Create harvested packages in read-only mode. Only the user who
     performed the harvest (the one defined in the previous setting or the
     'harvest' sysadmin) will be able to edit and administer the packages
diff --git a/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py b/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py
index aba454dd..878f20c5 100644
--- a/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py
+++ b/ckanext/harvest/harvesters/ckanharvester.py
@@ -35,6 +35,11 @@ def _get_search_api_offset(self):
     def _get_content(self, url):
 
         headers = {}
+
+        user_agent = self.config.get('user_agent')
+        if user_agent:
+            headers['User-Agent'] = str(user_agent)
+
         api_key = self.config.get('api_key')
         if api_key:
             headers['Authorization'] = api_key