diff --git a/timeout.go b/timeout.go
index ec59143..75165a9 100644
--- a/timeout.go
+++ b/timeout.go
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ func New(opts ...Option) gin.HandlerFunc {
 			for k, vv := range tw.Header() {
 				dst[k] = vv
 			}
-			tw.ResponseWriter.WriteHeader(tw.code)
+
 			if _, err := tw.ResponseWriter.Write(buffer.Bytes()); err != nil {
 				panic(err)
 			}
diff --git a/writer.go b/writer.go
index eba95ea..4c64fec 100644
--- a/writer.go
+++ b/writer.go
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ func (w *Writer) Write(data []byte) (int, error) {
 	return w.body.Write(data)
 }
 
-// WriteHeader will write http status code
+// WriteHeader sends an HTTP response header with the provided status code.
+// If the response writer has already written headers or if a timeout has occurred,
+// this method does nothing.
 func (w *Writer) WriteHeader(code int) {
 	checkWriteHeaderCode(code)
 	if w.timeout || w.wroteHeaders {
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ func (w *Writer) WriteHeader(code int) {
 	defer w.mu.Unlock()
 
 	w.writeHeader(code)
+	w.ResponseWriter.WriteHeader(code)
 }
 
 func (w *Writer) writeHeader(code int) {
diff --git a/writer_test.go b/writer_test.go
index 614c151..5213597 100644
--- a/writer_test.go
+++ b/writer_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package timeout
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"log"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/http/httptest"
 	"strconv"
@@ -57,3 +58,148 @@ func TestWriter_Status(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusInternalServerError, w.Code)
 	assert.Equal(t, strconv.Itoa(http.StatusInternalServerError), req.Header.Get("X-Status-Code-MW-Set"))
 }
+
+// testNew is a copy of New() with a small change to the timeoutHandler() function.
+// ref: https://github.com/gin-contrib/timeout/issues/31
+func testNew(duration time.Duration) gin.HandlerFunc {
+	return New(
+		WithTimeout(duration),
+		WithHandler(func(c *gin.Context) { c.Next() }),
+		WithResponse(timeoutHandler()),
+	)
+}
+
+// timeoutHandler returns a handler that returns a 504 Gateway Timeout error.
+func timeoutHandler() gin.HandlerFunc {
+	gatewayTimeoutErr := struct {
+		Error string `json:"error"`
+	}{
+		Error: "Timed out.",
+	}
+
+	return func(c *gin.Context) {
+		log.Printf("request timed out: [method=%s,path=%s]",
+			c.Request.Method, c.Request.URL.Path)
+		c.JSON(http.StatusGatewayTimeout, gatewayTimeoutErr)
+	}
+}
+
+// TestHTTPStatusCode tests the HTTP status code of the response.
+func TestHTTPStatusCode(t *testing.T) {
+	gin.SetMode(gin.ReleaseMode)
+
+	type testCase struct {
+		Name          string
+		Method        string
+		Path          string
+		ExpStatusCode int
+		Handler       gin.HandlerFunc
+	}
+
+	var (
+		cases = []testCase{
+			{
+				Name:          "Plain text (200)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.String(http.StatusOK, "I'm text!")
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "Plain text (201)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusCreated,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.String(http.StatusCreated, "I'm created!")
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "Plain text (204)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusNoContent,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.String(http.StatusNoContent, "")
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "Plain text (400)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusBadRequest,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.String(http.StatusBadRequest, "")
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "JSON (200)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.JSON(http.StatusOK, gin.H{"field": "value"})
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "JSON (201)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusCreated,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.JSON(http.StatusCreated, gin.H{"field": "value"})
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "JSON (204)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusNoContent,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.JSON(http.StatusNoContent, nil)
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "JSON (400)",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusBadRequest,
+				Handler: func(ctx *gin.Context) {
+					ctx.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, nil)
+				},
+			},
+			{
+				Name:          "No reply",
+				Method:        http.MethodGet,
+				Path:          "/me",
+				ExpStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+				Handler:       func(ctx *gin.Context) {},
+			},
+		}
+
+		initCase = func(c testCase) (*http.Request, *httptest.ResponseRecorder) {
+			return httptest.NewRequest(c.Method, c.Path, nil), httptest.NewRecorder()
+		}
+	)
+
+	for i := range cases {
+		t.Run(cases[i].Name, func(tt *testing.T) {
+			tt.Logf("Test case [%s]", cases[i].Name)
+
+			router := gin.Default()
+
+			router.Use(testNew(1 * time.Second))
+			router.GET("/*root", cases[i].Handler)
+
+			req, resp := initCase(cases[i])
+			router.ServeHTTP(resp, req)
+
+			if resp.Code != cases[i].ExpStatusCode {
+				tt.Errorf("response is different from expected:\nexp: >>>%d<<<\ngot: >>>%d<<<",
+					cases[i].ExpStatusCode, resp.Code)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}