diff --git a/commonTestResources/exampleApp.ts b/commonTestResources/exampleApp.ts
index 684459b..06f96b9 100644
--- a/commonTestResources/exampleApp.ts
+++ b/commonTestResources/exampleApp.ts
@@ -28,4 +28,4 @@ app.get('/no/content-type/header/and/no/response/body', (_req, res) =>
 
 export default app;
 
-export const port = 5000;
+export const port = 5001;
diff --git a/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi2.json b/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi2.json
index b618f45..29b8ca7 100644
--- a/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi2.json
+++ b/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi2.json
@@ -268,6 +268,16 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "/responseStatus/default": {
+      "get": {
+        "parameters": [],
+        "responses": {
+          "default": {
+            "description": "No response body"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "/responseReferencesResponseDefinitionObject": {
       "get": {
         "produces": ["application/json"],
diff --git a/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi3.yml b/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi3.yml
index 803c2e0..83962a6 100644
--- a/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi3.yml
+++ b/commonTestResources/exampleOpenApiFiles/valid/openapi3.yml
@@ -162,6 +162,11 @@ paths:
           description: No response body
         204:
           description: No response body
+  /responseStatus/default:
+    get:
+      responses:
+        default:
+          description: No response body
   /HTTPMethod:
     get:
       responses:
diff --git a/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/lib/assertions/satisfyApiSpec.ts b/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/lib/assertions/satisfyApiSpec.ts
index c4b8819..3af5b44 100644
--- a/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/lib/assertions/satisfyApiSpec.ts
+++ b/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/lib/assertions/satisfyApiSpec.ts
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ function getExpectedResToSatisfyApiSpecMsg(
     return joinWithNewLines(
       hint,
       `expected res to satisfy a '${status}' response defined for endpoint '${endpoint}' in your API spec`,
-      `res had status '${status}', but your API spec has no '${status}' response defined for endpoint '${endpoint}'`,
+      `res had status '${status}', but your API spec has no '${status}' or 'default' response defined for endpoint '${endpoint}'`,
       `Response statuses found for endpoint '${endpoint}' in API spec: ${expectedResponseStatuses}`,
     );
   }
diff --git a/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts b/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts
index 539f155..111d1b3 100644
--- a/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts
+++ b/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ openApiSpecs.forEach((spec) => {
       expect(assertion).to.throw(
         joinWithNewLines(
           "expected res to satisfy a '204' response defined for endpoint 'GET /endpointPath' in your API spec",
-          "res had status '204', but your API spec has no '204' response defined for endpoint 'GET /endpointPath'",
+          "res had status '204', but your API spec has no '204' or 'default' response defined for endpoint 'GET /endpointPath'",
         ),
       );
     });
diff --git a/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/satisfyApiSpec.test.ts b/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/satisfyApiSpec.test.ts
index 1d9fd9d..cf5346b 100644
--- a/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/satisfyApiSpec.test.ts
+++ b/packages/chai-openapi-response-validator/test/assertions/satisfyApiSpec/satisfyApiSpec.test.ts
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ openApiSpecs.forEach((spec) => {
               joinWithNewLines(
                 'expected res to satisfy API spec',
                 "expected res to satisfy a '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus' in your API spec",
-                "res had status '418', but your API spec has no '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus'",
+                "res had status '418', but your API spec has no '418' or 'default' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus'",
                 "Response statuses found for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus' in API spec: 200, 204",
               ),
             );
@@ -466,6 +466,30 @@ openApiSpecs.forEach((spec) => {
           });
         });
 
+        describe('res.status caught by default response', () => {
+          const res = {
+            status: 418,
+            req: {
+              method: 'GET',
+              path: '/responseStatus/default',
+            },
+          };
+          it('passes', () => {
+            expect(res).to.satisfyApiSpec;
+          });
+          it('fails when using .not', () => {
+            const assertion = () => expect(res).to.not.satisfyApiSpec;
+            expect(assertion).to.throw(
+              joinWithNewLines(
+                'expected res not to satisfy API spec',
+                "expected res not to satisfy the '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus/default' in your API spec",
+                'res contained: { body: undefined }',
+                "The '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus/default' in API spec: { '418': { description: 'No response body' } }",
+              ),
+            );
+          });
+        });
+
         describe('wrong res.body (multiple errors)', () => {
           const res = {
             status: 200,
diff --git a/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts b/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts
index 5785931..ff96a88 100644
--- a/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/noResponseComponents.test.ts
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ openApiSpecs.forEach((spec) => {
         // prettier-ignore
         joinWithNewLines(
           `expected ${red('received')} to satisfy a '204' response defined for endpoint 'GET /endpointPath' in your API spec`,
-          `${red('received')} had status ${red('204')}, but your API spec has no ${red('204')} response defined for endpoint 'GET /endpointPath'`,
+          `${red('received')} had status ${red('204')}, but your API spec has no ${red('204')} or 'default' response defined for endpoint 'GET /endpointPath'`,
         ),
       );
     });
diff --git a/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/toSatisfyApiSpec.test.ts b/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/toSatisfyApiSpec.test.ts
index 25e073e..888e1e1 100644
--- a/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/toSatisfyApiSpec.test.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-openapi/__test__/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec/toSatisfyApiSpec.test.ts
@@ -497,7 +497,7 @@ openApiSpecs.forEach((spec) => {
               joinWithNewLines(
                 expectReceivedToSatisfyApiSpec,
                 `expected ${red('received')} to satisfy a '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus' in your API spec`,
-                `${red('received')} had status ${red('418')}, but your API spec has no ${red('418')} response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus'`,
+                `${red('received')} had status ${red('418')}, but your API spec has no ${red('418')} or 'default' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus'`,
                 `Response statuses found for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus' in API spec: ${green('200, 204')}`,
               ),
             );
@@ -508,6 +508,30 @@ openApiSpecs.forEach((spec) => {
           });
         });
 
+        describe('res.status caught by default response', () => {
+          const res = {
+            status: 418,
+            req: {
+              method: 'GET',
+              path: '/responseStatus/default',
+            },
+          };
+          it('passes', () => {
+            expect(res).toSatisfyApiSpec();
+          });
+          it('fails when using .not', () => {
+            const assertion = () => expect(res).not.toSatisfyApiSpec();
+            // prettier-ignore
+            expect(assertion).toThrow(
+              joinWithNewLines(
+              expectReceivedNotToSatisfyApiSpec,
+              `expected ${red('received')} not to satisfy the '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus/default' in your API spec`,
+              `${red('received')} contained: ${red(`{ body: undefined }`)}`,
+              `The '418' response defined for endpoint 'GET /responseStatus/default' in API spec: ${green(`{ '418': { description: 'No response body' } }`)}`,
+            ))
+          });
+        });
+
         describe('wrong res.body (multiple errors)', () => {
           const res = {
             status: 200,
diff --git a/packages/jest-openapi/src/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec.ts b/packages/jest-openapi/src/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec.ts
index edc5949..21b4d10 100644
--- a/packages/jest-openapi/src/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec.ts
+++ b/packages/jest-openapi/src/matchers/toSatisfyApiSpec.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ function getExpectReceivedToSatisfyApiSpecMsg(
     return joinWithNewLines(
       hint,
       `expected ${RECEIVED_COLOR('received')} to satisfy a '${status}' response defined for endpoint '${endpoint}' in your API spec`,
-      `${RECEIVED_COLOR('received')} had status ${RECEIVED_COLOR(status)}, but your API spec has no ${RECEIVED_COLOR(status)} response defined for endpoint '${endpoint}'`,
+      `${RECEIVED_COLOR('received')} had status ${RECEIVED_COLOR(status)}, but your API spec has no ${RECEIVED_COLOR(status)} or 'default' response defined for endpoint '${endpoint}'`,
       `Response statuses found for endpoint '${endpoint}' in API spec: ${EXPECTED_COLOR(expectedResponseStatuses)}`,
     );
   }
diff --git a/packages/openapi-validator/lib/classes/AbstractOpenApiSpec.ts b/packages/openapi-validator/lib/classes/AbstractOpenApiSpec.ts
index 57b5c32..3d3f55e 100644
--- a/packages/openapi-validator/lib/classes/AbstractOpenApiSpec.ts
+++ b/packages/openapi-validator/lib/classes/AbstractOpenApiSpec.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ export default abstract class OpenApiSpec {
     responseOperation: Operation,
     status: ActualResponse['status'],
   ): ResponseObjectWithSchema | undefined {
-    const response = responseOperation.responses[status];
+    const response =
+      responseOperation.responses[status] ||
+      responseOperation.responses.default;
     if (!response) {
       return undefined;
     }