diff --git a/codegen-server/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/server/smithy/protocols/ServerHttpBoundProtocolGenerator.kt b/codegen-server/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/server/smithy/protocols/ServerHttpBoundProtocolGenerator.kt
index 088ed67d9dc..464df06deb9 100644
--- a/codegen-server/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/server/smithy/protocols/ServerHttpBoundProtocolGenerator.kt
+++ b/codegen-server/src/main/kotlin/software/amazon/smithy/rust/codegen/server/smithy/protocols/ServerHttpBoundProtocolGenerator.kt
@@ -164,26 +164,6 @@ private class ServerHttpBoundProtocolTraitImplGenerator(
         val operationName = symbolProvider.toSymbol(operationShape).name
         val inputName = "${operationName}${ServerHttpBoundProtocolGenerator.OPERATION_INPUT_WRAPPER_SUFFIX}"
 
-        val verifyResponseContentType = writable {
-            httpBindingResolver.responseContentType(operationShape)?.also { contentType ->
-                rustTemplate(
-                    """
-                    if let Some(headers) = req.headers() {
-                        if let Some(accept) = headers.get(#{http}::header::ACCEPT) {
-                            if accept != "$contentType" {
-                                return Err(#{RuntimeError} {
-                                    protocol: #{SmithyHttpServer}::protocols::Protocol::${codegenContext.protocol.name.toPascalCase()},
-                                    kind: #{SmithyHttpServer}::runtime_error::RuntimeErrorKind::NotAcceptable,
-                                })
-                            }
-                        }
-                    }
-                    """,
-                    *codegenScope,
-                )
-            }
-        }
-
         // Implement `from_request` trait for input types.
         rustTemplate(
             """
@@ -197,7 +177,6 @@ private class ServerHttpBoundProtocolTraitImplGenerator(
                     B::Data: Send,
                     #{RequestRejection} : From<<B as #{SmithyHttpServer}::body::HttpBody>::Error>
                 {
-                    #{verify_response_content_type:W}
                     #{parse_request}(req)
                         .await
                         .map($inputName)
@@ -213,7 +192,6 @@ private class ServerHttpBoundProtocolTraitImplGenerator(
             *codegenScope,
             "I" to inputSymbol,
             "parse_request" to serverParseRequest(operationShape),
-            "verify_response_content_type" to verifyResponseContentType,
         )
 
         // Implement `into_response` for output types.
diff --git a/rust-runtime/aws-smithy-http-server/examples/pokemon-service/src/main.rs b/rust-runtime/aws-smithy-http-server/examples/pokemon-service/src/main.rs
index e1413c68557..57921bf335d 100644
--- a/rust-runtime/aws-smithy-http-server/examples/pokemon-service/src/main.rs
+++ b/rust-runtime/aws-smithy-http-server/examples/pokemon-service/src/main.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ use pokemon_service::{
 };
 use pokemon_service_server_sdk::operation_registry::OperationRegistryBuilder;
 use tower::ServiceBuilder;
-use tower_http::trace::TraceLayer;
+use tower_http::{trace::TraceLayer, validate_request::ValidateRequestHeaderLayer};
 
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]
 #[clap(author, version, about, long_about = None)]
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ pub async fn main() {
     let app = app.layer(
         ServiceBuilder::new()
             .layer(TraceLayer::new_for_http())
+            .layer(ValidateRequestHeaderLayer::accept("application/json"))
             .layer(AddExtensionLayer::new(shared_state)),
     );