diff --git a/.changeset/moody-brooms-refuse.md b/.changeset/moody-brooms-refuse.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..636a5dd7fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/moody-brooms-refuse.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@urql/core': patch
+---
+
+Passthrough responses with content type of `text/*` as error messages.
diff --git a/exchanges/execute/src/execute.test.ts b/exchanges/execute/src/execute.test.ts
index ff83cd7054..a80d35e7c7 100644
--- a/exchanges/execute/src/execute.test.ts
+++ b/exchanges/execute/src/execute.test.ts
@@ -167,7 +167,9 @@ describe('on operation', () => {
 
     fetchMock.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 200,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: mockHttpResponseData }),
+      text: jest
+        .fn()
+        .mockResolvedValue(JSON.stringify({ data: mockHttpResponseData })),
     });
 
     const responseFromFetchExchange = await pipe(
diff --git a/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/__snapshots__/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts.snap b/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/__snapshots__/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts.snap
index 5c52fb12f2..11df69bb55 100644
--- a/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/__snapshots__/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts.snap
+++ b/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/__snapshots__/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts.snap
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 exports[`on error returns error data 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] No Content],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ query getUser($name: String) { user(name: $name) { id firstName lastName } }",
 exports[`on error returns error data with status 400 and manual redirect mode 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] No Content],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
diff --git a/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts b/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts
index 4895c5d7d4..d3c29d8de5 100644
--- a/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts
+++ b/exchanges/multipart-fetch/src/multipartFetchExchange.test.ts
@@ -31,14 +31,14 @@ afterAll(() => {
   (global as any).AbortController = undefined;
 });
 
-const response = {
+const response = JSON.stringify({
   status: 200,
   data: {
     data: {
       user: 1200,
     },
   },
-};
+});
 
 const exchangeArgs = {
   forward: () => empty as Source<OperationResult>,
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ describe('on success', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 200,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
     });
   });
 
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ describe('on error', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 400,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue('{}'),
     });
   });
 
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ describe('on error', () => {
   it('ignores the error when a result is available', async () => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 400,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
     });
 
     const data = await pipe(
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ describe('on error', () => {
       toPromise
     );
 
-    expect(data.data).toEqual(response.data);
+    expect(data.data).toEqual(JSON.parse(response).data);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/exchanges/persisted-fetch/src/persistedFetchExchange.test.ts b/exchanges/persisted-fetch/src/persistedFetchExchange.test.ts
index abe4f9bc1d..62bb2cb590 100644
--- a/exchanges/persisted-fetch/src/persistedFetchExchange.test.ts
+++ b/exchanges/persisted-fetch/src/persistedFetchExchange.test.ts
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ afterEach(() => {
 });
 
 it('accepts successful persisted query responses', async () => {
-  const expected = {
+  const expected = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch.mockResolvedValueOnce({
-    json: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
+    text: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
   });
 
   const actual = await pipe(
@@ -50,22 +50,22 @@ it('accepts successful persisted query responses', async () => {
 });
 
 it('supports cache-miss persisted query errors', async () => {
-  const expectedMiss = {
+  const expectedMiss = JSON.stringify({
     errors: [{ message: 'PersistedQueryNotFound' }],
-  };
+  });
 
-  const expectedRetry = {
+  const expectedRetry = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedMiss),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedMiss),
     })
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
     });
 
   const actual = await pipe(
@@ -81,22 +81,22 @@ it('supports cache-miss persisted query errors', async () => {
 });
 
 it('supports GET exclusively for persisted queries', async () => {
-  const expectedMiss = {
+  const expectedMiss = JSON.stringify({
     errors: [{ message: 'PersistedQueryNotFound' }],
-  };
+  });
 
-  const expectedRetry = {
+  const expectedRetry = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedMiss),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedMiss),
     })
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
     });
 
   const actual = await pipe(
@@ -114,25 +114,25 @@ it('supports GET exclusively for persisted queries', async () => {
 });
 
 it('supports unsupported persisted query errors', async () => {
-  const expectedMiss = {
+  const expectedMiss = JSON.stringify({
     errors: [{ message: 'PersistedQueryNotSupported' }],
-  };
+  });
 
-  const expectedRetry = {
+  const expectedRetry = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedMiss),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedMiss),
     })
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
     })
     .mockResolvedValueOnce({
-      json: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
+      text: () => Promise.resolve(expectedRetry),
     });
 
   const actual = await pipe(
@@ -148,14 +148,14 @@ it('supports unsupported persisted query errors', async () => {
 });
 
 it('correctly generates an SHA256 hash', async () => {
-  const expected = {
+  const expected = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch.mockResolvedValue({
-    json: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
+    text: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
   });
 
   const queryHash = await hash(print(queryOperation.query));
@@ -185,14 +185,14 @@ it('correctly generates an SHA256 hash', async () => {
 });
 
 it('supports a custom hash function', async () => {
-  const expected = {
+  const expected = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch.mockResolvedValueOnce({
-    json: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
+    text: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
   });
 
   const hashFn = jest.fn((_input: string, _doc: DocumentNode) => {
@@ -228,14 +228,14 @@ it('supports a custom hash function', async () => {
 });
 
 it('falls back to a non-persisted query if the hash is falsy', async () => {
-  const expected = {
+  const expected = JSON.stringify({
     data: {
       test: true,
     },
-  };
+  });
 
   fetch.mockResolvedValueOnce({
-    json: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
+    text: () => Promise.resolve(expected),
   });
 
   const hashFn = jest.fn(() => Promise.resolve(''));
diff --git a/packages/core/src/exchanges/__snapshots__/fetch.test.ts.snap b/packages/core/src/exchanges/__snapshots__/fetch.test.ts.snap
index f891b3a816..5ee9e4f64f 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/exchanges/__snapshots__/fetch.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/core/src/exchanges/__snapshots__/fetch.test.ts.snap
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 exports[`on error returns error data 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] No Content],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ query getUser($name: String) { user(name: $name) { id firstName lastName } }",
 exports[`on error returns error data with status 400 and manual redirect mode 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] No Content],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/exchanges/fetch.test.ts b/packages/core/src/exchanges/fetch.test.ts
index 5320af06d9..5eb5a40c82 100755
--- a/packages/core/src/exchanges/fetch.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/exchanges/fetch.test.ts
@@ -28,14 +28,14 @@ afterAll(() => {
   (global as any).AbortController = undefined;
 });
 
-const response = {
+const response = JSON.stringify({
   status: 200,
   data: {
     data: {
       user: 1200,
     },
   },
-};
+});
 
 const exchangeArgs = {
   dispatchDebug: jest.fn(),
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe('on success', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 200,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
     });
   });
 
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ describe('on error', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 400,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(JSON.stringify({})),
     });
   });
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ describe('on error', () => {
   it('ignores the error when a result is available', async () => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 400,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
     });
 
     const data = await pipe(
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ describe('on error', () => {
       toPromise
     );
 
-    expect(data.data).toEqual(response.data);
+    expect(data.data).toEqual(JSON.parse(response).data);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/packages/core/src/internal/__snapshots__/fetchSource.test.ts.snap b/packages/core/src/internal/__snapshots__/fetchSource.test.ts.snap
index 2620471a00..c552c37da3 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/internal/__snapshots__/fetchSource.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/core/src/internal/__snapshots__/fetchSource.test.ts.snap
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 exports[`on error ignores the error when a result is available 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] Forbidden],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ query getUser($name: String) { user(name: $name) { id firstName lastName } }",
 exports[`on error returns error data 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] Forbidden],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ query getUser($name: String) { user(name: $name) { id firstName lastName } }",
 exports[`on error returns error data with status 400 and manual redirect mode 1`] = `
 Object {
   "data": undefined,
-  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] ],
+  "error": [CombinedError: [Network] Forbidden],
   "extensions": undefined,
   "operation": Object {
     "context": Object {
diff --git a/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.test.ts b/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.test.ts
index a8e97fd7ce..c2a55f6beb 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.test.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.test.ts
@@ -28,20 +28,20 @@ afterAll(() => {
   (global as any).AbortController = undefined;
 });
 
-const response = {
+const response = JSON.stringify({
   status: 200,
   data: {
     data: {
       user: 1200,
     },
   },
-};
+});
 
 describe('on success', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 200,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
     });
   });
 
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ describe('on success', () => {
     const fetchOptions = {};
     const fetcher = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({
       status: 200,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue(response),
     });
 
     const data = await pipe(
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@ describe('on error', () => {
   beforeEach(() => {
     fetch.mockResolvedValue({
       status: 400,
-      json: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({}),
+      statusText: 'Forbidden',
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue('{}'),
     });
   });
 
@@ -126,6 +127,28 @@ describe('on error', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('on unexpected plain text responses', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    fetch.mockResolvedValue({
+      status: 200,
+      headers: new Map([['Content-Type', 'text/plain']]),
+      text: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue('Some Error Message'),
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('returns error data', async () => {
+    const fetchOptions = {};
+    const result = await pipe(
+      makeFetchSource(queryOperation, 'https://test.com/graphql', fetchOptions),
+      toPromise
+    );
+
+    expect(result.error).toMatchObject({
+      message: '[Network] Some Error Message',
+    });
+  });
+});
+
 describe('on teardown', () => {
   it('does not start the outgoing request on immediate teardowns', () => {
     fetch.mockRejectedValue(abortError);
diff --git a/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.ts b/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.ts
index 9b956b2d0a..aaeb1a7d75 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/internal/fetchSource.ts
@@ -43,11 +43,13 @@ export const makeFetchSource = (
       // NOTE: Guarding against fetch polyfills here
       const contentType =
         (response.headers && response.headers.get('Content-Type')) || '';
-      if (!/multipart\/mixed/i.test(contentType)) {
-        return response.json().then(payload => {
-          const result = makeResult(operation, payload, response);
-          hasResults = true;
-          onResult(result);
+      if (/text\//i.test(contentType)) {
+        return response.text().then(text => {
+          onResult(makeErrorResult(operation, new Error(text), response));
+        });
+      } else if (!/multipart\/mixed/i.test(contentType)) {
+        return response.text().then(payload => {
+          onResult(makeResult(operation, JSON.parse(payload), response));
         });
       }
 
@@ -160,7 +162,11 @@ export const makeFetchSource = (
 
         const result = makeErrorResult(
           operation,
-          statusNotOk ? new Error(response.statusText) : error,
+          statusNotOk
+            ? response.statusText
+              ? new Error(response.statusText)
+              : error
+            : error,
           response
         );