diff --git a/HISTORY.md b/HISTORY.md
index 5e36579..9c5f528 100644
--- a/HISTORY.md
+++ b/HISTORY.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 unreleased
 ==================
 
+  * fix: use the status code as the error body when it has no name
   * deps: 
     * debug@^4.4.3
     * statuses@^2.0.2
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 862421c..e1e4a6e 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ function getErrorMessage (err, status, env) {
     }
   }
 
-  return msg || statuses.message[status]
+  return msg || statuses.message[status] || String(status)
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index de69a68..596bc89 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
     "eslint-plugin-standard": "^4.1.0",
     "mocha": "^11.0.1",
     "nyc": "^17.1.0",
-    "supertest": "^7.0.0"
+    "supertest": "7.3.0"
   },
   "files": [
     "index.js"
diff --git a/test/test.js b/test/test.js
index 516e088..c463b3b 100644
--- a/test/test.js
+++ b/test/test.js
@@ -351,6 +351,17 @@ var topDescribe = function (type, createServer) {
         .expect(501, /<pre>Not Implemented<\/pre>/, done)
     })
 
+    it('should send status code when production and no status code name', function (done) {
+      var err = createError('boom!', {
+        status: 499
+      })
+      wrapper(request(createServer(err, {
+        env: 'production'
+      }))
+        .get('/foo'))
+        .expect(499, /<pre>499<\/pre>/, done)
+    })
+
     describe('when there is a request body', function () {
       it('should not hang/error when unread', function (done) {
         var buf = Buffer.alloc(1024 * 16, '.')