diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index 48301f5b2..de6e7ed12 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@
     "docs": "https://requests.ryanmccue.info/"
   },
   "require": {
-    "php": ">=5.6"
+    "php": ">=5.6",
+    "ext-json": "*"
   },
   "require-dev": {
     "requests/test-server": "dev-master",
diff --git a/src/Response.php b/src/Response.php
index 98304fe8b..ca50de2ed 100644
--- a/src/Response.php
+++ b/src/Response.php
@@ -127,4 +127,37 @@ public function throw_for_status($allow_redirects = true) {
 			throw new $exception(null, $this);
 		}
 	}
+
+	/**
+	 * JSON decode the response body.
+	 *
+	 * The method parameters are the same as those for the PHP native `json_decode()` function.
+	 *
+	 * @link https://php.net/json-decode
+	 *
+	 * @param ?bool $associative Optional. When `true`, JSON objects will be returned as associative arrays;
+	 *                           When `false`, JSON objects will be returned as objects.
+	 *                           When `null`, JSON objects will be returned as associative arrays
+	 *                           or objects depending on whether `JSON_OBJECT_AS_ARRAY` is set in the flags.
+	 *                           Defaults to `true` (in contrast to the PHP native default of `null`).
+	 * @param int   $depth       Optional. Maximum nesting depth of the structure being decoded.
+	 *                           Defaults to `512`.
+	 * @param int   $options     Optional. Bitmask of JSON_BIGINT_AS_STRING, JSON_INVALID_UTF8_IGNORE,
+	 *                           JSON_INVALID_UTF8_SUBSTITUTE, JSON_OBJECT_AS_ARRAY, JSON_THROW_ON_ERROR.
+	 *                           Defaults to `0` (no options set).
+	 *
+	 * @return array
+	 *
+	 * @throws \WpOrg\Requests\Exception If `$this->body` is not valid json.
+	 */
+	public function decode_body($associative = true, $depth = 512, $options = 0) {
+		$data = json_decode($this->body, $associative, $depth, $options);
+
+		if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
+			$last_error = json_last_error_msg();
+			throw new Exception('Unable to parse JSON data: ' . $last_error, 'response.invalid', $this);
+		}
+
+		return $data;
+	}
 }
diff --git a/tests/ResponseTest.php b/tests/ResponseTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..827d66594
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ResponseTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace WpOrg\Requests\Tests;
+
+use WpOrg\Requests\Exception;
+use WpOrg\Requests\Response;
+use WpOrg\Requests\Tests\TestCase;
+
+/**
+ * @coversDefaultClass \WpOrg\Requests\Response
+ */
+final class ResponseTest extends TestCase {
+
+	/**
+	 * Verify that an exception is thrown when the body content is invalid as JSON.
+	 *
+	 * @requires extension json
+	 *
+	 * @covers ::decode_body
+	 *
+	 * @dataProvider dataInvalidJsonResponse
+	 *
+	 * @param mixed $body Data to use as the Response body.
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function testInvalidJsonResponse($body) {
+		$this->expectException(Exception::class);
+		$this->expectExceptionMessage('Unable to parse JSON data: ');
+
+		$response       = new Response();
+		$response->body = $body;
+
+		$response->decode_body();
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Data provider.
+	 *
+	 * @return array
+	 */
+	public function dataInvalidJsonResponse() {
+		$data = array(
+			'text string, not JSON (syntax error)'       => array('Invalid JSON'),
+			'invalid JSON: single quotes (syntax error)' => array("{ 'bar': 'baz' }"),
+		);
+
+		// An empty string is only regarded as invalid JSON since PHP 7.0.
+		if (PHP_VERSION_ID >= 70000) {
+			$data['empty string (syntax error)'] = array('');
+		}
+
+		return $data;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Verify correctly decoding a body in valid JSON.
+	 *
+	 * @requires extension json
+	 *
+	 * @covers ::decode_body
+	 *
+	 * @return void
+	 */
+	public function testJsonResponse() {
+		$response       = new Response();
+		$response->body = '{"success": false, "error": [], "data": null}';
+		$decoded_body   = $response->decode_body();
+
+		$expected = array(
+			'success' => false,
+			'error'   => array(),
+			'data'    => null,
+		);
+
+		$this->assertSame($expected, $decoded_body);
+	}
+}