diff --git a/system/API/ResponseTrait.php b/system/API/ResponseTrait.php
index 1bf87abf0420..36d00389628c 100644
--- a/system/API/ResponseTrait.php
+++ b/system/API/ResponseTrait.php
@@ -114,6 +114,19 @@ public function respond($data = null, int $status = null, string $message = '')
 			$output = $this->format($data);
 		}
 
+		if (! is_null($output))
+		{
+			if ($this->format === 'json')
+			{
+				return $this->response->setJSON($output)->setStatusCode($status, $message);
+			}
+
+			if ($this->format === 'xml')
+			{
+				return $this->response->setXML($output)->setStatusCode($status, $message);
+			}
+		}
+
 		return $this->response->setBody($output)->setStatusCode($status, $message);
 	}
 
@@ -361,6 +374,7 @@ protected function format($data = null)
 			$contentType = str_replace('application/json', 'text/html', $contentType);
 			$contentType = str_replace('application/', 'text/', $contentType);
 			$this->response->setContentType($contentType);
+			$this->format = 'html';
 
 			return $data;
 		}
diff --git a/tests/system/API/ResponseTraitTest.php b/tests/system/API/ResponseTraitTest.php
index e7639d21233b..2e3a3ad32e7e 100644
--- a/tests/system/API/ResponseTraitTest.php
+++ b/tests/system/API/ResponseTraitTest.php
@@ -83,6 +83,11 @@ public function __construct(&$request, &$response, &$formatter)
 				$this->response  = $response;
 				$this->formatter = $formatter;
 			}
+
+			public function resetFormatter()
+			{
+				$this->formatter = null;
+			}
 		};
 
 		return $controller;
@@ -513,10 +518,23 @@ public function testResponseFormat()
 		$controller->respond($data, 201);
 
 		$this->assertStringStartsWith('application/json', $this->response->getHeaderLine('Content-Type'));
+		$this->assertEquals($this->formatter->format($data), $this->response->getJSON());
 
 		$controller->setResponseFormat('xml');
 		$controller->respond($data, 201);
 
 		$this->assertStringStartsWith('application/xml', $this->response->getHeaderLine('Content-Type'));
 	}
+
+	public function testXMLResponseFormat()
+	{
+		$data       = ['foo' => 'bar'];
+		$controller = $this->makeController();
+		$controller->resetFormatter();
+		$controller->setResponseFormat('xml');
+		$controller->respond($data, 201);
+
+		$xmlFormatter = new XMLFormatter();
+		$this->assertEquals($xmlFormatter->format($data), $this->response->getXML());
+	}
 }