diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
index bc98f81bc..680b664be 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.c
@@ -2031,7 +2031,9 @@ ngx_http_upstream_send_request(ngx_http_request_t *r, ngx_http_upstream_t *u,
         c->tcp_nopush = NGX_TCP_NOPUSH_UNSET;
     }
 
-    u->write_event_handler = ngx_http_upstream_dummy_handler;
+    if (!u->conf->preserve_output) {
+        u->write_event_handler = ngx_http_upstream_dummy_handler;
+    }
 
     if (ngx_handle_write_event(c->write, 0) != NGX_OK) {
         ngx_http_upstream_finalize_request(r, u,
@@ -2193,7 +2195,7 @@ ngx_http_upstream_send_request_handler(ngx_http_request_t *r,
 
 #endif
 
-    if (u->header_sent) {
+    if (u->header_sent && !u->conf->preserve_output) {
         u->write_event_handler = ngx_http_upstream_dummy_handler;
 
         (void) ngx_handle_write_event(c->write, 0);
diff --git a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.h b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.h
index 80fa8b3cb..c2f4dc0ba 100644
--- a/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.h
+++ b/src/http/ngx_http_upstream.h
@@ -223,6 +223,7 @@ typedef struct {
     unsigned                         intercept_404:1;
     unsigned                         change_buffering:1;
     unsigned                         pass_trailers:1;
+    unsigned                         preserve_output:1;
 
 #if (NGX_HTTP_SSL || NGX_COMPAT)
     ngx_ssl_t                       *ssl;