diff --git a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/Swagger.mustache b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/Swagger.mustache
index 1247be83f3f..5c6ac134307 100644
--- a/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/Swagger.mustache
+++ b/modules/swagger-codegen/src/main/resources/php/Swagger.mustache
@@ -129,11 +129,14 @@ class APIClient {
     if ($response_info['http_code'] == 0) {
       throw new APIClientException("TIMEOUT: api call to " . $url .
         " took more than 5s to return", 0, $response_info, $response);
-    } else if ($response_info['http_code'] == 200) {
+    } else if ($response_info['http_code'] >= 200 && $response_info['http_code'] <= 299 ) {
       $data = json_decode($response);
+      if (json_last_error() > 0) { // if response is a string
+        $data = $response;
+      }
     } else if ($response_info['http_code'] == 401) {
       throw new APIClientException("Unauthorized API request to " . $url .
-          ": " . json_decode($response)->message, 0, $response_info, $response);
+          ": " . serialize($response), 0, $response_info, $response);
     } else if ($response_info['http_code'] == 404) {
       $data = null;
     } else {
diff --git a/samples/client/petstore/php/Swagger.php b/samples/client/petstore/php/Swagger.php
index 1247be83f3f..5c6ac134307 100644
--- a/samples/client/petstore/php/Swagger.php
+++ b/samples/client/petstore/php/Swagger.php
@@ -129,11 +129,14 @@ class APIClient {
     if ($response_info['http_code'] == 0) {
       throw new APIClientException("TIMEOUT: api call to " . $url .
         " took more than 5s to return", 0, $response_info, $response);
-    } else if ($response_info['http_code'] == 200) {
+    } else if ($response_info['http_code'] >= 200 && $response_info['http_code'] <= 299 ) {
       $data = json_decode($response);
+      if (json_last_error() > 0) { // if response is a string
+        $data = $response;
+      }
     } else if ($response_info['http_code'] == 401) {
       throw new APIClientException("Unauthorized API request to " . $url .
-          ": " . json_decode($response)->message, 0, $response_info, $response);
+          ": " . serialize($response), 0, $response_info, $response);
     } else if ($response_info['http_code'] == 404) {
       $data = null;
     } else {