diff --git a/lib/plugins/bodyParser.js b/lib/plugins/bodyParser.js
index e42331fed..753929ce0 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/bodyParser.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/bodyParser.js
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ var jsonParser = require('./jsonBodyParser');
 var formParser = require('./formBodyParser');
 var multipartParser = require('./multipartBodyParser');
 var fieldedTextParser = require('./fieldedTextBodyParser.js');
+var isExtendedJsonContentType = require('../plugins/utils/isExtendedJson');
 
 ///--- Globals
 
@@ -162,11 +163,7 @@ function bodyParser(options) {
         var parser;
         var type = req.contentType().toLowerCase();
 
-        var jsonPatternMatcher = new RegExp('^application/[a-zA-Z.]+\\+json');
-        // map any +json to application/json
-        if (jsonPatternMatcher.test(type)) {
-            type = 'application/json';
-        }
+        if (isExtendedJsonContentType(type)) type = 'application/json';
 
         switch (type) {
             case 'application/json':
diff --git a/lib/plugins/jsonBodyParser.js b/lib/plugins/jsonBodyParser.js
index 97b20eaed..9450f139a 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/jsonBodyParser.js
+++ b/lib/plugins/jsonBodyParser.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ var assert = require('assert-plus');
 var errors = require('restify-errors');
 
 var bodyReader = require('./bodyReader');
+var isExtendedJsonContentType = require('../plugins/utils/isExtendedJson');
 
 ///--- API
 
@@ -28,11 +29,10 @@ function jsonBodyParser(options) {
         // save original body on req.rawBody and req._body
         req.rawBody = req._body = req.body;
 
-        var jsonPatternMatcher = new RegExp('^application/[a-zA-Z.]+\\+json');
         var contentType = req.getContentType();
 
         if (contentType !== 'application/json' || !req.body) {
-            if (!jsonPatternMatcher.test(contentType)) {
+            if (!isExtendedJsonContentType(contentType)) {
                 return next();
             }
         }
diff --git a/lib/plugins/utils/isExtendedJson.js b/lib/plugins/utils/isExtendedJson.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6f4193291
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/plugins/utils/isExtendedJson.js
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// Copyright 2018 Ifiok Idiang.  All rights reserved.
+
+'use strict';
+
+/**
+ * Return the stripped content type string if it is a valid JSON extended type
+ *
+ * @public
+ * @function  validateExtendedJsonContentType
+ * @param   {String} contentType - the content type string to validate
+ * @returns {Boolean}       validity flag
+ */
+function validateExtendedJsonContentType(contentType) {
+    var type = contentType.toLowerCase();
+    // map any +json to application/json
+    var jsonPatternMatcher = new RegExp('^application/[a-zA-Z.]+\\+json');
+    return jsonPatternMatcher.test(type);
+}
+
+///--- Exports
+
+module.exports = validateExtendedJsonContentType;