diff --git a/core/matchers/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfig.kt b/core/matchers/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfig.kt
index 1b72807d1..2afff37e1 100644
--- a/core/matchers/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfig.kt
+++ b/core/matchers/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfig.kt
@@ -38,15 +38,18 @@ object MatchingConfig {
   }
 
   private fun coreContentMatcher(contentType: String): ContentMatcher? {
-    val matcher = coreBodyMatchers.entries.find { contentType.matches(Regex(it.key)) }?.value
-    return if (matcher != null) {
-      val clazz = Class.forName(matcher).kotlin
-      (clazz.objectInstance ?: clazz.createInstance()) as ContentMatcher?
-    } else {
-      when (System.getProperty("pact.content_type.override.$contentType")) {
-        "json" -> JsonContentMatcher
-        "text" -> PlainTextContentMatcher()
-        else -> null
+    return when (val override = System.getProperty("pact.content_type.override.$contentType")) {
+      "json" -> JsonContentMatcher
+      "text" -> PlainTextContentMatcher()
+      is String -> lookupContentMatcher(override)
+      else -> {
+        val matcher = coreBodyMatchers.entries.find { contentType.matches(Regex(it.key)) }?.value
+        if (matcher != null) {
+          val clazz = Class.forName(matcher).kotlin
+          (clazz.objectInstance ?: clazz.createInstance()) as ContentMatcher?
+        } else {
+          null
+        }
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/core/matchers/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfigSpec.groovy b/core/matchers/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfigSpec.groovy
index 182b23511..b0c922c87 100644
--- a/core/matchers/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfigSpec.groovy
+++ b/core/matchers/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/matchers/MatchingConfigSpec.groovy
@@ -1,18 +1,11 @@
 package au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers
 
 import spock.lang.Specification
-import spock.lang.Unroll
 import spock.util.environment.RestoreSystemProperties
 
 @RestoreSystemProperties
 class MatchingConfigSpec extends Specification {
 
-  def setupSpec() {
-    System.setProperty('pact.content_type.override.application/x-thrift', 'json')
-    System.setProperty('pact.content_type.override.application/x-other', 'text')
-  }
-
-  @Unroll
   def 'maps JSON content types to JSON body matcher'() {
     expect:
     MatchingConfig.lookupContentMatcher(contentType).class.name == matcherClass
@@ -26,7 +19,21 @@ class MatchingConfigSpec extends Specification {
     'application/stuff+xml'                  | 'au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers.XmlContentMatcher'
     'application/json-rpc'                   | 'au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers.JsonContentMatcher'
     'application/jsonrequest'                | 'au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers.JsonContentMatcher'
+  }
+
+  def 'allows content type matchers to be overridden'() {
+    given:
+    System.setProperty('pact.content_type.override.application/x-thrift', 'json')
+    System.setProperty('pact.content_type.override.application/x-other', 'text')
+    System.setProperty('pact.content_type.override.text/plain', 'application/xml')
+
+    expect:
+    MatchingConfig.lookupContentMatcher(contentType).class.name == matcherClass
+
+    where:
+    contentType                              | matcherClass
     'application/x-thrift'                   | 'au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers.JsonContentMatcher'
     'application/x-other'                    | 'au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers.PlainTextContentMatcher'
+    'text/plain'                             | 'au.com.dius.pact.core.matchers.XmlContentMatcher'
   }
 }