diff --git a/actix-http/CHANGES.md b/actix-http/CHANGES.md
index 33f9d2017..c1db85509 100644
--- a/actix-http/CHANGES.md
+++ b/actix-http/CHANGES.md
@@ -2,6 +2,10 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+## 3.11.3
+
+- Update `HttpMessage`s `content_type` method to return `Option<&str>` instead of `&str`.
+
 ## 3.11.2
 
 - Properly wake Payload receivers when feeding errors or EOF.
diff --git a/actix-http/src/http_message.rs b/actix-http/src/http_message.rs
index 2800f40ba..8c38e3cff 100644
--- a/actix-http/src/http_message.rs
+++ b/actix-http/src/http_message.rs
@@ -46,13 +46,11 @@ pub trait HttpMessage: Sized {
 
     /// Read the request content type. If request did not contain a *Content-Type* header, an empty
     /// string is returned.
-    fn content_type(&self) -> &str {
-        if let Some(content_type) = self.headers().get(header::CONTENT_TYPE) {
-            if let Ok(content_type) = content_type.to_str() {
-                return content_type.split(';').next().unwrap().trim();
-            }
-        }
-        ""
+    fn content_type(&self) -> Option<&str> {
+        self.headers()
+            .get(header::CONTENT_TYPE)
+            .and_then(|ct| ct.to_str().ok())
+            .map(|ct| ct.split(';').next().unwrap().trim())
     }
 
     /// Get content type encoding.
@@ -142,13 +140,13 @@ mod tests {
         let req = TestRequest::default()
             .insert_header(("content-type", "text/plain"))
             .finish();
-        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), "text/plain");
+        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), Some("text/plain"));
         let req = TestRequest::default()
             .insert_header(("content-type", "application/json; charset=utf-8"))
             .finish();
-        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), "application/json");
+        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), Some("application/json"));
         let req = TestRequest::default().finish();
-        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), "");
+        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), None);
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/actix-web/src/test/test_utils.rs b/actix-web/src/test/test_utils.rs
index 4540d8a6b..5c8c4e144 100644
--- a/actix-web/src/test/test_utils.rs
+++ b/actix-web/src/test/test_utils.rs
@@ -505,7 +505,10 @@ mod tests {
             .set_form(&payload)
             .to_request();
 
-        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), "application/x-www-form-urlencoded");
+        assert_eq!(
+            req.content_type().unwrap(),
+            "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
+        );
 
         let result: Person = call_and_read_body_json(&app, req).await;
         assert_eq!(&result.id, "12345");
@@ -549,7 +552,7 @@ mod tests {
             .set_json(&payload)
             .to_request();
 
-        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), "application/json");
+        assert_eq!(req.content_type(), Some("application/json"));
 
         let result: Person = call_and_read_body_json(&app, req).await;
         assert_eq!(&result.id, "12345");
diff --git a/actix-web/src/types/form.rs b/actix-web/src/types/form.rs
index d6381b990..109d220e8 100644
--- a/actix-web/src/types/form.rs
+++ b/actix-web/src/types/form.rs
@@ -289,14 +289,17 @@ impl<T> UrlEncoded<T> {
     /// Create a new future to decode a URL encoded request payload.
     pub fn new(req: &HttpRequest, payload: &mut Payload) -> Self {
         // check content type
-        if req.content_type().to_lowercase() != "application/x-www-form-urlencoded" {
+        let encoding_error = req
+            .content_type()
+            .map(|ct| !ct.eq_ignore_ascii_case("application/x-www-form-urlencoded"))
+            .unwrap_or(true);
+        if encoding_error {
             return Self::err(UrlencodedError::ContentType);
         }
         let encoding = match req.encoding() {
             Ok(enc) => enc,
             Err(_) => return Self::err(UrlencodedError::ContentType),
         };
-
         let mut len = None;
         if let Some(l) = req.headers().get(&CONTENT_LENGTH) {
             if let Ok(s) = l.to_str() {