diff --git a/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/BodyParserWrapper.js b/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/BodyParserWrapper.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..985e96e388
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/BodyParserWrapper.js
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+const HttpErrors = require('@overleaf/o-error/http')
+const bodyParser = require('body-parser')
+
+const convertToHTTPError = error => {
+  if (!error.statusCode || error.statusCode < 400 || error.statusCode >= 600) {
+    // cannot be converted to a HttpError
+    return error
+  }
+
+  return new HttpErrors.HttpError({
+    message: error.message,
+    statusCode: error.statusCode
+  }).withCause(error)
+}
+
+// Wraps a parser and attempt to wrap its error (if any) into a HTTPError so the
+// response code is forwarded to the client
+const wrapBodyParser = method => opts => {
+  const middleware = bodyParser[method](opts)
+  return (req, res, next) => {
+    middleware(req, res, nextArg => {
+      if (nextArg instanceof Error) {
+        return next(convertToHTTPError(nextArg))
+      }
+      next(nextArg)
+    })
+  }
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  urlencoded: wrapBodyParser('urlencoded'),
+  json: wrapBodyParser('json')
+}
diff --git a/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js b/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js
index 239aeddad8..582891b10b 100644
--- a/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js
+++ b/services/web/app/src/infrastructure/Server.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const SessionAutostartMiddleware = require('./SessionAutostartMiddleware')
 const SessionStoreManager = require('./SessionStoreManager')
 const session = require('express-session')
 const RedisStore = require('connect-redis')(session)
-const bodyParser = require('body-parser')
+const bodyParser = require('./BodyParserWrapper')
 const methodOverride = require('method-override')
 const cookieParser = require('cookie-parser')
 const bearerToken = require('express-bearer-token')
diff --git a/services/web/test/acceptance/src/BodyParserErrorsTest.js b/services/web/test/acceptance/src/BodyParserErrorsTest.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..fa55a7ec44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/web/test/acceptance/src/BodyParserErrorsTest.js
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+const Settings = require('settings-sharelatex')
+const request = require('./helpers/request')
+
+// create a string that is longer than the max allowed (as defined in Server.js)
+const wayTooLongString = 'a'.repeat(2 * Settings.max_doc_length + 64 * 1024 + 1)
+
+describe('BodyParserErrors', function() {
+  describe('when request is too large', function() {
+    describe('json', function() {
+      it('return 413', function(done) {
+        request.post(
+          {
+            url: '/login',
+            body: { password: wayTooLongString },
+            json: true
+          },
+          (error, response, body) => {
+            if (error) {
+              return done(error)
+            }
+            response.statusCode.should.equal(413)
+            body.should.deep.equal({})
+            done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('urlencoded', function() {
+      it('return 413', function(done) {
+        request.post(
+          {
+            url: '/login',
+            form: { password: wayTooLongString }
+          },
+          (error, response, body) => {
+            if (error) {
+              return done(error)
+            }
+            response.statusCode.should.equal(413)
+            body.should.match(/Something went wrong, sorry/)
+            done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('when request is not too large', function() {
+    describe('json', function() {
+      it('return normal status code', function(done) {
+        request.post(
+          {
+            url: '/login',
+            body: { password: 'foo' },
+            json: true
+          },
+          (error, response, body) => {
+            if (error) {
+              return done(error)
+            }
+            response.statusCode.should.equal(403)
+            done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('urlencoded', function() {
+      it('return normal status code', function(done) {
+        request.post(
+          {
+            url: '/login',
+            form: { password: 'foo' }
+          },
+          (error, response, body) => {
+            if (error) {
+              return done(error)
+            }
+            response.statusCode.should.equal(403)
+            done()
+          }
+        )
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})