diff --git a/.changeset/xhr-json-response-normalization.md b/.changeset/xhr-json-response-normalization.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24ef8b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/xhr-json-response-normalization.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@hsblabs/fetch-interceptor": patch
+---
+
+Normalize JSON-style XMLHttpRequest responses into a readable standard `Response` body.
diff --git a/src/index.test.ts b/src/index.test.ts
index e1618c7..a33145d 100644
--- a/src/index.test.ts
+++ b/src/index.test.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ type MockXhrResponse = {
 	headers?: Record<string, string>;
 	response?: XMLHttpRequest["response"];
 	responseText?: string;
+	responseType?: XMLHttpRequestResponseType;
 	status?: number;
 	statusText?: string;
 };
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ class MockXMLHttpRequest {
 	status = 0;
 	statusText = "";
 	response: XMLHttpRequest["response"] = null;
+	responseType: XMLHttpRequestResponseType = "";
 	responseText = "";
 
 	open(_method: string, _url: string | URL, ..._args: unknown[]) {}
@@ -72,6 +74,7 @@ class MockXMLHttpRequest {
 		this.status = nextResponse.status ?? 200;
 		this.statusText = nextResponse.statusText ?? "OK";
 		this.response = nextResponse.response ?? nextResponse.body ?? null;
+		this.responseType = nextResponse.responseType ?? this.responseType;
 		this.responseText =
 			nextResponse.responseText ??
 			(typeof nextResponse.body === "string" ? nextResponse.body : "");
@@ -220,6 +223,40 @@ describe("createFetchInterceptor", () => {
 		interceptor.stop();
 	});
 
+	it("normalizes JSON XMLHttpRequest responses into a readable Response body", async () => {
+		const intercepted = createDeferred<{
+			request: Request;
+			response: Response;
+		}>();
+
+		useMockXmlHttpRequest();
+		MockXMLHttpRequest.enqueueResponse({
+			headers: {
+				"content-type": "application/json",
+			},
+			response: { ok: true, version: 1 },
+		});
+
+		const interceptor = createFetchInterceptor({
+			onIntercept: (request, response) =>
+				intercepted.resolve({ request, response }),
+		});
+
+		interceptor.start();
+
+		const xhr = new XMLHttpRequest();
+		xhr.open("GET", "https://example.com/xhr-json");
+		xhr.responseType = "json";
+		xhr.send();
+
+		const { request, response } = await intercepted.promise;
+
+		expect(request.url).toBe("https://example.com/xhr-json");
+		expect(await response.json()).toEqual({ ok: true, version: 1 });
+
+		interceptor.stop();
+	});
+
 	it("starts only once and restores the original globals on stop", async () => {
 		const onIntercept = vi.fn();
 		const originalFetch = vi.fn(async () => new Response("ok"));
diff --git a/src/xhr.test.ts b/src/xhr.test.ts
index 3c02182..43b844c 100644
--- a/src/xhr.test.ts
+++ b/src/xhr.test.ts
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ describe("createXhrResponse", () => {
 			getAllResponseHeaders: () =>
 				"content-type: application/json\r\nx-request-id: req-1",
 			response: JSON.stringify({ ok: true }),
+			responseType: "",
 			responseText: "fallback",
 			status: 202,
 			statusText: "Accepted",
@@ -75,6 +76,34 @@ describe("createXhrResponse", () => {
 		expect(response.headers.get("x-request-id")).toBe("req-1");
 		expect(await response.json()).toEqual({ ok: true });
 	});
+
+	it("serializes JSON response objects before constructing the Response", async () => {
+		const response = createXhrResponse({
+			getAllResponseHeaders: () => "content-type: application/json",
+			response: { nested: { ok: true } },
+			responseType: "json",
+			responseText: "",
+			status: 200,
+			statusText: "OK",
+		});
+
+		expect(await response.json()).toEqual({ nested: { ok: true } });
+	});
+
+	it("treats unreadable responseText as an empty body", async () => {
+		const response = createXhrResponse({
+			getAllResponseHeaders: () => "",
+			response: null,
+			responseType: "json",
+			get responseText() {
+				throw new Error("InvalidStateError");
+			},
+			status: 200,
+			statusText: "OK",
+		});
+
+		expect(await response.text()).toBe("");
+	});
 });
 
 describe("createXhrLoadHandler", () => {
@@ -87,6 +116,7 @@ describe("createXhrLoadHandler", () => {
 			{
 				getAllResponseHeaders: () => "content-type: text/plain",
 				response: "ok",
+				responseType: "",
 				responseText: "fallback",
 				status: 200,
 				statusText: "OK",
@@ -114,6 +144,7 @@ describe("createXhrLoadHandler", () => {
 			{
 				getAllResponseHeaders: () => "",
 				response: null,
+				responseType: "",
 				responseText: "",
 				status: 204,
 				statusText: "No Content",
@@ -139,6 +170,7 @@ describe("createXhrLoadHandler", () => {
 			{
 				getAllResponseHeaders: () => "",
 				response: "ok",
+				responseType: "",
 				responseText: "ok",
 				status: 200,
 				statusText: "OK",
@@ -165,6 +197,7 @@ describe("createXhrLoadHandler", () => {
 			{
 				getAllResponseHeaders: () => "",
 				response: "ok",
+				responseType: "",
 				responseText: "ok",
 				status: 200,
 				statusText: "OK",
diff --git a/src/xhr.ts b/src/xhr.ts
index bb18f7b..19c8667 100644
--- a/src/xhr.ts
+++ b/src/xhr.ts
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ type XhrResponseSource = Pick<
 	XMLHttpRequest,
 	| "getAllResponseHeaders"
 	| "response"
+	| "responseType"
 	| "responseText"
 	| "status"
 	| "statusText"
@@ -81,8 +82,46 @@ export function parseXhrResponseHeaders(rawHeaders: string): Headers {
 	return headers;
 }
 
+function readXhrResponseText(xhr: XhrResponseSource): string | null {
+	try {
+		return xhr.responseText;
+	} catch {
+		return null;
+	}
+}
+
+function toResponseBody(xhr: XhrResponseSource): BodyInit | null {
+	const { response, responseType } = xhr;
+
+	if (response == null) {
+		return readXhrResponseText(xhr);
+	}
+
+	if (typeof response === "string") {
+		return response;
+	}
+
+	if (typeof Blob !== "undefined" && response instanceof Blob) {
+		return response;
+	}
+
+	if (response instanceof ArrayBuffer || ArrayBuffer.isView(response)) {
+		return response;
+	}
+
+	if (typeof Document !== "undefined" && response instanceof Document) {
+		return new XMLSerializer().serializeToString(response);
+	}
+
+	if (responseType === "json") {
+		return JSON.stringify(response);
+	}
+
+	return readXhrResponseText(xhr);
+}
+
 export function createXhrResponse(xhr: XhrResponseSource): Response {
-	const responseBody = xhr.response ?? xhr.responseText;
+	const responseBody = toResponseBody(xhr);
 
 	return new Response(responseBody, {
 		status: xhr.status,