diff --git a/client_http.hpp b/client_http.hpp
index a03afa0..080e5a3 100644
--- a/client_http.hpp
+++ b/client_http.hpp
@@ -37,20 +37,37 @@ namespace SimpleWeb {
     template <class socket_type>
     class ClientBase {
     public:
+        class Content : public std::istream {
+            friend class ClientBase<socket_type>;
+        public:
+            size_t size() {
+                return streambuf.size();
+            }
+            /// Convenience function to return std::string. Note that the stream buffer is emptied when this functions is used.
+            std::string string() {
+                std::stringstream ss;
+                ss << rdbuf();
+                return ss.str();
+            }
+        private:
+            asio::streambuf &streambuf;
+            Content(asio::streambuf &streambuf): std::istream(&streambuf), streambuf(streambuf) {}
+        };
+        
         class Response {
             friend class ClientBase<socket_type>;
             friend class Client<socket_type>;
         public:
             std::string http_version, status_code;
 
-            std::istream content;
+            Content content;
 
             CaseInsensitiveMultimap header;
             
         private:
             asio::streambuf content_buffer;
             
-            Response(): content(&content_buffer) {}
+            Response(): content(content_buffer) {}
         };
         
         class Config {
diff --git a/http_examples.cpp b/http_examples.cpp
index d211661..7aaa324 100644
--- a/http_examples.cpp
+++ b/http_examples.cpp
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ int main() {
     
     // synchronous request examples
     auto r1=client.request("GET", "/match/123");
-    cout << r1->content.rdbuf() << endl;
+    cout << r1->content.rdbuf() << endl;  // Alternatively, use the convenience function r1->content.string()
 
     string json_string="{\"firstName\": \"John\",\"lastName\": \"Smith\",\"age\": 25}";
     auto r2=client.request("POST", "/string", json_string);
diff --git a/https_examples.cpp b/https_examples.cpp
index 8719c9a..4d7dd8d 100644
--- a/https_examples.cpp
+++ b/https_examples.cpp
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ int main() {
     
     // synchronous request examples
     auto r1=client.request("GET", "/match/123");
-    cout << r1->content.rdbuf() << endl;
+    cout << r1->content.rdbuf() << endl;  // Alternatively, use the convenience function r1->content.string()
 
     string json_string="{\"firstName\": \"John\",\"lastName\": \"Smith\",\"age\": 25}";
     auto r2=client.request("POST", "/string", json_string);
diff --git a/server_http.hpp b/server_http.hpp
index bfbbb22..95aaf8e 100644
--- a/server_http.hpp
+++ b/server_http.hpp
@@ -126,6 +126,7 @@ namespace SimpleWeb {
             size_t size() {
                 return streambuf.size();
             }
+            /// Convenience function to return std::string. Note that the stream buffer is emptied when this functions is used.
             std::string string() {
                 std::stringstream ss;
                 ss << rdbuf();
diff --git a/tests/io_test.cpp b/tests/io_test.cpp
index 97b10e6..4db55f2 100644
--- a/tests/io_test.cpp
+++ b/tests/io_test.cpp
@@ -70,6 +70,13 @@ int main() {
             assert(output.str()=="A string");
         }
         
+        {
+            stringstream output;
+            auto r=client.request("POST", "/string", "A string");
+            assert(SimpleWeb::status_code(r->status_code)==SimpleWeb::StatusCode::success_ok);
+            assert(r->content.string()=="A string");
+        }
+        
         {
             stringstream output;
             auto r=client.request("POST", "/string2", "A string");