diff --git a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc
index bc3dc6ca..377258d5 100644
--- a/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc
+++ b/modules/reitit-core/src/reitit/coercion.cljc
@@ -181,7 +181,10 @@
 
 (defn response-coercers [coercion responses opts]
   (some->> (for [[status model] responses]
-             [status (response-coercer coercion model opts)])
+             (do
+               (when-not (int? status)
+                 (throw (ex-info "Response status must be int" {:status status})))
+               [status (response-coercer coercion model opts)]))
            (filter second) (seq) (into {})))
 
 (defn -compile-parameters [data coercion]
diff --git a/test/clj/reitit/ring/middleware/exception_test.clj b/test/clj/reitit/ring/middleware/exception_test.clj
index 71b11b58..fc4947e0 100644
--- a/test/clj/reitit/ring/middleware/exception_test.clj
+++ b/test/clj/reitit/ring/middleware/exception_test.clj
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
             [reitit.ring.coercion]
             [reitit.ring.middleware.exception :as exception]
             [ring.util.http-response :as http-response])
-  (:import (java.sql SQLException SQLWarning)))
+  (:import (clojure.lang ExceptionInfo)
+           (java.sql SQLException SQLWarning)))
 
 (derive ::kikka ::kukka)
 
@@ -190,3 +191,15 @@
             (is (contains? problems ::s/spec))
             (is (contains? problems ::s/value))
             (is (contains? problems ::s/problems))))))))
+
+(deftest response-keys-test
+  (is (thrown-with-msg?
+       ExceptionInfo
+       #"Response status must be int"
+       (ring/ring-handler
+        (ring/router
+         [["/coercion"
+           {:middleware [reitit.ring.coercion/coerce-response-middleware]
+            :coercion reitit.coercion.spec/coercion
+            :responses {:200 {:body {:total pos-int?}}}
+            :handler identity}]])))))