diff --git a/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts b/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts
index 6ac35d4ba..2248ff09c 100644
--- a/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts
+++ b/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
 import { writable } from 'svelte/store';
 import fs from 'fs';
 import path from 'path';
-import cookie from 'cookie';
 import devalue from 'devalue';
-import fetch from 'node-fetch';
 import URL from 'url';
 import { sourcemap_stacktrace } from './sourcemap_stacktrace';
 import { Manifest, ManifestPage, Req, Res, build_dir, dev, src_dir } from '@sapper/internal/manifest-server';
 import App from '@sapper/internal/App.svelte';
+import { getPreloadFetch } from './preload_fetch';
 
 export function get_page_handler(
 	manifest: Manifest,
@@ -112,45 +111,10 @@ export function get_page_handler(
 			error: (statusCode: number, message: Error | string) => {
 				preload_error = { statusCode, message };
 			},
-			fetch: (url: string, opts?: any) => {
-				const protocol = req.socket.encrypted ? 'https' : 'http';
-				const parsed = new URL.URL(url, `${protocol}://127.0.0.1:${process.env.PORT}${req.baseUrl ? req.baseUrl + '/' :''}`);
-
-				opts = Object.assign({}, opts);
-
-				const include_credentials = (
-					opts.credentials === 'include' ||
-					opts.credentials !== 'omit' && parsed.origin === `${protocol}://127.0.0.1:${process.env.PORT}`
-				);
-
-				if (include_credentials) {
-					opts.headers = Object.assign({}, opts.headers);
-
-					const cookies = Object.assign(
-						{},
-						cookie.parse(req.headers.cookie || ''),
-						cookie.parse(opts.headers.cookie || '')
-					);
-
-					const set_cookie = res.getHeader('Set-Cookie');
-					(Array.isArray(set_cookie) ? set_cookie : [set_cookie]).forEach(str => {
-						const match = /([^=]+)=([^;]+)/.exec(<string>str);
-						if (match) cookies[match[1]] = match[2];
-					});
-
-					const str = Object.keys(cookies)
-						.map(key => `${key}=${cookies[key]}`)
-						.join('; ');
-
-					opts.headers.cookie = str;
-
-					if (!opts.headers.authorization && req.headers.authorization) {
-						opts.headers.authorization = req.headers.authorization;
-					}
-				}
-
-				return fetch(parsed.href, opts);
-			}
+			getHeader: (name: string) => req.headers[name.toLowerCase()],
+			setHeader: (name: string, value: string | number | string[]) => res.setHeader(name, value),
+			removeHeader: (name: string) => res.removeHeader(name),
+			fetch: getPreloadFetch(req, res)
 		};
 
 		let preloaded;
diff --git a/runtime/src/server/middleware/preload_fetch.ts b/runtime/src/server/middleware/preload_fetch.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..be004f121
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/src/server/middleware/preload_fetch.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import cookie from 'cookie';
+import URL from 'url';
+import { Req, Res } from '@sapper/internal/manifest-server';
+import fetch from 'node-fetch';
+
+export type PreloadFetchOpts = RequestInit & { headers: { [key: string]: string }; credentials: 'include' | 'omit' };
+type FetchFn = WindowOrWorkerGlobalScope['fetch'];
+
+export function getPreloadFetch(req: Req, res: Res): FetchFn {
+	return (url: string, opts?: PreloadFetchOpts) => {
+		const protocol = req.socket.encrypted ? 'https' : 'http';
+		const parsed = new URL.URL(
+			url,
+			`${protocol}://127.0.0.1:${process.env.PORT}${req.baseUrl ? req.baseUrl + '/' : ''}`
+		);
+
+		opts = Object.assign({}, opts);
+
+		const include_credentials =
+			opts.credentials === 'include' ||
+			(opts.credentials !== 'omit' && parsed.origin === `${protocol}://127.0.0.1:${process.env.PORT}`);
+
+		if (include_credentials) {
+			opts.headers = Object.assign({}, opts.headers);
+
+			const cookies = Object.assign(
+				{},
+				cookie.parse(req.headers.cookie || ''),
+				cookie.parse(opts.headers.cookie || '')
+			);
+
+			const set_cookie = res.getHeader('Set-Cookie');
+			(Array.isArray(set_cookie) ? set_cookie : [set_cookie]).forEach(str => {
+				const match = /([^=]+)=([^;]+)/.exec(<string>str);
+				if (match) cookies[match[1]] = match[2];
+			});
+
+			const str = Object.keys(cookies)
+				.map(key => `${key}=${cookies[key]}`)
+				.join('; ');
+
+			opts.headers.cookie = str;
+
+			if (!opts.headers.authorization && req.headers.authorization) {
+				opts.headers.authorization = req.headers.authorization;
+			}
+		}
+
+		return fetch(parsed.href, opts);
+	};
+}
diff --git a/site/content/docs/04-preloading.md b/site/content/docs/04-preloading.md
index 849110f89..914f7840d 100644
--- a/site/content/docs/04-preloading.md
+++ b/site/content/docs/04-preloading.md
@@ -58,11 +58,14 @@ When Sapper renders a page on the server, it will attempt to serialize the resol
 
 ### Context
 
-Inside `preload`, you have access to three methods:
+Inside `preload`, you have access to the following methods:
 
 * `this.fetch(url, options)`
 * `this.error(statusCode, error)`
 * `this.redirect(statusCode, location)`
+* `this.setHeader(name, value)`
+* `this.getHeader(name)`
+* `this.removeHeader(name)`
 
 
 #### this.fetch
@@ -132,3 +135,34 @@ You can abort rendering and redirect to a different location with `this.redirect
 	}
 </script>
 ```
+
+#### this.setHeader / removeHeader
+
+You can set custom response headers with `this.setHeader` or clear them again using `this.removeHeader`.
+The most common use case is to change cache policies for the page.
+
+Sapper by default does not set any set the `Cache-Control` header. You can set one as follows:
+
+```html
+<script context="module">
+  export function preload() {
+    this.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-cache');
+  }
+</script>
+```
+
+You can also use `setHeader` to set cookies.
+
+#### this.getHeader
+
+Use `this.getHeader` to retrieve any headers sent with the request.
+
+```html
+<script context="module">
+  export function preload() {
+		const preferredLanguage = this.getHeader('Accept-Language');
+
+		return { preferredLanguage };
+  }
+</script>
+```
diff --git a/test/apps/basics/src/routes/echo-header.svelte b/test/apps/basics/src/routes/echo-header.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c6f0a9a10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/apps/basics/src/routes/echo-header.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+<h1>Headers</h1>
+
+<p>The foobar header was: <span id='header'>{headerValue}</span></p>
+
+<script>
+  export let headerValue;
+</script>
+
+<script context="module">
+  export function preload() {
+    return { headerValue: this.getHeader('Foobar') };
+  }
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/apps/basics/src/routes/nocache.svelte b/test/apps/basics/src/routes/nocache.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f515dc79f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/apps/basics/src/routes/nocache.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+<h1>Look, no cache!</h1>
+
+<p>I have a `no-cache` header.</p>
+
+<script context="module">
+  export function preload() {
+    this.setHeader('Cache-Control', 'no-cache');
+  }
+</script>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/apps/basics/test.ts b/test/apps/basics/test.ts
index 388fb0b86..ca5bba7fe 100644
--- a/test/apps/basics/test.ts
+++ b/test/apps/basics/test.ts
@@ -389,6 +389,26 @@ describe('basics', function() {
 		assert.equal(await r.text('h2'), 'Called 1 time');
 	});
 
+	it('sets response headers', async () => {
+		const response = await r.load('/nocache');
+
+		assert.ok(response.ok());
+
+		assert.equal(response.headers()['cache-control'], 'no-cache');
+	});
+
+	it('retrieves request headers', async () => {
+		const headerValue = '123';
+
+		await r.page.setExtraHTTPHeaders({ Foobar: headerValue });
+
+		const response = await r.load('/echo-header');
+
+		assert.ok(response.ok());
+
+		assert.equal(await r.text('#cookie'), headerValue);
+	});
+
 	it('survives the tests with no server errors', () => {
 		assert.deepEqual(r.errors, []);
 	});