diff --git a/IPython/html/nbconvert/handlers.py b/IPython/html/nbconvert/handlers.py
index 1460505..f173209 100644
--- a/IPython/html/nbconvert/handlers.py
+++ b/IPython/html/nbconvert/handlers.py
@@ -28,11 +28,17 @@ class NbconvertFileHandler(IPythonHandler):
 
         info = os.stat(os_path)
         self.set_header('Last-Modified', tz.utcfromtimestamp(info.st_mtime))
+
+        # Force download if requested
         if self.get_argument('download', 'false').lower() == 'true':
             filename = os.path.splitext(name)[0] + '.' + exporter.file_extension
             self.set_header('Content-Disposition',
                             'attachment; filename="%s"' % filename)
         
+        # MIME type
+        if exporter.mime_type:
+            self.set_header('Content-Type', '%s; charset=utf-8' % exporter.mime_type)
+
         output, resources = exporter.from_filename(os_path)
         
         # TODO: If there are resources, combine them into a zip file
@@ -49,8 +55,13 @@ class NbconvertPostHandler(IPythonHandler):
         
         model = self.get_json_body()
         nbnode = to_notebook_json(model['content'])
-        output, resources = exporter.from_notebook_node(nbnode)
         
+        # MIME type
+        if exporter.mime_type:
+            self.set_header('Content-Type', '%s; charset=utf-8' % exporter.mime_type)
+
+        output, resources = exporter.from_notebook_node(nbnode)
+
         # TODO: If there are resources, combine them into a zip file
         assert not has_resource_files(resources)
         
diff --git a/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_api.py b/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_api.py
index d57d2d0..3edf6fb 100644
--- a/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_api.py
+++ b/IPython/html/nbconvert/tests/test_nbconvert_api.py
@@ -61,10 +61,12 @@ class APITest(NotebookTestBase):
     def test_from_file(self):
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_file('html', 'foo', 'testnb.ipynb')
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertIn(u'text/html', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'Created by test', r.text)
         self.assertIn(u'print', r.text)
-        
+
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_file('python', 'foo', 'testnb.ipynb')
+        self.assertIn(u'text/x-python', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'print(2*6)', r.text)
 
     def test_from_file_404(self):
@@ -74,8 +76,8 @@ class APITest(NotebookTestBase):
     def test_from_file_download(self):
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_file('python', 'foo', 'testnb.ipynb', download=True)
         content_disposition = r.headers['Content-Disposition']
-        assert 'attachment' in content_disposition
-        assert 'testnb.py' in content_disposition
+        self.assertIn('attachment', content_disposition)
+        self.assertIn('testnb.py', content_disposition)
 
     def test_from_post(self):
         nbmodel_url = url_path_join(self.base_url(), 'api/notebooks/foo/testnb.ipynb')
@@ -83,8 +85,10 @@ class APITest(NotebookTestBase):
         
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_post(format='html', nbmodel=nbmodel)
         self.assertEqual(r.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertIn(u'text/html', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'Created by test', r.text)
         self.assertIn(u'print', r.text)
         
         r = self.nbconvert_api.from_post(format='python', nbmodel=nbmodel)
+        self.assertIn(u'text/x-python', r.headers['Content-Type'])
         self.assertIn(u'print(2*6)', r.text)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py
index 3a594d0..c7c60d0 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/exporter.py
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ class Exporter(LoggingConfigurable):
         help="Extension of the file that should be written to disk"
         )
 
+    mime_type = Unicode('', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
+
     #Configurability, allows the user to easily add filters and preprocessors.
     preprocessors = List(config=True,
         help="""List of preprocessors, by name or namespace, to enable.""")
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py
index bb63397..3a9147c 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/html.py
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ class HTMLExporter(TemplateExporter):
         help="Extension of the file that should be written to disk"
         )
 
+    mime_type = Unicode('text/html', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
+
     default_template = Unicode('full', config=True, help="""Flavor of the data 
         format to use.  I.E. 'full' or 'basic'""")
     
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py
index a095262..369dcf5 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/latex.py
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ class LatexExporter(TemplateExporter):
         'tex', config=True, 
         help="Extension of the file that should be written to disk")
 
+    mime_type = Unicode('application/x-tex', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
+
     default_template = Unicode('article', config=True, help="""Template of the 
         data format to use.  I.E. 'article' or 'report'""")
 
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/markdown.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/markdown.py
index fb38539..da4900b 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/markdown.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/markdown.py
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ class MarkdownExporter(TemplateExporter):
     def _raw_mimetypes_default(self):
         return ['text/markdown', 'text/html']
 
+    mime_type = Unicode('text/x-markdown', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
+
     @property
     def default_config(self):
         c = Config({'ExtractOutputPreprocessor':{'enabled':True}})
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/python.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/python.py
index 1d13bc3..d618cd7 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/python.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/python.py
@@ -32,3 +32,6 @@ class PythonExporter(TemplateExporter):
     def _raw_mimetype_default(self):
         return 'application/x-python'
 
+    mime_type = Unicode('text/x-python', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/rst.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/rst.py
index 22dfc82..34b9eca 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/rst.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/rst.py
@@ -32,7 +32,11 @@ class RSTExporter(TemplateExporter):
 
     def _raw_mimetype_default(self):
         return 'text/restructuredtext'
-    
+
+    mime_type = Unicode('text/x-rst', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
+
     @property
     def default_config(self):
         c = Config({'ExtractOutputPreprocessor':{'enabled':True}})
diff --git a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py
index 6ecb5a9..7f8ab46 100644
--- a/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py
+++ b/IPython/nbconvert/exporters/slides.py
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ class SlidesExporter(HTMLExporter):
         help="Extension of the file that should be written to disk"
         )
 
+    mime_type = Unicode('text/html', config=True,
+        help="MIME type of the result file, for HTTP response headers."
+        )
+
     default_template = Unicode('reveal', config=True, help="""Template of the 
         data format to use.  I.E. 'reveal'""")