diff --git a/ddclient.in b/ddclient.in
index 2cbd994..cbd009a 100755
--- a/ddclient.in
+++ b/ddclient.in
@@ -4215,21 +4215,15 @@ sub nic_dnsexit2_update {
             failed("Full reply\n%s", $reply) unless opt('verbose');
             next;
         }
-
-        # Strip HTTP response headers
-        (my $strip_status) = ($reply =~ s/^[\s\S]*?(?=\{"code":)//);
-        debug("strip_status");
-        debug("%s", $strip_status);
-        if ($strip_status) {
-            debug("HTTP headers are stripped.");
-        } else {
-            warning("Unexpected: no HTTP headers stripped!");
+        my $body = ($reply =~ s/^.*?\r?\n\r?\n//sr);
+        my $response = eval { decode_json($body); };
+        if (!$response) {
+            failed("failed to parse response: $@");
+            next;
         }
-        my $response = decode_json($reply);
         if (!defined($response->{'code'}) || !defined($response->{'message'})) {
-            failed("Did not receive expected \"code\" and \"message\" keys in server response.");
-            failed("Response:");
-            failed("%s", $response);
+            failed("Did not receive expected 'code' and 'message' keys in server response:\n%s",
+                $body);
             next;
         }
         my %codemeaning = (