diff --git a/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsHttpConfigurationExtensions.cs b/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsHttpConfigurationExtensions.cs
index 3bf6631b5..42190f97b 100644
--- a/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsHttpConfigurationExtensions.cs
+++ b/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsHttpConfigurationExtensions.cs
@@ -26,7 +26,17 @@ public static class CorsHttpConfigurationExtensions
         /// <param name="httpConfiguration">The <see cref="HttpConfiguration"/>.</param>
         public static void EnableCors(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration)
         {
-            EnableCors(httpConfiguration, null);
+            EnableCors(httpConfiguration, null, false);
+        }
+        
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Enables the support for CORS.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="httpConfiguration">The <see cref="HttpConfiguration"/>.</param>
+        /// <param name="rethrowExceptions">Indicates whether upstream exceptions should be rethrown</param>
+        public static void EnableCors(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration, bool rethrowExceptions)
+        {
+            EnableCors(httpConfiguration, null, rethrowExceptions);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -34,8 +44,20 @@ public static void EnableCors(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration)
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="httpConfiguration">The <see cref="HttpConfiguration"/>.</param>
         /// <param name="defaultPolicyProvider">The default <see cref="ICorsPolicyProvider"/>.</param>
-        /// <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException">httpConfiguration</exception>
         public static void EnableCors(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration, ICorsPolicyProvider defaultPolicyProvider)
+        {
+            EnableCors(httpConfiguration, defaultPolicyProvider, false);
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Enables the support for CORS.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="httpConfiguration">The <see cref="HttpConfiguration"/>.</param>
+        /// <param name="defaultPolicyProvider">The default <see cref="ICorsPolicyProvider"/>.</param>
+        /// <param name="rethrowExceptions">Indicates whether upstream exceptions should be rethrown</param>
+        /// <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException">httpConfiguration</exception>
+        public static void EnableCors(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration, ICorsPolicyProvider defaultPolicyProvider,
+            bool rethrowExceptions)
         {
             if (httpConfiguration == null)
             {
@@ -49,11 +71,11 @@ public static void EnableCors(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration, ICorsPol
                 httpConfiguration.SetCorsPolicyProviderFactory(policyProviderFactory);
             }
 
-            AddCorsMessageHandler(httpConfiguration);
+            AddCorsMessageHandler(httpConfiguration, rethrowExceptions);
         }
 
         [SuppressMessage("Microsoft.Reliability", "CA2000:Dispose objects before losing scope", Justification = "Caller owns the disposable object")]
-        private static void AddCorsMessageHandler(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration)
+        private static void AddCorsMessageHandler(this HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration, bool rethrowExceptions)
         {
             object corsEnabled;
             if (!httpConfiguration.Properties.TryGetValue(CorsEnabledKey, out corsEnabled))
@@ -64,7 +86,7 @@ private static void AddCorsMessageHandler(this HttpConfiguration httpConfigurati
                     if (!config.Properties.TryGetValue(CorsEnabledKey, out corsEnabled))
                     {
                         // Execute this in the Initializer to ensure that the CorsMessageHandler is added last.
-                        config.MessageHandlers.Add(new CorsMessageHandler(config));
+                        config.MessageHandlers.Add(new CorsMessageHandler(config, rethrowExceptions));
 
                         ITraceWriter traceWriter = config.Services.GetTraceWriter();
 
diff --git a/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsMessageHandler.cs b/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsMessageHandler.cs
index 5d683ca26..5308ee340 100644
--- a/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsMessageHandler.cs
+++ b/src/System.Web.Http.Cors/CorsMessageHandler.cs
@@ -18,13 +18,24 @@ namespace System.Web.Http.Cors
     public class CorsMessageHandler : DelegatingHandler
     {
         private HttpConfiguration _httpConfiguration;
+        private bool _rethrowExceptions;
 
         /// <summary>
         /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="CorsMessageHandler"/> class.
         /// </summary>
         /// <param name="httpConfiguration">The <see cref="HttpConfiguration"/>.</param>
         /// <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException">httpConfiguration</exception>
-        public CorsMessageHandler(HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration)
+        public CorsMessageHandler(HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration) : this(httpConfiguration, false)
+        {
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Initializes a new instance of the <see cref="CorsMessageHandler"/> class.
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <param name="httpConfiguration">The <see cref="HttpConfiguration"/>.</param>
+        /// <param name="rethrowExceptions">Indicates whether upstream exceptions should be rethrown</param>
+        /// <exception cref="System.ArgumentNullException">httpConfiguration</exception>
+        public CorsMessageHandler(HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration, bool rethrowExceptions)
         {
             if (httpConfiguration == null)
             {
@@ -32,6 +43,7 @@ public CorsMessageHandler(HttpConfiguration httpConfiguration)
             }
 
             _httpConfiguration = httpConfiguration;
+            _rethrowExceptions = rethrowExceptions;
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -60,6 +72,11 @@ protected async override Task<HttpResponseMessage> SendAsync(HttpRequestMessage
                 }
                 catch (Exception exception)
                 {
+                    if (_rethrowExceptions)
+                    {
+                        throw;
+                    }
+
                     return HandleException(request, exception);
                 }
             }
diff --git a/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/Controllers/ThrowingController.cs b/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/Controllers/ThrowingController.cs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6879816c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/Controllers/ThrowingController.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+namespace System.Web.Http.Cors
+{
+    [EnableCors("*", "*", "*")]
+    public class ThrowingController : ApiController
+    {
+        public string Get()
+        {
+            throw new Exception();
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/CorsMessageHandlerTest.cs b/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/CorsMessageHandlerTest.cs
index e3fe7cf49..c6ecfdf25 100644
--- a/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/CorsMessageHandlerTest.cs
+++ b/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/CorsMessageHandlerTest.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 using System.Threading;
 using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using System.Web.Cors;
+using System.Web.Http.ExceptionHandling;
 using System.Web.Http.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.TestCommon;
 
@@ -180,6 +181,40 @@ public async Task SendAsync_HandlesExceptions_ThrownDuringPreflight()
             Assert.Equal(HttpStatusCode.MethodNotAllowed, response.StatusCode);
         }
 
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task SendAsync_Preflight_RethrowsExceptions_WhenRethrowFlagIsTrue()
+        {
+            HttpConfiguration config = new HttpConfiguration();
+            config.Routes.MapHttpRoute("default", "{controller}");
+            HttpServer server = new HttpServer(config);
+            CorsMessageHandler corsHandler = new CorsMessageHandler(config, true);
+            corsHandler.InnerHandler = server;
+            HttpMessageInvoker invoker = new HttpMessageInvoker(corsHandler);
+            HttpRequestMessage request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Options, "http://localhost/sample");
+            request.SetConfiguration(config);
+            request.Headers.Add(CorsConstants.Origin, "http://localhost");
+            request.Headers.Add(CorsConstants.AccessControlRequestMethod, "RandomMethod");
+
+            await Assert.ThrowsAsync<HttpResponseException>(() => invoker.SendAsync(request, CancellationToken.None));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public async Task SendAsync_RethrowsExceptions_WhenRethrowFlagIsTrue()
+        {
+            HttpConfiguration config = new HttpConfiguration();
+            config.Routes.MapHttpRoute("default", "{controller}");
+            config.Services.Replace(typeof(IExceptionHandler), new PassthroughExceptionHandler());
+            HttpServer server = new HttpServer(config);
+            CorsMessageHandler corsHandler = new CorsMessageHandler(config, true);
+            corsHandler.InnerHandler = server;
+            HttpMessageInvoker invoker = new HttpMessageInvoker(corsHandler);
+            HttpRequestMessage request = new HttpRequestMessage(HttpMethod.Get, "http://localhost/throwing");
+            request.SetConfiguration(config);
+            request.Headers.Add(CorsConstants.Origin, "http://localhost");
+
+            await Assert.ThrowsAsync<Exception>(() => invoker.SendAsync(request, CancellationToken.None));
+        }
+
         [Fact]
         public Task HandleCorsRequestAsync_NullConfig_Throws()
         {
@@ -238,5 +273,13 @@ public Task HandleCorsPreflightRequestAsync_NullContext_Throws()
                 () => corsHandler.HandleCorsPreflightRequestAsync(new HttpRequestMessage(), null, CancellationToken.None),
                 "corsRequestContext");
         }
+
+        private class PassthroughExceptionHandler : IExceptionHandler
+        {
+            public Task HandleAsync(ExceptionHandlerContext context, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+            {
+                throw context.Exception;
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test.csproj b/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test.csproj
index ac5963fcd..9454da007 100644
--- a/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test.csproj
+++ b/test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test/System.Web.Http.Cors.Test.csproj
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@
     <Compile Include="Controllers\PerControllerConfigController.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Controllers\SampleController.cs" />
     <Compile Include="Controllers\DefaultController.cs" />
+    <Compile Include="Controllers\ThrowingController.cs" />
     <Compile Include="CorsMessageHandlerTest.cs" />
     <Compile Include="DisableCorsAttributeTest.cs" />
     <Compile Include="EnableCorsAttributeTest.cs" />