diff --git a/include/libtorrent/http_parser.hpp b/include/libtorrent/http_parser.hpp
index a5a48dcef..ee251a1fb 100644
--- a/include/libtorrent/http_parser.hpp
+++ b/include/libtorrent/http_parser.hpp
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 
 #include "libtorrent/config.hpp"
 #include "libtorrent/span.hpp"
+#include "libtorrent/string_view.hpp"
 
 namespace libtorrent {
 
@@ -60,14 +61,8 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 		enum flags_t { dont_parse_chunks = 1 };
 		explicit http_parser(int flags = 0);
 		~http_parser();
-		std::string const& header(char const* key) const
-		{
-			static std::string empty;
-			auto const i = m_header.find(key);
-			if (i == m_header.end()) return empty;
-			return i->second;
-		}
-
+		std::string const& header(string_view key) const;
+		std::int64_t header_int(string_view key, std::int64_t def_value) const;
 		std::string const& protocol() const { return m_protocol; }
 		int status_code() const { return m_status_code; }
 		std::string const& method() const { return m_method; }
diff --git a/src/http_parser.cpp b/src/http_parser.cpp
index 70589b614..0cd899c2f 100644
--- a/src/http_parser.cpp
+++ b/src/http_parser.cpp
@@ -130,6 +130,25 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 		return url;
 	}
 
+	std::string const& http_parser::header(string_view const key) const
+	{
+		static std::string const empty;
+		// TODO: remove to_string() if we're in C++14
+		auto const i = m_header.find(key.to_string());
+		if (i == m_header.end()) return empty;
+		return i->second;
+	}
+
+	std::int64_t http_parser::header_int(string_view const key, std::int64_t const def_value) const
+	{
+		// TODO: remove to_string() if we're in C++14
+		auto const i = m_header.find(key.to_string());
+		if (i == m_header.end()) return def_value;
+		auto const val = std::atoll(i->second.c_str());
+		if (val <= 0) return def_value;
+		return val;
+	}
+
 	http_parser::~http_parser() = default;
 
 	http_parser::http_parser(int const flags) : m_flags(flags) {}
diff --git a/src/http_seed_connection.cpp b/src/http_seed_connection.cpp
index 36a30010a..3081814d0 100644
--- a/src/http_seed_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/http_seed_connection.cpp
@@ -274,8 +274,7 @@ namespace libtorrent {
 				// if the status code is not one of the accepted ones, abort
 				if (!is_ok_status(m_parser.status_code()))
 				{
-					int retry_time = atoi(m_parser.header("retry-after").c_str());
-					if (retry_time <= 0) retry_time = 5 * 60;
+					int const retry_time = aux::numeric_cast<int>(m_parser.header_int("retry-after", 5 * 60));
 					// temporarily unavailable, retry later
 					t->retry_web_seed(this, retry_time);
 
diff --git a/src/web_peer_connection.cpp b/src/web_peer_connection.cpp
index f8b29a442..e648f613c 100644
--- a/src/web_peer_connection.cpp
+++ b/src/web_peer_connection.cpp
@@ -578,8 +578,7 @@ void web_peer_connection::handle_error(int const bytes_left)
 	// associated with the file we just requested. Only
 	// when it doesn't have any of the file do the following
 	// pad files will make it complicated
-	int retry_time = atoi(m_parser.header("retry-after").c_str());
-	if (retry_time <= 0) retry_time = m_settings.get_int(settings_pack::urlseed_wait_retry);
+	int const retry_time = aux::numeric_cast<int>(m_parser.header_int("retry-after", m_settings.get_int(settings_pack::urlseed_wait_retry)));
 	// temporarily unavailable, retry later
 	t->retry_web_seed(this, retry_time);
 	if (t->alerts().should_post<url_seed_alert>())
diff --git a/test/test_http_parser.cpp b/test/test_http_parser.cpp
index ce429d619..b84c85ce7 100644
--- a/test/test_http_parser.cpp
+++ b/test/test_http_parser.cpp
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ TORRENT_TEST(http_parser)
 	TEST_CHECK(std::equal(body.begin(), body.end(), "test"));
 	TEST_CHECK(parser.header("content-type") == "text/plain");
 	TEST_CHECK(atoi(parser.header("content-length").c_str()) == 4);
+	TEST_CHECK(atoi(parser.header("content-length").c_str()) == parser.header_int("content-length",-1));
+	TEST_CHECK(parser.header_int("content-length-x",-123) == -123);
 
 	parser.reset();