diff --git a/AUTHORS b/AUTHORS
index 371fa09..57ac3ef 100644
--- a/AUTHORS
+++ b/AUTHORS
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ by date of contribution:
 * Chad Lung (chadlung)
 * Josh Brand (joshbrand)
 * Jamie Painter (painterjd)
+* Flavio Percoco (flaper87)
 * Randall Burt (rs-randallburt)
 * Zhihao Yuan (lichray)
 * Ashutosh Das (pyprism)
diff --git a/falcon/api_helpers.py b/falcon/api_helpers.py
index bbf17fc..a323196 100644
--- a/falcon/api_helpers.py
+++ b/falcon/api_helpers.py
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ limitations under the License.
 import re
 from functools import wraps
 
-import six
-
 from falcon import responders, HTTP_METHODS
 import falcon.status_codes as status
 
@@ -77,10 +75,10 @@ def set_content_length(resp):
 
     content_length = 0
 
-    if resp.body is not None:
+    if resp.body_encoded is not None:
         # Since body is assumed to be a byte string (str in Python 2, bytes in
         # Python 3), figure out the length using standard functions.
-        content_length = len(resp.body)
+        content_length = len(resp.body_encoded)
     elif resp.data is not None:
         content_length = len(resp.data)
     elif resp.stream is not None:
@@ -111,13 +109,10 @@ def get_body(resp):
 
     """
 
-    body = resp.body
+    body = resp.body_encoded
 
     if body is not None:
-        if isinstance(body, six.text_type):
-            return [body.encode('utf-8')]
-        else:
-            return [body]
+        return [body]
 
     elif resp.data is not None:
         return [resp.data]
diff --git a/falcon/response.py b/falcon/response.py
index 450a0fe..a9ed6c2 100644
--- a/falcon/response.py
+++ b/falcon/response.py
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 """
 
+import six
+
 from falcon.response_helpers import header_property, format_range
 from falcon.util import dt_to_http, percent_escape
 
@@ -36,7 +38,8 @@ class Response(object):
     """
 
     __slots__ = (
-        'body',  # Stuff
+        '_body',  # Stuff
+        '_body_encoded',  # Stuff
         'data',
         '_headers',
         'status',
@@ -55,11 +58,50 @@ class Response(object):
         self.status = '200 OK'
         self._headers = {}
 
-        self.body = None
+        self._body = None
+        self._body_encoded = None
         self.data = None
         self.stream = None
         self.stream_len = None
 
+    def _get_body(self):
+        """Returns the body as-is."""
+        return self._body
+
+    def _set_body(self, value):
+        """Sets the body and clears the encoded cache."""
+        self._body = value
+        self._body_encoded = None
+
+    # NOTE(flaper87): Lets use a property
+    # for the body in case its content was
+    # encoded and then modified.
+    body = property(_get_body, _set_body)
+
+    @property
+    def body_encoded(self):
+        """Encode the body and return it
+
+        This property will encode `_body` and
+        cache the result in the `_body_encoded`
+        attribute.
+        """
+        # NOTE(flaper87): Notice this property
+        # is not thread-safe. If body is modified
+        # before this property returns, we might
+        # end up returning None.
+        body = self._body
+        if body and self._body_encoded is None:
+
+            # NOTE(flaper87): Assume it is an
+            # encoded str, then check and encode
+            # if it isn't.
+            self._body_encoded = body
+            if isinstance(body, six.text_type):
+                self._body_encoded = body.encode('utf-8')
+
+        return self._body_encoded
+
     def set_header(self, name, value):
         """Set a header for this response to a given value.
 
diff --git a/falcon/tests/test_after_hooks.py b/falcon/tests/test_after_hooks.py
index 3849589..11dec80 100644
--- a/falcon/tests/test_after_hooks.py
+++ b/falcon/tests/test_after_hooks.py
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class TestHooks(testing.TestBase):
         self.api.add_route(self.test_route, zoo_resource)
 
         self.simulate_request(self.test_route)
-        self.assertEqual('fluffy', zoo_resource.resp.body)
+        self.assertEqual(b'fluffy', zoo_resource.resp.body_encoded)
 
     def test_multiple_global_hook(self):
         self.api = falcon.API(after=[fluffiness, cuteness])
@@ -94,29 +94,28 @@ class TestHooks(testing.TestBase):
         self.api.add_route(self.test_route, zoo_resource)
 
         self.simulate_request(self.test_route)
-        self.assertEqual('fluffy and cute', zoo_resource.resp.body)
+        self.assertEqual(b'fluffy and cute', zoo_resource.resp.body_encoded)
 
     def test_output_validator(self):
         self.simulate_request(self.test_route)
         self.assertEqual(falcon.HTTP_723, self.srmock.status)
-        self.assertEqual(None, self.resource.resp.body)
+        self.assertEqual(None, self.resource.resp.body_encoded)
 
     def test_serializer(self):
         self.simulate_request(self.test_route, method='PUT')
 
-        actual_body = self.resource.resp.body
-        self.assertEqual('{"animal": "falcon"}', actual_body)
+        actual_body = self.resource.resp.body_encoded
+        self.assertEqual(b'{"animal": "falcon"}', actual_body)
 
     def test_wrapped_resource(self):
-        expected = 'fluffy and cute'
+        expected = b'fluffy and cute'
 
         self.simulate_request('/wrapped')
         self.assertEqual(falcon.HTTP_200, self.srmock.status)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, self.wrapped_resource.resp.body)
+        self.assertEqual(expected, self.wrapped_resource.resp.body_encoded)
 
         self.simulate_request('/wrapped', method='HEAD')
         self.assertEqual(falcon.HTTP_200, self.srmock.status)
-        self.assertEqual(expected, self.wrapped_resource.resp.body)
 
         self.simulate_request('/wrapped', method='POST')
         self.assertEqual(falcon.HTTP_405, self.srmock.status)
diff --git a/falcon/tests/test_hello.py b/falcon/tests/test_hello.py
index 878cef7..728c38a 100644
--- a/falcon/tests/test_hello.py
+++ b/falcon/tests/test_hello.py
@@ -97,11 +97,11 @@ class TestHelloWorld(testing.TestBase):
         resp = self.resource.resp
 
         content_length = int(self.srmock.headers_dict['Content-Length'])
-        self.assertEquals(content_length, len(self.resource.sample_unicode))
+        self.assertEquals(content_length, len(self.resource.sample_utf8))
 
         self.assertEquals(self.srmock.status, self.resource.sample_status)
         self.assertEquals(resp.status, self.resource.sample_status)
-        self.assertEquals(resp.body, self.resource.sample_unicode)
+        self.assertEquals(resp.body_encoded, self.resource.sample_utf8)
         self.assertEquals(body, [self.resource.sample_utf8])
 
     def test_body_bytes(self):
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ class TestHelloWorld(testing.TestBase):
 
         self.assertEquals(self.srmock.status, self.resource.sample_status)
         self.assertEquals(resp.status, self.resource.sample_status)
-        self.assertEquals(resp.body, self.resource.sample_utf8)
+        self.assertEquals(resp.body_encoded, self.resource.sample_utf8)
         self.assertEquals(body, [self.resource.sample_utf8])
 
     def test_data(self):
diff --git a/falcon/tests/test_response_body.py b/falcon/tests/test_response_body.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1c12ae2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/falcon/tests/test_response_body.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+
+import falcon
+import falcon.testing as testing
+
+
+class TestResponseBody(testing.TestBase):
+
+    def test_append_body(self):
+        text = "Hello beautiful world! "
+        resp = falcon.Response()
+        resp.body = ""
+
+        for token in text.split():
+            resp.body += token
+            resp.body += " "
+
+        self.assertEquals(resp.body, text)