diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts b/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts
index b6a0467b7a..7c7e4eaf88 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/src/backends/xhr_backend.ts
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ export class CookieXSRFStrategy implements XSRFStrategy {
 
   configureRequest(req: Request) {
     let xsrfToken = __platform_browser_private__.getDOM().getCookie(this._cookieName);
-    if (xsrfToken && !req.headers.has(this._headerName)) {
+    if (xsrfToken) {
       req.headers.set(this._headerName, xsrfToken);
     }
   }
diff --git a/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts b/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts
index 0b0184ce6b..03ee41174d 100644
--- a/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts
+++ b/modules/@angular/http/test/backends/xhr_backend_spec.ts
@@ -124,11 +124,11 @@ export function main() {
           backend.createConnection(sampleRequest);
           expect(sampleRequest.headers.get('X-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBe('magic XSRF value');
         });
-        it('respects existing headers', () => {
+        it('should allow overwriting of existing headers', () => {
           getDOM().setCookie('XSRF-TOKEN', 'magic XSRF value');
           sampleRequest.headers.set('X-XSRF-TOKEN', 'already set');
           backend.createConnection(sampleRequest);
-          expect(sampleRequest.headers.get('X-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBe('already set');
+          expect(sampleRequest.headers.get('X-XSRF-TOKEN')).toBe('magic XSRF value');
         });
 
         describe('configuration', () => {