diff --git a/.changeset/gentle-shirts-relate.md b/.changeset/gentle-shirts-relate.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..81f2abe4378
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/gentle-shirts-relate.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@apollo/server': patch
+---
+
+Improve bad 'accept' header error message
+
+It's not obvious that users can bypass content-type negotiation within Apollo Server if they want to use a content-type that isn't exactly one of the two we prescribe. This improves the error message so that users understand how to skip AS's negotiation step if they choose to use a custom content-type.
diff --git a/packages/server/src/__tests__/ApolloServer.test.ts b/packages/server/src/__tests__/ApolloServer.test.ts
index 0656e902644..ee6a5577922 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/__tests__/ApolloServer.test.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/__tests__/ApolloServer.test.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,22 @@
-import { ApolloServer, HeaderMap } from '..';
-import type { ApolloServerOptions } from '..';
+import type { GatewayInterface } from '@apollo/server-gateway-interface';
+import { makeExecutableSchema } from '@graphql-tools/schema';
+import { describe, expect, it, jest } from '@jest/globals';
+import assert from 'assert';
 import {
   FormattedExecutionResult,
   GraphQLError,
   GraphQLSchema,
-  parse,
   TypedQueryDocumentNode,
+  parse,
 } from 'graphql';
+import gql from 'graphql-tag';
+import type { ApolloServerOptions } from '..';
+import { ApolloServer, HeaderMap } from '..';
 import type { ApolloServerPlugin, BaseContext } from '../externalTypes';
+import type { GraphQLResponseBody } from '../externalTypes/graphql';
 import { ApolloServerPluginCacheControlDisabled } from '../plugin/disabled/index.js';
 import { ApolloServerPluginUsageReporting } from '../plugin/usageReporting/index.js';
-import { makeExecutableSchema } from '@graphql-tools/schema';
 import { mockLogger } from './mockLogger.js';
-import gql from 'graphql-tag';
-import type { GatewayInterface } from '@apollo/server-gateway-interface';
-import { jest, describe, it, expect } from '@jest/globals';
-import type { GraphQLResponseBody } from '../externalTypes/graphql';
-import assert from 'assert';
 
 const typeDefs = gql`
   type Query {
@@ -687,3 +687,72 @@ it('TypedQueryDocumentNode', async () => {
     // that.
   }
 });
+
+describe('content-type negotiation', () => {
+  it('responds with a BadRequest error with custom `accept` header', async () => {
+    const server = new ApolloServer({
+      typeDefs,
+      resolvers,
+    });
+    await server.start();
+
+    const { body } = await server.executeHTTPGraphQLRequest({
+      httpGraphQLRequest: {
+        body: { query: '{ hello }' },
+        headers: new HeaderMap([
+          ['accept', 'application/json;v=1'],
+          ['content-type', 'application/json'],
+        ]),
+        method: 'POST',
+        search: '',
+      },
+      context: async () => ({ foo: 'bla' }),
+    });
+    assert(body.kind === 'complete');
+    const result = JSON.parse(body.string);
+    expect(result.errors).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+      [
+        {
+          "extensions": {
+            "code": "BAD_REQUEST",
+          },
+          "message": "An 'accept' header was provided for this request which does not accept application/json; charset=utf-8 or application/graphql-response+json; charset=utf-8. If you'd like to use a custom content-type and bypass content-type negotiation altogether, set the \`content-type\` response header in a plugin.",
+        },
+      ]
+    `);
+    await server.stop();
+  });
+
+  it('permits a custom `accept` header when the `content-type` response header is set', async () => {
+    const server = new ApolloServer({
+      typeDefs,
+      resolvers,
+      plugins: [
+        {
+          async requestDidStart({ response }) {
+            response.http?.headers.set('content-type', 'application/json;v=1');
+          },
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    await server.start();
+
+    const { body } = await server.executeHTTPGraphQLRequest({
+      httpGraphQLRequest: {
+        body: { query: '{ hello }' },
+        headers: new HeaderMap([
+          ['accept', 'application/json;v=1'],
+          ['content-type', 'application/json'],
+        ]),
+        method: 'POST',
+        search: '',
+      },
+      context: async () => ({ foo: 'bla' }),
+    });
+    assert(body.kind === 'complete');
+    const result = JSON.parse(body.string);
+    expect(result.errors).toBeUndefined();
+    expect(result.data?.hello).toBe('world');
+    await server.stop();
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/server/src/runHttpQuery.ts b/packages/server/src/runHttpQuery.ts
index b47684c3ca5..b2be91ef299 100644
--- a/packages/server/src/runHttpQuery.ts
+++ b/packages/server/src/runHttpQuery.ts
@@ -248,7 +248,9 @@ export async function runHttpQuery<TContext extends BaseContext>({
       if (contentType === null) {
         throw new BadRequestError(
           `An 'accept' header was provided for this request which does not accept ` +
-            `${MEDIA_TYPES.APPLICATION_JSON} or ${MEDIA_TYPES.APPLICATION_GRAPHQL_RESPONSE_JSON}`,
+            `${MEDIA_TYPES.APPLICATION_JSON} or ${MEDIA_TYPES.APPLICATION_GRAPHQL_RESPONSE_JSON}. ` +
+            `If you'd like to use a custom content-type and bypass content-type ` +
+            `negotiation altogether, set the \`content-type\` response header in a plugin.`,
           // Use 406 Not Accepted
           { extensions: { http: { status: 406 } } },
         );