diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 14def08..8a4f7cd 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ const lru = require('tiny-lru')
 const querystring = require('querystring')
 const Stream = require('stream')
 const buildRequest = require('./lib/request')
+
 const {
   filterPseudoHeaders,
   copyHeaders,
@@ -43,6 +44,15 @@ function fastProxy (opts = {}) {
       const sourceHttp2 = req.httpVersionMajor === 2
       let headers = { ...sourceHttp2 ? filterPseudoHeaders(req.headers) : req.headers }
 
+      if (!headers.host) {
+        // https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Headers/Host
+        // @TODO: Should add performance-aware host header value validation(regex-based) as a further step?
+        res.statusCode = 400
+        res.end()
+
+        return
+      }
+
       headers['x-forwarded-host'] = headers.host
       headers.host = url.hostname
       if (url.port) {
diff --git a/test/11.host-header-val.test.js b/test/11.host-header-val.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4334c83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/11.host-header-val.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+/* global describe, it */
+'use strict'
+
+const request = require('supertest')
+let gateway, close, proxy, gHttpServer
+
+describe('Host header validation', () => {
+  it('init', async () => {
+    const fastProxy = require('../index')({
+      base: 'http://127.0.0.1:3000'
+    })
+
+    proxy = fastProxy.proxy
+    close = fastProxy.close
+  })
+
+  it('init & start gateway', async () => {
+    // init gateway
+    gateway = require('restana')()
+
+    gateway.all('/service/*', function (req, res) {
+      delete req.headers.host
+      proxy(req, res, req.url, {})
+    })
+
+    gHttpServer = await gateway.start(8080)
+  })
+
+  it('should fail with Bad Request when Host header is missing', async () => {
+    await request(gHttpServer)
+      .get('/service/headers')
+      .expect(400)
+  })
+
+  it('close all', async () => {
+    close()
+    await gateway.close()
+  })
+})