Support for application/json-patch+json in bodyParser

Author: Edgar0bsjCreated Sep 7, 2025Updated Sep 7, 2025

Hello Currently, Restify’s bodyParser does not parse requests with Content-Type: application/json-patch+json (RFC 6902).
When sending a PATCH request, req.body is empty, because bodyParser only supports application/json.

Workaround: I can manually change the header before parsing, but this is extra boilerplate.

-> Proposal: Add an optional config in bodyParser, like:

server.use(restify.plugins.bodyParser({ jsonPatch: true }));

When jsonPatch is true, Restify should treat application/json-patch+json as normal JSON.

-> Benefits:

  • RFC standard (6902).
  • Very small change (just a header check).
  • Opt-in (does not break compatibility).
  • Improves developer experience for APIs using JSON Patch.

I would like to contribute a PR with this feature. What do you think?