diff --git a/src/SlimController/Slim.php b/src/SlimController/Slim.php
index 55bcc63..5b6359d 100644
--- a/src/SlimController/Slim.php
+++ b/src/SlimController/Slim.php
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 namespace SlimController;
 
+use Slim\Http\Response;
+
 /**
  * Extended Slim base
  */
@@ -171,7 +173,18 @@ protected function buildCallbackFromControllerRoute($route)
             // Try to fetch the instance from Slim's container, otherwise lazy-instantiate it
             $instance = $app->container->has($controller) ? $app->container->get($controller) : new $controller($app);
 
-            return call_user_func_array(array($instance, $methodName), $args);
+            $result = call_user_func_array(array($instance, $methodName), $args);
+            if ($result instanceof Response) {
+                $container['response'] = $result;
+
+                return true;
+            } elseif (is_string($result)) {
+                $container['response'] = new Response($result);
+
+                return true;
+            }
+
+            return $result;
         };
 
         return $callable;
diff --git a/src/SlimController/SlimController.php b/src/SlimController/SlimController.php
index 9c5c526..ce730dc 100644
--- a/src/SlimController/SlimController.php
+++ b/src/SlimController/SlimController.php
@@ -101,6 +101,25 @@ protected function render($template, $args = array())
         $this->app->render($template, $args);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Renders given data into JSON string, which is then set as response body
+     *
+     * @param mixed $data Data to be encoded into JSON string
+     * @param int $statusCode HTTP status code
+     */
+    protected function jsonResponse($data, $statusCode = 200)
+    {
+        $jsonBody = json_encode($data);
+        if (json_last_error() !== JSON_ERROR_NONE) {
+            $this->app->getLog()->error("Failed to encode data to JSON: " . json_last_error_msg());
+
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException(json_last_error_msg());
+        }
+        $this->app->response->setBody($jsonBody);
+        $this->app->response->header('Content-Type', 'application/json');
+        $this->app->response->setStatus($statusCode);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Performs redirect
      *