diff --git a/src/net/http/request.go b/src/net/http/request.go
index c85713c42c6..9f740422ede 100644
--- a/src/net/http/request.go
+++ b/src/net/http/request.go
@@ -581,6 +581,12 @@ func validMethod(method string) bool {
 // type's documentation for the difference between inbound and outbound
 // request fields.
 func NewRequest(method, urlStr string, body io.Reader) (*Request, error) {
+	if method == "" {
+		// We document that "" means "GET" for Request.Method, and people have
+		// relied on that from NewRequest, so keep that working.
+		// We still enforce validMethod for non-empty methods.
+		method = "GET"
+	}
 	if !validMethod(method) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("net/http: invalid method %q", method)
 	}
diff --git a/src/net/http/request_test.go b/src/net/http/request_test.go
index a95a1d08c92..ddbf8418e1a 100644
--- a/src/net/http/request_test.go
+++ b/src/net/http/request_test.go
@@ -370,6 +370,13 @@ func TestRequestInvalidMethod(t *testing.T) {
 	if err == nil || !strings.Contains(err.Error(), "invalid method") {
 		t.Errorf("Transport error = %v; want invalid method", err)
 	}
+
+	req, err = NewRequest("", "http://foo.com/", nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("NewRequest(empty method) = %v; want nil", err)
+	} else if req.Method != "GET" {
+		t.Errorf("NewRequest(empty method) has method %q; want GET", req.Method)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestNewRequestContentLength(t *testing.T) {