diff --git a/resend/async_request.py b/resend/async_request.py
index 2634c15..c647ac9 100644
--- a/resend/async_request.py
+++ b/resend/async_request.py
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ async def make_request(self, url: str) -> Union[Dict[str, Any], List[Any]]:
                 parsed_data["http_headers"] = dict(self._response_headers)
             # For list responses, return as-is (lists can't have headers key)
             return parsed_data
-        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, UnicodeDecodeError):
             raise_for_code_and_type(
                 code=error_code,
                 message="Failed to decode JSON response",
diff --git a/resend/request.py b/resend/request.py
index e7e2783..56d27c1 100644
--- a/resend/request.py
+++ b/resend/request.py
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ def make_request(self, url: str) -> Union[Dict[str, Any], List[Any]]:
                 parsed_data["http_headers"] = dict(self._response_headers)
             # For list responses, return as-is (lists can't have headers key)
             return parsed_data
-        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+        except (json.JSONDecodeError, UnicodeDecodeError):
             raise_for_code_and_type(
                 code=error_code,
                 message="Failed to decode JSON response",
diff --git a/resend/version.py b/resend/version.py
index ddfd28c..917f42b 100644
--- a/resend/version.py
+++ b/resend/version.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-__version__ = "2.43.0"
+__version__ = "2.43.1"
 
 
 def get_version() -> str:
diff --git a/tests/request_test.py b/tests/request_test.py
index 56e2b3d..cde36de 100644
--- a/tests/request_test.py
+++ b/tests/request_test.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import asyncio
 import unittest
 from typing import Any, Dict
 from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, Mock, patch
@@ -10,6 +11,45 @@
 from resend.version import get_version
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("content", [b'"\xff"', b'\xff\xfe{', b'not-json'])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("status_code", [200, 429, 502])
+class TestResponseDecodingErrors:
+    def test_sync_preserves_status_and_headers(
+        self, content: bytes, status_code: int
+    ) -> None:
+        headers = {"content-type": "application/json", "retry-after": "2"}
+        response = Mock(content=content, status_code=status_code, headers=headers)
+        req = request.Request[Dict[str, Any]]("/emails", {}, "get")
+
+        with patch("resend.http_client_requests.requests.request", return_value=response):
+            with pytest.raises(ResendError) as error:
+                req.perform()
+
+        assert error.value.code == (status_code if status_code >= 400 else 500)
+        assert error.value.headers == headers
+        assert error.value.message == "Failed to decode JSON response"
+
+    def test_async_preserves_status_and_headers(
+        self, content: bytes, status_code: int
+    ) -> None:
+        from resend.async_request import AsyncRequest
+        from resend.http_client_httpx import HTTPXClient
+
+        headers = {"content-type": "application/json", "retry-after": "2"}
+        response = Mock(content=content, status_code=status_code, headers=headers)
+        req = AsyncRequest[Dict[str, Any]]("/emails", {}, "get")
+
+        with patch("resend.default_async_http_client", HTTPXClient()):
+            with patch("httpx.AsyncClient.request", new_callable=AsyncMock) as send:
+                send.return_value = response
+                with pytest.raises(ResendError) as error:
+                    asyncio.run(req.perform())
+
+        assert error.value.code == (status_code if status_code >= 400 else 500)
+        assert error.value.headers == headers
+        assert error.value.message == "Failed to decode JSON response"
+
+
 class TestResendRequest(unittest.TestCase):
     @patch("resend.http_client_requests.requests.request")
     @patch("resend.api_key", new="test_key")