diff --git a/docs/content/error/httpBackend/noxhr.ngdoc b/docs/content/error/httpBackend/noxhr.ngdoc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e2d5901d72ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/content/error/httpBackend/noxhr.ngdoc
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+@ngdoc error
+@name $httpBackend:noxhr
+@fullName Unsupported XHR
+@description
+
+This error occurs in browsers that do not support XmlHttpRequest. AngularJS
+supports Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Opera, IE8 and higher, and mobile browsers
+(Android, Chrome Mobile, iOS Safari). To avoid this error, use an officially
+supported browser.
+
diff --git a/src/ng/httpBackend.js b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
index f52e461157f0..665c5eec3997 100644
--- a/src/ng/httpBackend.js
+++ b/src/ng/httpBackend.js
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 'use strict';
 
 function createXhr(method) {
-  // IE8 doesn't support PATCH method, but the ActiveX object does
-  /* global ActiveXObject */
-  return (msie <= 8 && lowercase(method) === 'patch')
-      ? new ActiveXObject('Microsoft.XMLHTTP')
-      : new window.XMLHttpRequest();
-}
+    //if IE and the method is not RFC2616 compliant, or if XMLHttpRequest
+    //is not available, try getting an ActiveXObject. Otherwise, use XMLHttpRequest
+    //if it is available
+    if (msie <= 8 && (!method.match(/^(get|post|head|put|delete|options)$/i) ||
+      !window.XMLHttpRequest)) {
+      return new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
+    } else if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
+      return new window.XMLHttpRequest();
+    }
 
+    throw minErr('$httpBackend')('noxhr', "This browser does not support XMLHttpRequest.");
+}
 
 /**
  * @ngdoc object