diff --git a/manifests/config.pp b/manifests/config.pp
index 2d5d5e94d..968d73a97 100644
--- a/manifests/config.pp
+++ b/manifests/config.pp
@@ -83,7 +83,10 @@
   $log_format                     = $nginx::log_format
   $mail                           = $nginx::mail
   $stream                         = $nginx::stream
-  $mime_types                     = $nginx::mime_types
+  $mime_types                     = $nginx::mime_types_preserve_defaults ? {
+    true    => merge($nginx::params::mime_types,$nginx::mime_types),
+    default => $nginx::mime_types,
+  }
   $multi_accept                   = $nginx::multi_accept
   $names_hash_bucket_size         = $nginx::names_hash_bucket_size
   $names_hash_max_size            = $nginx::names_hash_max_size
diff --git a/manifests/init.pp b/manifests/init.pp
index 342977909..672890aa5 100644
--- a/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/manifests/init.pp
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@
   $package_flavor                                            = undef,
   Boolean $manage_repo                                       = $nginx::params::manage_repo,
   Hash[String[1], String[1]] $mime_types                     = $nginx::params::mime_types,
+  Boolean $mime_types_preserve_defaults                      = false,
   Optional[String] $repo_release                             = undef,
   $passenger_package_ensure                                  = 'present',
   ### END Package Configuration ###
diff --git a/spec/classes/nginx_spec.rb b/spec/classes/nginx_spec.rb
index 2dc144f55..8a9dbd698 100644
--- a/spec/classes/nginx_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/nginx_spec.rb
@@ -893,6 +893,18 @@
             it { is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/nginx/mime.types').with_content(%r{audio/mpeg mp3;}) }
           end
 
+          context 'when mime.types is "[\'custom/file customfile\']" and mime.types.preserve.defaults is true' do
+            let(:params) do
+              {
+                mime_types: { 'custom/file' => 'customfile' },
+                mime_types_preserve_defaults: true
+              }
+            end
+
+            it { is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/nginx/mime.types').with_content(%r{audio/mpeg mp3;}) }
+            it { is_expected.to contain_file('/etc/nginx/mime.types').with_content(%r{custom/file customfile;}) }
+          end
+
           context 'when dynamic_modules is "[\'ngx_http_geoip_module\']" ' do
             let(:params) do
               {
diff --git a/templates/conf.d/mime.types.epp b/templates/conf.d/mime.types.epp
index f71022ecb..d7a2c6c55 100644
--- a/templates/conf.d/mime.types.epp
+++ b/templates/conf.d/mime.types.epp
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # MANAGED BY PUPPET
 types {
-<% $nginx::mime_types.each |$key, $value| { -%>
+<% $nginx::config::mime_types.each |$key, $value| { -%>
     <%= $key %> <%= $value %>;
 <% } -%>
 }