diff --git a/src/HttpServer.cc b/src/HttpServer.cc
index 579d4adf..d2e43d57 100644
--- a/src/HttpServer.cc
+++ b/src/HttpServer.cc
@@ -1255,14 +1255,9 @@ int hd_on_frame_recv_callback
     }
 
     if(frame->headers.cat == NGHTTP2_HCAT_REQUEST) {
-      if(!http2::check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort
-         (stream->headers)) {
-        hd->submit_rst_stream(stream, NGHTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
-        return 0;
-      }
 
       http2::normalize_headers(stream->headers);
-      if(!http2::check_http2_headers(stream->headers)) {
+      if(!http2::check_http2_request_headers(stream->headers)) {
         hd->submit_rst_stream(stream, NGHTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
         return 0;
       }
diff --git a/src/http2.cc b/src/http2.cc
index 22a73942..a0412e5e 100644
--- a/src/http2.cc
+++ b/src/http2.cc
@@ -255,19 +255,16 @@ bool check_pseudo_headers(const Headers& nva,
                           InputIterator allowed_first,
                           InputIterator allowed_last)
 {
-  bool expect_no_pseudo_header = false;
   // strict checking for pseudo headers.
   for(auto& hd : nva) {
     auto c = hd.name.c_str()[0];
 
-    if(c != ':') {
-      expect_no_pseudo_header = true;
+    if(c < ':') {
       continue;
     }
 
-    // Pseudo headers must come before normal headers
-    if(expect_no_pseudo_header) {
-      return false;
+    if(c > ':') {
+      break;
     }
 
     auto i = allowed_first;
@@ -287,14 +284,22 @@ bool check_pseudo_headers(const Headers& nva,
 }
 } // namespace
 
-bool check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort(const Headers& nva)
+bool check_http2_request_headers(const Headers& nva)
 {
+  if(!check_http2_headers(nva)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   return check_pseudo_headers(nva, REQUEST_PSEUDO_HD,
                               REQUEST_PSEUDO_HD + REQUEST_PSEUDO_HDLEN);
 }
 
-bool check_http2_response_pseudo_headers_without_sort(const Headers& nva)
+bool check_http2_response_headers(const Headers& nva)
 {
+  if(!check_http2_headers(nva)) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
   return check_pseudo_headers(nva, RESPONSE_PSEUDO_HD,
                               RESPONSE_PSEUDO_HD + RESPONSE_PSEUDO_HDLEN);
 }
diff --git a/src/http2.h b/src/http2.h
index e88ef5ed..7e1a4ff4 100644
--- a/src/http2.h
+++ b/src/http2.h
@@ -96,15 +96,15 @@ bool check_http2_allowed_header(const char *name);
 // contains such headers.
 bool check_http2_headers(const Headers& nva);
 
-// Checks that |nva| only contains pseudo headers allowed in request
-// and pseudo headers come before normal headers.  Returns true if all
+// Calls check_http2_headers() and also checks that |nva| only
+// contains pseudo headers allowed in request.  Returns true if all
 // checks passed.
-bool check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort(const Headers& nva);
+bool check_http2_request_headers(const Headers& nva);
 
-// Checks that |nva| only contains pseudo headers allowed in response
-// and pseudo headers come before normal headers.  Returns true if all
+// Calls check_http2_headers() and also checks that |nva| only
+// contains pseudo headers allowed in response.  Returns true if all
 // checks passed.
-bool check_http2_response_pseudo_headers_without_sort(const Headers& nva);
+bool check_http2_response_headers(const Headers& nva);
 
 bool name_less(const Headers::value_type& lhs, const Headers::value_type& rhs);
 
diff --git a/src/http2_test.cc b/src/http2_test.cc
index b2953b09..63d7074a 100644
--- a/src/http2_test.cc
+++ b/src/http2_test.cc
@@ -99,20 +99,14 @@ void test_http2_check_http2_headers(void)
     { ":path", "3" },
     { ":scheme", "4" }
   };
-  CU_ASSERT(http2::check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort(nva4));
-  CU_ASSERT(!http2::check_http2_response_pseudo_headers_without_sort(nva4));
+  CU_ASSERT(http2::check_http2_request_headers(nva4));
+  CU_ASSERT(!http2::check_http2_response_headers(nva4));
 
   auto nva5 = Headers{
     { ":status", "1" }
   };
-  CU_ASSERT(!http2::check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort(nva5));
-  CU_ASSERT(http2::check_http2_response_pseudo_headers_without_sort(nva5));
-
-  auto nva6 = Headers{
-    { "content-length", "1"},
-    { ":authority", "2" },
-  };
-  CU_ASSERT(!http2::check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort(nva6));
+  CU_ASSERT(!http2::check_http2_request_headers(nva5));
+  CU_ASSERT(http2::check_http2_response_headers(nva5));
 }
 
 void test_http2_get_unique_header(void)
diff --git a/src/shrpx_http2_session.cc b/src/shrpx_http2_session.cc
index 804fcc26..9b983d7f 100644
--- a/src/shrpx_http2_session.cc
+++ b/src/shrpx_http2_session.cc
@@ -895,22 +895,12 @@ int on_response_headers(Http2Session *http2session,
 
   auto upstream = downstream->get_upstream();
 
-  if(!http2::check_http2_response_pseudo_headers_without_sort
-     (downstream->get_response_headers())) {
-
-    http2session->submit_rst_stream(frame->hd.stream_id,
-                                    NGHTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
-    downstream->set_response_state(Downstream::MSG_RESET);
-    call_downstream_readcb(http2session, downstream);
-    return 0;
-  }
-
   downstream->normalize_response_headers();
   auto& nva = downstream->get_response_headers();
 
   downstream->set_expect_final_response(false);
 
-  if(!http2::check_http2_headers(nva)) {
+  if(!http2::check_http2_response_headers(nva)) {
     http2session->submit_rst_stream(frame->hd.stream_id,
                                     NGHTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
     downstream->set_response_state(Downstream::MSG_RESET);
diff --git a/src/shrpx_http2_upstream.cc b/src/shrpx_http2_upstream.cc
index 76526082..b043b7ce 100644
--- a/src/shrpx_http2_upstream.cc
+++ b/src/shrpx_http2_upstream.cc
@@ -285,13 +285,6 @@ int on_request_headers(Http2Upstream *upstream,
     return 0;
   }
 
-  if(!http2::check_http2_request_pseudo_headers_without_sort
-     (downstream->get_request_headers())) {
-
-    upstream->rst_stream(downstream, NGHTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
-    return 0;
-  }
-
   downstream->normalize_request_headers();
   auto& nva = downstream->get_request_headers();
 
@@ -309,7 +302,7 @@ int on_request_headers(Http2Upstream *upstream,
     http2::dump_nv(get_config()->http2_upstream_dump_request_header, nva);
   }
 
-  if(!http2::check_http2_headers(nva)) {
+  if(!http2::check_http2_request_headers(nva)) {
     if(upstream->error_reply(downstream, 400) != 0) {
       upstream->rst_stream(downstream, NGHTTP2_PROTOCOL_ERROR);
     }