diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 69d5c06..1f406dd 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ A very simple container to redirect HTTP traffic to another server, based on `ng
    if not set nginx var `$request_uri` is used
 - `SERVER_REDIRECT_SCHEME` - optionally define scheme to redirect to 
    if not set nginx var `$scheme` is used
+- `SERVER_REDIRECT_CODE` - optionally define the http code to use for redirection
+   if not set nginx 301 - is used
 
 See also `docker-compose.yml` file.
 
diff --git a/default.conf b/default.conf
index 3ebbe08..a3ed6fa 100644
--- a/default.conf
+++ b/default.conf
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ server {
     listen       80;
     server_name  localhost;
 
-    return 301 ${SERVER_REDIRECT_SCHEME}://${SERVER_REDIRECT}${SERVER_REDIRECT_PATH};
+    return ${SERVER_REDIRECT_CODE} ${SERVER_REDIRECT_SCHEME}://${SERVER_REDIRECT}${SERVER_REDIRECT_PATH};
 
     # redirect server error pages to the static page /50x.html
     #
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index 02621fa..38421fe 100644
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,11 @@ if [ ! -n "$SERVER_REDIRECT" ] ; then
     exit 1
 fi
 
+# set redirect code from optional ENV var
+if [ "$SERVER_REDIRECT_CODE" != '302' ] ; then
+    SERVER_REDIRECT_CODE='301'
+fi
+
 # set redirect path from optional ENV var
 if [ ! -n "$SERVER_REDIRECT_PATH" ] ; then
     SERVER_REDIRECT_PATH='$request_uri'
@@ -16,6 +21,7 @@ if [ ! -n "$SERVER_REDIRECT_SCHEME" ] ; then
 fi
 
 sed -i "s|\${SERVER_REDIRECT}|${SERVER_REDIRECT}|" /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
+sed -i "s|\${SERVER_REDIRECT_CODE}|${SERVER_REDIRECT_CODE}|" /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
 sed -i "s|\${SERVER_REDIRECT_PATH}|${SERVER_REDIRECT_PATH}|" /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf
 sed -i "s|\${SERVER_REDIRECT_SCHEME}|${SERVER_REDIRECT_SCHEME}|" /etc/nginx/conf.d/default.conf