diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_runner/web_fs.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_runner/web_fs.dart
index 8b33d80889..3d83be8250 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_runner/web_fs.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/lib/src/build_runner/web_fs.dart
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
 import 'dart:async';
+import 'dart:typed_data';
 
 import 'package:archive/archive.dart';
 import 'package:build_daemon/client.dart';
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import 'package:meta/meta.dart';
 import 'package:shelf/shelf.dart';
 import 'package:shelf/shelf_io.dart' as shelf_io;
 import 'package:shelf_proxy/shelf_proxy.dart';
+import 'package:mime/mime.dart' as mime;
 
 import '../artifacts.dart';
 import '../asset.dart';
@@ -501,7 +503,14 @@ class DebugAssetServer extends AssetServer {
       final String assetPath = request.url.path.replaceFirst('assets/', '');
       final File file = fs.file(fs.path.join(getAssetBuildDirectory(), assetPath));
       if (file.existsSync()) {
-        return Response.ok(file.readAsBytesSync());
+        final Uint8List bytes = file.readAsBytesSync();
+        // Fallback to "application/octet-stream" on null which
+        // makes no claims as to the structure of the data.
+        final String mimeType = mime.lookupMimeType(file.path, headerBytes: bytes)
+          ?? 'application/octet-stream';
+        return Response.ok(bytes, headers: <String, String>{
+          'Content-Type': mimeType,
+        });
       } else {
         return Response.notFound('');
       }
diff --git a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/asset_server_test.dart b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/asset_server_test.dart
index 3a85425277..bb154ce9e8 100644
--- a/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/asset_server_test.dart
+++ b/packages/flutter_tools/test/general.shard/web/asset_server_test.dart
@@ -10,6 +10,14 @@ import 'package:shelf/shelf.dart';
 import '../../src/common.dart';
 import '../../src/testbed.dart';
 
+const List<int> kTransparentImage = <int>[
+  0x89, 0x50, 0x4E, 0x47, 0x0D, 0x0A, 0x1A, 0x0A, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0D, 0x49,
+  0x48, 0x44, 0x52, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x01, 0x08, 0x06,
+  0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x1F, 0x15, 0xC4, 0x89, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x0A, 0x49, 0x44,
+  0x41, 0x54, 0x78, 0x9C, 0x63, 0x00, 0x01, 0x00, 0x00, 0x05, 0x00, 0x01, 0x0D,
+  0x0A, 0x2D, 0xB4, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x00, 0x49, 0x45, 0x4E, 0x44, 0xAE,
+];
+
 void main() {
   Testbed testbed;
   AssetServer assetServer;
@@ -22,6 +30,12 @@ void main() {
         fs.file(fs.path.join('web', 'index.html'))
           ..createSync(recursive: true)
           ..writeAsStringSync('hello');
+        fs.file(fs.path.join('build', 'flutter_assets', 'foo.png'))
+          ..createSync(recursive: true)
+          ..writeAsBytesSync(kTransparentImage);
+        fs.file(fs.path.join('build', 'flutter_assets', 'bar'))
+          ..createSync(recursive: true)
+          ..writeAsBytesSync(<int>[1, 2, 3]);
         assetServer = DebugAssetServer(FlutterProject.current(), fs.path.join('main'));
       }
     );
@@ -38,6 +52,26 @@ void main() {
     expect(await response.readAsString(), 'hello');
   }));
 
+  test('can serve an asset with a png content type', () => testbed.run(() async {
+    final Response response = await assetServer
+      .handle(Request('GET', Uri.parse('http://localhost:8080/assets/foo.png')));
+
+    expect(response.headers, <String, String>{
+      'Content-Type': 'image/png',
+      'content-length': '64',
+    });
+  }));
+
+  test('can fallback to application/octet-stream', () => testbed.run(() async {
+    final Response response = await assetServer
+      .handle(Request('GET', Uri.parse('http://localhost:8080/assets/bar')));
+
+    expect(response.headers, <String, String>{
+      'Content-Type': 'application/octet-stream',
+      'content-length': '3',
+    });
+  }));
+
   test('handles a missing html file from the web directory', () => testbed.run(() async {
     final Response response = await assetServer
         .handle(Request('GET', Uri.parse('http://localhost:8080/foobar.html')));