diff --git a/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp b/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp
index 0a6037ccf..613723673 100644
--- a/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp
+++ b/src/web/WebAPIService.cpp
@@ -144,6 +144,8 @@ void WebAPIService::parse(AsyncWebServerRequest * request, JsonObject input) {
         return;
     }
 
+    api_count_++;
+
     // send the json that came back from the command call
     // sequence matches CommandRet in command.h (FAIL, OK, NOT_FOUND, ERROR, NOT_ALLOWED, INVALID, NO_VALUE)
     // 400 (bad request)
@@ -153,16 +155,24 @@ void WebAPIService::parse(AsyncWebServerRequest * request, JsonObject input) {
     // 400 (invalid)
     int ret_codes[7] = {400, 200, 404, 400, 401, 400, 404};
 
+    response->setCode(ret_codes[return_code]);
+    response->setLength();
+    response->setContentType("application/json; charset=utf-8");
+    request->send(response);
+
     // serialize JSON to string to ensure correct content-length and avoid HTTP parsing errors (issue #2752)
-    std::string output_str;
-    serializeJson(output, output_str);
-    request->send(ret_codes[return_code], "application/json; charset=utf-8", output_str.c_str());
+    // std::string output_str;
+    // serializeJson(output, output_str);
+    // request->send(ret_codes[return_code], "application/json; charset=utf-8", output_str.c_str());
+    // delete response;
 
 #if defined(EMSESP_UNITY)
     // store the result so we can test with Unity later
     storeResponse(output);
 #endif
 #if defined(EMSESP_STANDALONE) && !defined(EMSESP_UNITY)
+    std::string output_str;
+    serializeJson(output, output_str);
     Serial.printf("%sweb output: %s[%s] %s(%d)%s %s%s",
                   COLOR_WHITE,
                   COLOR_BRIGHT_CYAN,
@@ -175,9 +185,6 @@ void WebAPIService::parse(AsyncWebServerRequest * request, JsonObject input) {
     Serial.println();
     EMSESP::logger().debug("web output: %s %s", request->url().c_str(), output_str.c_str());
 #endif
-
-    api_count_++;
-    delete response;
 }
 
 #if defined(EMSESP_UNITY)