diff --git a/docs/api/context.md b/docs/api/context.md
index 4efb3d0..3e96397 100644
--- a/docs/api/context.md
+++ b/docs/api/context.md
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ Note: koa uses the [cookies](https://github.com/jed/cookies) module where option
 ```js
 this.throw(403)
 this.throw('name required', 400)
+this.throw(400, 'name required')
 this.throw('something exploded')
 ```
 
diff --git a/lib/context.js b/lib/context.js
index 050ea1a..4477c69 100644
--- a/lib/context.js
+++ b/lib/context.js
@@ -44,18 +44,18 @@ module.exports = {
    *
    *    this.throw(403)
    *    this.throw('name required', 400)
+   *    this.throw(400, 'name required')
    *    this.throw('something exploded')
    *
-   * @param {String|Number} msg
-   * @param {Number} status
+   * @param {String|Number} msg or status
+   * @param {String|Number} msg or status
    * @api public
    */
 
   throw: function(msg, status){
-    // TODO: switch order... feels weird now that im used to express
     if ('number' == typeof msg) {
       var tmp = msg;
-      msg = http.STATUS_CODES[tmp];
+      msg = status || http.STATUS_CODES[tmp];
       status = tmp;
     }
 
diff --git a/test/context/error.js b/test/context/throw.js
similarity index 74%
rename from test/context/error.js
rename to test/context/throw.js
index c044565..d3b25a2 100644
--- a/test/context/error.js
+++ b/test/context/throw.js
@@ -29,6 +29,20 @@ describe('ctx.throw(msg, status)', function(){
   })
 })
 
+describe('ctx.throw(status, msg)', function(){
+  it('should throw an error', function(done){
+    var ctx = context();
+
+    try {
+      ctx.throw(400, 'name required');
+    } catch (err) {
+      assert('name required' == err.message);
+      assert(400 == err.status);
+      done();
+    }
+  })
+})
+
 describe('ctx.throw(status)', function(){
   it('should throw an error', function(done){
     var ctx = context();