diff --git a/setup.py b/setup.py
index d9c6587..a665f26 100755
--- a/setup.py
+++ b/setup.py
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ except:
 
 setuptools.setup(
         name='warcprox',
-        version='2.1b1.dev46',
+        version='2.1b1.dev47',
         description='WARC writing MITM HTTP/S proxy',
         url='https://github.com/internetarchive/warcprox',
         author='Noah Levitt',
diff --git a/tests/test_warcprox.py b/tests/test_warcprox.py
index 82f80fe..8294679 100755
--- a/tests/test_warcprox.py
+++ b/tests/test_warcprox.py
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import traceback
 import signal
 from collections import Counter
 import socket
+import urllib
 
 try:
     import http.server as http_server
@@ -59,6 +60,23 @@ import certauth.certauth
 
 import warcprox
 
+import http.client
+orig_send = http.client.HTTPConnection.send
+def _send(self, data):
+    if isinstance(data, bytes):
+        logging.info('sending data (bytes): ')
+        logging.root.handlers[0].stream.buffer.write(data)
+        logging.root.handlers[0].stream.buffer.write(b'\n')
+    elif isinstance(data, str):
+        logging.info('sending data (str): ')
+        logging.root.handlers[0].stream.write(data)
+        logging.root.handlers[0].stream.write('\n')
+    else:
+        logging.info('sending data from %s', repr(data))
+    orig_send(self, data)
+### uncomment this to see raw requests going over the wire
+# http.client.HTTPConnection.send = _send
+
 logging.basicConfig(
         stream=sys.stdout, level=logging.INFO, # level=warcprox.TRACE,
         format='%(asctime)s %(process)d %(levelname)s %(threadName)s '
@@ -1153,7 +1171,8 @@ def test_missing_content_length(archiving_proxies, http_daemon, https_daemon):
     assert not 'content-length' in response.headers
 
 def test_method_filter(
-        https_daemon, http_daemon, archiving_proxies, playback_proxies):
+        https_daemon, http_daemon, archiving_proxies, playback_proxies,
+        warcprox_):
     # we've configured warcprox with method_filters=['GET','POST'] so HEAD
     # requests should not be archived
 
@@ -1168,6 +1187,30 @@ def test_method_filter(
     assert response.status_code == 404
     assert response.content == b'404 Not in Archive\n'
 
+    # WARCPROX_WRITE_RECORD is exempt from method filter
+    headers = {
+        'Content-Type': 'text/plain',
+        'WARC-Type': 'metadata',
+        'Host': 'N/A'
+    }
+    url = 'http://fakeurl/'
+    payload = b'I am the WARCPROX_WRITE_RECORD payload'
+    request = urllib.request.Request(
+            url, method="WARCPROX_WRITE_RECORD", headers=headers, data=payload)
+
+    # XXX setting request.type="http" is a hack to stop urllib from trying
+    # to tunnel if url is https
+    request.type = 'http'
+    request.set_proxy('localhost:%s' % warcprox_.proxy.server_port, 'http')
+
+    with urllib.request.urlopen(request) as response:
+        assert response.getcode() == 204
+
+    response = _poll_playback_until(
+            playback_proxies, url, status=200, timeout_sec=10)
+    assert response.status_code == 200
+    assert response.content == payload
+
 def test_dedup_ok_flag(
         https_daemon, http_daemon, warcprox_, archiving_proxies,
         rethinkdb_big_table):
diff --git a/warcprox/playback.py b/warcprox/playback.py
index 164ba48..c244843 100644
--- a/warcprox/playback.py
+++ b/warcprox/playback.py
@@ -182,7 +182,13 @@ class PlaybackProxyHandler(MitmProxyHandler):
                 return self._send_headers_and_refd_payload(record.content[1], refers_to, refers_to_target_uri, refers_to_date)
 
             else:
-                raise Exception('unknown warc record type {}'.format(warc_type))
+                # send it back raw, whatever it is
+                headers_buf = bytearray()
+                headers_buf.extend(b'HTTP/1.0 200 OK\r\n')
+                headers_buf.extend(b'content-length: ' + record.get_header(b'content-length') + b'\r\n')
+                headers_buf.extend(b'content-type: ' + record.get_header(b'content-type') + b'\r\n')
+                headers_buf.extend(b'\r\n')
+                return self._send_response(headers_buf, record.content_file)
 
         finally:
             fh.close()
diff --git a/warcprox/writerthread.py b/warcprox/writerthread.py
index a255717..00238d4 100644
--- a/warcprox/writerthread.py
+++ b/warcprox/writerthread.py
@@ -64,8 +64,12 @@ class WarcWriterThread(threading.Thread):
         else:
             self._run()
 
+    _ALWAYS_ACCEPT = {'WARCPROX_WRITE_RECORD'}
     def _filter_accepts(self, recorded_url):
-        return not self.method_filter or recorded_url.method.upper() in self.method_filter
+        if not self.method_filter:
+            return True
+        meth = recorded_url.method.upper()
+        return meth in self._ALWAYS_ACCEPT or meth in self.method_filter
 
     def _run(self):
         while not self.stop.is_set():