diff --git a/lib/route-helper.js b/lib/route-helper.js
index 4d5545f..4625e8b 100644
--- a/lib/route-helper.js
+++ b/lib/route-helper.js
@@ -125,17 +125,9 @@ var routeHelper = module.exports = {
 
     var responseDoc = modelHelper.LDLPropToSwaggerDataType(returns);
 
-    // Note: Swagger Spec does not provide a way how to specify
-    // that the responseModel is "array of X". However,
-    // Swagger UI converts Arrays to the item types anyways,
-    // therefore it should be ok to do the same here.
-    var responseModel = responseDoc.type === 'array' ?
-      responseDoc.items.type : responseDoc.type;
-
     var responseMessages = [{
       code: route.returns && route.returns.length ? 200 : 204,
-      message: 'Request was successful',
-      responseModel: responseModel
+      message: 'Request was successful'
     }];
 
     if (route.errors) {
@@ -145,9 +137,10 @@ var routeHelper = module.exports = {
     var apiDoc = {
       path: routeHelper.convertPathFragments(route.path),
       // Create the operation doc.
-      // Note that we are not calling `extendWithType`, as the response type
-      // is specified in the first response message.
-      operations: [{
+      // We are using extendWithType to use `type` for the top-level (200)
+      // response type. We use responseModels for error responses.
+      // see https://github.com/strongloop/loopback-explorer/issues/75
+      operations: [routeHelper.extendWithType({
         method: routeHelper.convertVerb(route.verb),
         // [strml] remove leading model name from op, swagger uses leading 
         // path as class name so it remains unique between models.
@@ -158,7 +151,7 @@ var routeHelper = module.exports = {
         summary: typeConverter.convertText(route.description),
         notes: typeConverter.convertText(route.notes),
         deprecated: route.deprecated
-      }]
+      }, returns)]
     };
 
     return apiDoc;
diff --git a/lib/swagger.js b/lib/swagger.js
index f6ee454..3572c81 100644
--- a/lib/swagger.js
+++ b/lib/swagger.js
@@ -98,7 +98,11 @@ function Swagger(loopbackApplication, swaggerApp, opts) {
           addTypeToModels(type);
         });
 
-        addTypeToModels(routeDoc.type);
+        if (routeDoc.type === 'array') {
+          addTypeToModels(routeDoc.items.type);
+        } else {
+          addTypeToModels(routeDoc.type);
+        }
 
         routeDoc.responseMessages.forEach(function(msg) {
           addTypeToModels(msg.responseModel);
diff --git a/test/route-helper.test.js b/test/route-helper.test.js
index 6654f78..8e35f5c 100644
--- a/test/route-helper.test.js
+++ b/test/route-helper.test.js
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ describe('route-helper', function() {
         { arg: 'avg', type: 'number' }
       ]
     });
-    expect(doc.operations[0].type).to.equal(undefined);
-    expect(getResponseType(doc.operations[0])).to.equal('object');
+    expect(doc.operations[0].type).to.equal('object');
+    expect(getResponseType(doc.operations[0])).to.equal(undefined);
   });
 
   it('converts path params when they exist in the route name', function() {
@@ -61,12 +61,22 @@ describe('route-helper', function() {
       ]
     });
     var opDoc = doc.operations[0];
-    // Note: swagger-ui treat arrays of X the same way as object X
-    expect(getResponseType(opDoc)).to.equal('customType');
+    expect(getResponseType(opDoc)).to.equal(undefined);
 
     // NOTE(bajtos) this would be the case if there was a single response type
-    // expect(opDoc.type).to.equal('array');
-    // expect(opDoc.items).to.eql({type: 'customType'});
+    expect(opDoc.type).to.equal('array');
+    expect(opDoc.items).to.eql({type: 'customType'});
+  });
+
+  it('correctly converts return types (format)', function() {
+    var doc = createAPIDoc({
+      returns: [ 
+        {arg: 'data', type: 'buffer'}    
+      ]    
+    });    
+    var opDoc = doc.operations[0];   
+    expect(opDoc.type).to.equal('string');   
+    expect(opDoc.format).to.equal('byte');   
   });
 
   it('includes `notes` metadata', function() {
@@ -149,11 +159,11 @@ describe('route-helper', function() {
     var doc = createAPIDoc({
       returns: [{ name: 'result', type: 'object', root: true }]
     });
+    expect(doc.operations[0].type).to.eql('object');
     expect(doc.operations[0].responseMessages).to.eql([
       {
         code: 200,
-        message: 'Request was successful',
-        responseModel: 'object'
+        message: 'Request was successful'
       }
     ]);
   });
@@ -162,11 +172,11 @@ describe('route-helper', function() {
     var doc = createAPIDoc({
       returns: []
     });
+    expect(doc.operations[0].type).to.eql('void');
     expect(doc.operations[0].responseMessages).to.eql([
       {
         code: 204,
-        message: 'Request was successful',
-        responseModel: 'void'
+        message: 'Request was successful'
       }
     ]);
   });