diff --git a/build.rs b/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b43a9787
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+use std::env;
+use std::fs;
+use std::path::Path;
+use std::process::{Command, ExitStatus, Stdio};
+
+// This build script is copied from
+// [anyhow](https://github.com/dtolnay/anyhow/blob/master/build.rs),
+// and is a type of feature detection to determine if the current rust
+// toolchain has backtraces available.
+//
+// It exercises the surface area that we expect of the std Backtrace
+// type. If the current toolchain is able to compile it, we enable a
+// backtrace compiler configuration flag in http-types. We then
+// conditionally require the compiler feature in src/lib.rs with
+// `#![cfg_attr(backtrace, feature(backtrace))]`
+// and gate our backtrace code behind `#[cfg(backtrace)]`
+
+const PROBE: &str = r#"
+    #![feature(backtrace)]
+    #![allow(dead_code)]
+
+    use std::backtrace::{Backtrace, BacktraceStatus};
+    use std::error::Error;
+    use std::fmt::{self, Display};
+
+    #[derive(Debug)]
+    struct E;
+
+    impl Display for E {
+        fn fmt(&self, _formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter) -> fmt::Result {
+            unimplemented!()
+        }
+    }
+
+    impl Error for E {
+        fn backtrace(&self) -> Option<&Backtrace> {
+            let backtrace = Backtrace::capture();
+            match backtrace.status() {
+                BacktraceStatus::Captured | BacktraceStatus::Disabled | _ => {}
+            }
+            unimplemented!()
+        }
+    }
+"#;
+
+fn main() {
+    match compile_probe() {
+        Some(status) if status.success() => println!("cargo:rustc-cfg=backtrace"),
+        _ => {}
+    }
+}
+
+fn compile_probe() -> Option<ExitStatus> {
+    let rustc = env::var_os("RUSTC")?;
+    let out_dir = env::var_os("OUT_DIR")?;
+    let probefile = Path::new(&out_dir).join("probe.rs");
+    fs::write(&probefile, PROBE).ok()?;
+    Command::new(rustc)
+        .stderr(Stdio::null())
+        .arg("--edition=2018")
+        .arg("--crate-name=http_types_build")
+        .arg("--crate-type=lib")
+        .arg("--emit=metadata")
+        .arg("--out-dir")
+        .arg(out_dir)
+        .arg(probefile)
+        .status()
+        .ok()
+}
diff --git a/src/error.rs b/src/error.rs
index 8b887dce..edbb8a8f 100644
--- a/src/error.rs
+++ b/src/error.rs
@@ -70,9 +70,26 @@ impl Error {
     /// capturing them all over the place all the time.
     ///
     /// [tracking]: https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/issues/53487
+    ///
+    /// Note: This function can be called whether or not backtraces
+    /// are enabled and available. It will return a `None` variant if
+    /// compiled on a toolchain that does not support backtraces, or
+    /// if executed without backtraces enabled with
+    /// `RUST_LIB_BACKTRACE=1`.
     #[cfg(backtrace)]
-    pub fn backtrace(&self) -> &std::backtrace::Backtrace {
-        self.error.downcast_ref::<E>()
+    pub fn backtrace(&self) -> Option<&std::backtrace::Backtrace> {
+        let backtrace = self.error.backtrace();
+        if let std::backtrace::BacktraceStatus::Captured = backtrace.status() {
+            Some(backtrace)
+        } else {
+            None
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[cfg(not(backtrace))]
+    #[allow(missing_docs)]
+    pub fn backtrace(&self) -> Option<()> {
+        None
     }
 
     /// Attempt to downcast the error object to a concrete type.
@@ -106,13 +123,13 @@ impl Error {
 
 impl Display for Error {
     fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
-        write!(formatter, "{}", self.error)
+        Display::fmt(&self.error, formatter)
     }
 }
 
 impl Debug for Error {
     fn fmt(&self, formatter: &mut fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> fmt::Result {
-        write!(formatter, "{}", self.error)
+        Debug::fmt(&self.error, formatter)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 213cf885..1e482127 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@
 #![deny(missing_debug_implementations, nonstandard_style)]
 #![warn(missing_docs, unreachable_pub)]
 #![allow(clippy::new_without_default)]
+#![cfg_attr(backtrace, feature(backtrace))]
 #![cfg_attr(test, deny(warnings))]
 #![cfg_attr(feature = "docs", feature(doc_cfg))]
 #![doc(html_favicon_url = "https://yoshuawuyts.com/assets/http-rs/favicon.ico")]