diff --git a/docs/sanic/exceptions.md b/docs/sanic/exceptions.md
index 6b68cd3e..4c0888f5 100644
--- a/docs/sanic/exceptions.md
+++ b/docs/sanic/exceptions.md
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ def i_am_ready_to_die(request):
 	raise ServerError("Something bad happened", status_code=500)
 ```
 
-You can also use the `abort` function with the correct status code:
+You can also use the `abort` function with the appropriate status code:
 
 ```python
 from sanic.exceptions import abort
diff --git a/sanic/exceptions.py b/sanic/exceptions.py
index ade2738d..e1136dd1 100644
--- a/sanic/exceptions.py
+++ b/sanic/exceptions.py
@@ -142,25 +142,25 @@ class SanicException(Exception):
 
 @add_status_code(404)
 class NotFound(SanicException):
-    status_code = 404
+    pass
 
 
 @add_status_code(400)
 class InvalidUsage(SanicException):
-    status_code = 400
+    pass
 
 
 @add_status_code(500)
 class ServerError(SanicException):
-    status_code = 500
+    pass
 
 
-class URLBuildError(SanicException):
-    status_code = 500
+class URLBuildError(ServerError):
+    pass
 
 
 class FileNotFound(NotFound):
-    status_code = 404
+    pass
 
     def __init__(self, message, path, relative_url):
         super().__init__(message)
@@ -170,21 +170,21 @@ class FileNotFound(NotFound):
 
 @add_status_code(408)
 class RequestTimeout(SanicException):
-    status_code = 408
+    pass
 
 
 @add_status_code(413)
 class PayloadTooLarge(SanicException):
-    status_code = 413
+    pass
 
 
-class HeaderNotFound(SanicException):
-    status_code = 400
+class HeaderNotFound(InvalidUsage):
+    pass
 
 
 @add_status_code(416)
 class ContentRangeError(SanicException):
-    status_code = 416
+    pass
 
     def __init__(self, message, content_range):
         super().__init__(message)
@@ -209,5 +209,7 @@ def abort(status_code, message=None):
     if message is None:
         message = COMMON_STATUS_CODES.get(status_code,
                                           ALL_STATUS_CODES.get(status_code))
+        # These are stored as bytes in the STATUS_CODES dict
+        message = message.decode('utf8')
     sanic_exception = _sanic_exceptions.get(status_code, SanicException)
     raise sanic_exception(message=message, status_code=status_code)
diff --git a/tests/test_exceptions.py b/tests/test_exceptions.py
index a81d3444..a2b8dc71 100644
--- a/tests/test_exceptions.py
+++ b/tests/test_exceptions.py
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
 
 from sanic import Sanic
 from sanic.response import text
-from sanic.exceptions import InvalidUsage, ServerError, NotFound
+from sanic.exceptions import InvalidUsage, ServerError, NotFound, abort
 
 
 class SanicExceptionTestException(Exception):
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ def exception_app():
     @app.route('/abort')
     def handler_invalid(request):
         abort(500)
-        raise InvalidUsage("OK")
+        return text("OK")
 
     @app.route('/divide_by_zero')
     def handle_unhandled_exception(request):
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ def test_catch_exception_list():
     request, response = app.test_client.get('/')
     assert response.text == 'ok'
 
+
 def test_no_exception(exception_app):
     """Test that a route works without an exception"""
     request, response = exception_app.test_client.get('/')
@@ -78,10 +79,10 @@ def test_server_error_exception(exception_app):
     assert response.status == 500
 
 
-def test_abort(exception_app):
+def test_invalid_usage_exception(exception_app):
     """Test the built-in InvalidUsage exception works"""
-    request, response = exception_app.test_client.get('/abort')
-    assert response.status == 500
+    request, response = exception_app.test_client.get('/invalid')
+    assert response.status == 400
 
 
 def test_not_found_exception(exception_app):
@@ -102,6 +103,7 @@ def test_handled_unhandled_exception(exception_app):
         "The server encountered an internal error and "
         "cannot complete your request.")
 
+
 def test_exception_in_exception_handler(exception_app):
     """Test that an exception thrown in an error handler is handled"""
     request, response = exception_app.test_client.get(
@@ -126,3 +128,9 @@ def test_exception_in_exception_handler_debug_off(exception_app):
         debug=True)
     assert response.status == 500
     assert response.body.startswith(b'Exception raised in exception ')
+
+
+def test_abort(exception_app):
+    """Test the abort function"""
+    request, response = exception_app.test_client.get('/abort')
+    assert response.status == 500