diff --git a/core/model/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategory.kt b/core/model/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategory.kt
index 478bc3ec4..7eee5705e 100644
--- a/core/model/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategory.kt
+++ b/core/model/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategory.kt
@@ -238,4 +238,9 @@ data class MatchingRuleCategory @JvmOverloads constructor(
       it.key.replace(prefix, newRoot)
     }.toMutableMap())
   }
+
+  /**
+   * If this MatchingRuleCategory is not empty, return it, otherwise, return the other set of rules
+   */
+  fun orElse(otherRules: MatchingRuleCategory): MatchingRuleCategory = if (isEmpty()) otherRules else this
 }
diff --git a/core/model/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategorySpec.groovy b/core/model/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategorySpec.groovy
index c1fd05152..59593861a 100644
--- a/core/model/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategorySpec.groovy
+++ b/core/model/src/test/groovy/au/com/dius/pact/core/model/matchingrules/MatchingRuleCategorySpec.groovy
@@ -113,4 +113,29 @@ class MatchingRuleCategorySpec extends Specification {
     category.matchingRules[''].rules == [ new RegexMatcher('/api/test/\\d{1,8}', null) ]
     category.matchingRules[''].ruleLogic == RuleLogic.OR
   }
+
+  @Issue('#1509')
+  def 'orElse can default to another rule set if empty'() {
+    given:
+    def categoryA = new MatchingRuleCategory('A')
+    def categoryB = new MatchingRuleCategory('B', [
+      a: new MatchingRuleGroup(),
+      b: new MatchingRuleGroup()
+    ])
+    def categoryC = new MatchingRuleCategory('C', [
+      a: new MatchingRuleGroup([ TypeMatcher.INSTANCE ]),
+      b: new MatchingRuleGroup()
+    ])
+    def categoryD = new MatchingRuleCategory('D', [
+      a: new MatchingRuleGroup([ TypeMatcher.INSTANCE ]),
+      b: new MatchingRuleGroup([ TypeMatcher.INSTANCE ])
+    ])
+
+    expect:
+    categoryA.orElse(categoryA) == categoryA
+    categoryA.orElse(categoryB) == categoryB
+    categoryA.orElse(categoryC) == categoryC
+    categoryC.orElse(categoryA) == categoryC
+    categoryC.orElse(categoryD) == categoryC
+  }
 }
diff --git a/provider/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/provider/ResponseComparison.kt b/provider/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/provider/ResponseComparison.kt
index caf21e016..a049d4233 100755
--- a/provider/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/provider/ResponseComparison.kt
+++ b/provider/src/main/kotlin/au/com/dius/pact/provider/ResponseComparison.kt
@@ -241,7 +241,9 @@ class ResponseComparison(
     ): ComparisonResult {
       val (bodyMismatches, metadataMismatches) = when (message) {
         is V4Interaction.AsynchronousMessage -> {
-          val bodyContext = MatchingContext(message.contents.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("body"),
+          val bodyContext = MatchingContext(
+            message.contents.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("content")
+              .orElse(message.contents.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("body")),
             true, pluginConfiguration)
           val metadataContext = MatchingContext(message.contents.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("metadata"),
             true, pluginConfiguration)
@@ -258,7 +260,8 @@ class ResponseComparison(
         }
 
         is Message -> {
-          val bodyContext = MatchingContext(message.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("body"),
+          val bodyContext = MatchingContext(message.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("content")
+            .orElse(message.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("body")),
             true, pluginConfiguration)
           val metadataContext = MatchingContext(message.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("metadata"),
             true, pluginConfiguration)
@@ -282,7 +285,7 @@ class ResponseComparison(
 
     override fun compareSynchronousMessage(
       interaction: V4Interaction.SynchronousMessages,
-      actual: OptionalBody,
+      body: OptionalBody,
       messageMetadata: Map<String, Any>?,
       pluginConfiguration: Map<String, PluginConfiguration>
     ): ComparisonResult {
@@ -296,7 +299,7 @@ class ResponseComparison(
         true, pluginConfiguration)
       val metadataContext = MatchingContext(messageContents.matchingRules.rulesForCategory("metadata"),
         true, pluginConfiguration)
-      val bodyMismatches = compareMessageBody(interaction, actual, bodyContext)
+      val bodyMismatches = compareMessageBody(interaction, body, bodyContext)
       val metadataMismatches = when (messageMetadata) {
         null -> emptyList()
         else -> Matching.compareMessageMetadata(messageContents.metadata, messageMetadata, metadataContext)
@@ -304,7 +307,7 @@ class ResponseComparison(
       val messageContentType = messageContents.getContentType().or(ContentType.TEXT_PLAIN)
       val responseComparison = ResponseComparison(
         mapOf("Content-Type" to listOf(messageContentType.toString())), messageContents.contents,
-        messageContentType.isJson(), messageContentType, actual)
+        messageContentType.isJson(), messageContentType, body)
       val bodyResult = responseComparison.bodyResult(bodyMismatches, SystemPropertyResolver)
       return ComparisonResult(bodyMismatches = bodyResult,
         metadataMismatches = metadataMismatches.groupBy { it.key })