diff --git a/apns2/client.py b/apns2/client.py
index e9a64f4..4191df0 100644
--- a/apns2/client.py
+++ b/apns2/client.py
@@ -96,7 +96,10 @@ class APNsClient(object):
         json_str = json.dumps(notification.dict(), cls=self.__json_encoder, ensure_ascii=False, separators=(',', ':'))
         json_payload = json_str.encode('utf-8')
 
-        headers = {}
+        headers = {
+            'apns-push-type': notification.push_type
+        }
+
         if topic is not None:
             headers['apns-topic'] = topic
 
diff --git a/apns2/payload.py b/apns2/payload.py
index 8dbe595..005a9f3 100644
--- a/apns2/payload.py
+++ b/apns2/payload.py
@@ -77,6 +77,10 @@ class Payload(object):
         self.mutable_content = mutable_content
         self.thread_id = thread_id
 
+        self.push_type = 'background'
+        if self.alert or self.badge is not None or self.sound is not None:
+            self.push_type = 'alert'
+
     def dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         result = {
             'aps': {}
diff --git a/test/test_payload.py b/test/test_payload.py
index d768c5b..fbc6e43 100644
--- a/test/test_payload.py
+++ b/test/test_payload.py
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ def test_payload():
         },
         'extra': 'something'
     }
+    assert payload.push_type == 'alert'
 
 
 def test_payload_with_payload_alert(payload_alert):
@@ -80,3 +81,21 @@ def test_payload_with_payload_alert(payload_alert):
         },
         'extra': 'something'
     }
+    assert payload.push_type == 'alert'
+
+
+def test_payload_with_background_push_type():
+    payload = Payload(
+        content_available=True, mutable_content=True,
+        category='my_category', url_args='args', custom={'extra': 'something'}, thread_id='42')
+    assert payload.dict() == {
+        'aps': {
+            'content-available': 1,
+            'mutable-content': 1,
+            'thread-id': '42',
+            'category': 'my_category',
+            'url-args': 'args',
+        },
+        'extra': 'something'
+    }
+    assert payload.push_type == 'background'