diff --git a/python/server/qgsserver.sip b/python/server/qgsserver.sip
index 74de604b40c..a37ec51a94c 100644
--- a/python/server/qgsserver.sip
+++ b/python/server/qgsserver.sip
@@ -185,16 +185,17 @@ class QgsServer
      */
     void handleRequest( QgsServerRequest& request, QgsServerResponse& response );
 
-    /** Handles the request from query strinf
+    /** Handles the request from query string
      * The query string is normally read from environment
      * but can be also passed in args and in this case overrides the environment
      * variable.
      *
-     * @param requestMethod QString that indicates the method. Only "GET" or "POST" are supported.
-     * @param data array of bytes containing post data
-     * @return the response headers and body QPair of QByteArray
+     * \param urlstr QString containing the request url (simple quely string must be preceded by '?')
+     * \param requestMethod QgsServerRequest::Method that indicates the method. Only "GET" or "POST" are supported.
+     * \param data array of bytes containing post data
+     * \returns the response headers and body QPair of QByteArray
      */
-    QPair<QByteArray, QByteArray> handleRequest( const QString &urlstr, const QString &requestMethod = QString(), const char *data = nullptr );
+    QPair<QByteArray, QByteArray> handleRequest( const QString &urlstr, const QgsServerRequest::Method &requestMethod = QgsServerRequest::GetMethod, const char *data = nullptr );
 
     /** Returns a pointer to the server interface */
     QgsServerInterface* serverInterface();
diff --git a/src/server/qgsserver.cpp b/src/server/qgsserver.cpp
index c6c77a92922..04b5c1d34ac 100644
--- a/src/server/qgsserver.cpp
+++ b/src/server/qgsserver.cpp
@@ -426,35 +426,26 @@ void QgsServer::handleRequest( QgsServerRequest &request, QgsServerResponse &res
   }
 }
 
-QPair<QByteArray, QByteArray> QgsServer::handleRequest( const QString &urlstr, const QString &requestMethod, const char *data )
+QPair<QByteArray, QByteArray> QgsServer::handleRequest( const QString &urlstr, const QgsServerRequest::Method &requestMethod, const char *data )
 {
-  /*
-   * This is mainly for python bindings, passing QUERY_STRING
-   * to handleRequest without using os.environment
-   *
-   * XXX To be removed because query string is now handled in QgsServerRequest
-   *
-   */
+
   QUrl url( urlstr );
 
-  QgsServerRequest::Method method = QgsServerRequest::GetMethod;
   QByteArray ba;
 
-  // XXX This is mainly used in tests
-  if ( !requestMethod.isEmpty() && requestMethod.compare( QStringLiteral( "POST" ), Qt::CaseInsensitive ) == 0 )
+  if ( requestMethod == QgsServerRequest::PostMethod )
   {
-    method = QgsServerRequest::PostMethod;
     if ( data )
     {
       ba.append( data );
     }
   }
-  else if ( !requestMethod.isEmpty() && requestMethod.compare( QStringLiteral( "GET" ), Qt::CaseInsensitive ) != 0 )
+  else if ( requestMethod !=  QgsServerRequest::GetMethod )
   {
     throw QgsServerException( QStringLiteral( "Invalid method in handleRequest(): only GET or POST is supported" ) );
   }
 
-  QgsBufferServerRequest request( url, method, &ba );
+  QgsBufferServerRequest request( url, requestMethod, &ba );
   QgsBufferServerResponse response;
 
   handleRequest( request, response );
diff --git a/src/server/qgsserver.h b/src/server/qgsserver.h
index b032c81c53a..e99450ee506 100644
--- a/src/server/qgsserver.h
+++ b/src/server/qgsserver.h
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@
 #include "qgsserverfilter.h"
 #include "qgsserverinterfaceimpl.h"
 #include "qgis_server.h"
+#include "qgsserverrequest.h"
 
-class QgsServerRequest;
 class QgsServerResponse;
 class QgsProject;
 
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ class SERVER_EXPORT QgsServer
      * variable.
      *
      * \param urlstr QString containing the request url (simple quely string must be preceded by '?')
-     * \param requestMethod QString that indicates the method. Only "GET" or "POST" are supported.
+     * \param requestMethod QgsServerRequest::Method that indicates the method. Only "GET" or "POST" are supported.
      * \param data array of bytes containing post data
      * \returns the response headers and body QPair of QByteArray
      */
-    QPair<QByteArray, QByteArray> handleRequest( const QString &urlstr, const QString &requestMethod = QString(), const char *data = nullptr );
+    QPair<QByteArray, QByteArray> handleRequest( const QString &urlstr, const QgsServerRequest::Method &requestMethod = QgsServerRequest::GetMethod, const char *data = nullptr );
 
     //! Returns a pointer to the server interface
     QgsServerInterfaceImpl *serverInterface() { return sServerInterface; }
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver.py
index 0cd926898ba..50a4f200a6f 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver.py
@@ -21,8 +21,8 @@ import urllib.error
 import email
 
 from io import StringIO
-from qgis.server import QgsServer
-from qgis.core import QgsMessageLog, QgsRenderChecker, QgsApplication
+from qgis.server import QgsServer, QgsServerRequest
+from qgis.core import QgsRenderChecker, QgsApplication
 from qgis.testing import unittest
 from qgis.PyQt.QtCore import QSize
 from utilities import unitTestDataPath
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ class TestQgsServer(unittest.TestCase):
         assert os.path.exists(project), "Project file not found: " + project
 
         query_string = '?MAP={}'.format(urllib.parse.quote(project))
-        header, body = self.server.handleRequest(query_string, requestMethod="POST", data=request)
+        header, body = self.server.handleRequest(query_string, requestMethod=QgsServerRequest.PostMethod, data=request)
 
         self.result_compare(
             'wfs_getfeature_{}.txt'.format(requestid),
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_modules.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_modules.py
index d7eb6fafd7a..ac92a23844b 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_modules.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_modules.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Response(QgsServerResponse):
         self._buffer = QBuffer()
         self._buffer.open(QIODevice.ReadWrite)
 
-    def setReturnCode(self, code):
+    def setStatusCode(self, code):
         pass
 
     def setHeader(self, key, val):
diff --git a/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_services.py b/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_services.py
index 25465554888..8f685eaf3c9 100644
--- a/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_services.py
+++ b/tests/src/python/test_qgsserver_services.py
@@ -17,10 +17,10 @@ class Response(QgsServerResponse):
         self._buffer = QBuffer()
         self._buffer.open(QIODevice.ReadWrite)
 
-    def setReturnCode(self, code):
+    def setStatusCode(self, code):
         self.code = code
 
-    def returnCode(self):
+    def statusCode(self):
         return self.code
 
     def setHeader(self, key, val):
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ class MyService(QgsService):
         return self._version
 
     def executeRequest(self, request, response):
-        response.setReturnCode(201)
+        response.setStatusCode(201)
         response.write(self._response)
 
 
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ class TestServices(unittest.TestCase):
         io.seek(0)
 
         self.assertEqual(QTextStream(io).readLine(), "Hello world")
-        self.assertEqual(response.returnCode(), 201)
+        self.assertEqual(response.statusCode(), 201)
 
     def test_0_version_registration(self):