diff --git a/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/expand/mod.rs b/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/expand/mod.rs
index 22e7d4aa36..95b5327059 100644
--- a/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/expand/mod.rs
+++ b/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/expand/mod.rs
@@ -771,7 +771,7 @@ mod helpers {
                     // (externally-provided) variables like $this, $args, and
                     // $config. The $ and @ variables, by contrast, are always bound
                     // to something within the input data.
-                    KnownVariable::Dollar | KnownVariable::AtSign => {
+                    KnownVariable::Dollar | KnownVariable::AtSign | KnownVariable::Status => {
                         return None;
                     }
                 };
diff --git a/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/json_selection/known_var.rs b/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/json_selection/known_var.rs
index 441a13cae1..84b0194a55 100644
--- a/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/json_selection/known_var.rs
+++ b/apollo-federation/src/sources/connect/json_selection/known_var.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ pub(crate) enum KnownVariable {
     This,
     Args,
     Config,
+    Status,
     Dollar,
     AtSign,
 }
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ impl KnownVariable {
             "$this" => Some(Self::This),
             "$args" => Some(Self::Args),
             "$config" => Some(Self::Config),
+            "$status" => Some(Self::Status),
             "$" => Some(Self::Dollar),
             "@" => Some(Self::AtSign),
             _ => None,
@@ -27,6 +29,7 @@ impl KnownVariable {
             Self::This => "$this",
             Self::Args => "$args",
             Self::Config => "$config",
+            Self::Status => "$status",
             Self::Dollar => "$",
             Self::AtSign => "@",
         }
diff --git a/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/handle_responses.rs b/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/handle_responses.rs
index 8a12a66ca5..4810b17f34 100644
--- a/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/handle_responses.rs
+++ b/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/handle_responses.rs
@@ -82,7 +82,11 @@ pub(crate) async fn handle_responses<T: HttpBody>(
                     let mut res_data = {
                         let (res, apply_to_errors) = response_key.selection().apply_with_vars(
                             &json_data,
-                            &response_key.inputs().merge(connector.config.as_ref(), None),
+                            &response_key.inputs().merge(
+                                connector.config.as_ref(),
+                                None,
+                                Some(parts.status.as_u16()),
+                            ),
                         );
 
                         if let Some(ref debug) = debug {
@@ -748,4 +752,77 @@ mod tests {
         }
         "###);
     }
+
+    #[tokio::test]
+    async fn test_handle_responses_status() {
+        let connector = Connector {
+            id: ConnectId::new(
+                "subgraph_name".into(),
+                None,
+                name!(Query),
+                name!(hello),
+                0,
+                "test label",
+            ),
+            transport: HttpJsonTransport {
+                source_url: Some(Url::parse("http://localhost/api").unwrap()),
+                connect_template: "/path".parse().unwrap(),
+                method: HTTPMethod::Get,
+                headers: Default::default(),
+                body: Default::default(),
+            },
+            selection: JSONSelection::parse("$status").unwrap(),
+            entity_resolver: None,
+            config: Default::default(),
+            max_requests: None,
+        };
+
+        let response1: http::Response<RouterBody> = http::Response::builder()
+            .status(201)
+            .body(hyper::Body::from(r#"{}"#).into())
+            .expect("response builder");
+        let response_key1 = ResponseKey::RootField {
+            name: "hello".to_string(),
+            inputs: Default::default(),
+            typename: ResponseTypeName::Concrete("Int".to_string()),
+            selection: Arc::new(JSONSelection::parse("$status").unwrap()),
+        };
+
+        let res = super::handle_responses(
+            vec![ConnectorResponse {
+                result: response1.into(),
+                key: response_key1,
+                debug_request: None,
+            }],
+            &connector,
+            &None,
+        )
+        .await
+        .unwrap();
+
+        assert_debug_snapshot!(res, @r###"
+        Response {
+            response: Response {
+                status: 200,
+                version: HTTP/1.1,
+                headers: {},
+                body: Response {
+                    label: None,
+                    data: Some(
+                        Object({
+                            "hello": Number(201),
+                        }),
+                    ),
+                    path: None,
+                    errors: [],
+                    extensions: {},
+                    has_next: None,
+                    subscribed: None,
+                    created_at: None,
+                    incremental: [],
+                },
+            },
+        }
+        "###);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/make_requests.rs b/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/make_requests.rs
index 9ff545cd1e..4f8fa8f443 100644
--- a/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/make_requests.rs
+++ b/apollo-router/src/plugins/connectors/make_requests.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ impl RequestInputs {
         &self,
         config: Option<&CustomConfiguration>,
         context: Option<Map<ByteString, Value>>,
+        status: Option<u16>,
     ) -> IndexMap<String, Value> {
         let mut map = IndexMap::with_capacity_and_hasher(3, Default::default());
         map.insert("$args".to_string(), Value::Object(self.args.clone()));
@@ -43,6 +44,9 @@ impl RequestInputs {
         if let Some(config) = config {
             map.insert("$config".to_string(), json!(config));
         }
+        if let Some(status) = status {
+            map.insert("$status".to_string(), Value::Number(status.into()));
+        }
         map
     }
 }
@@ -127,7 +131,7 @@ fn request_params_to_requests(
             &connector.transport,
             response_key
                 .inputs()
-                .merge(connector.config.as_ref(), Some(context.clone())),
+                .merge(connector.config.as_ref(), Some(context.clone()), None),
             original_request,
             debug,
         )?;