diff --git a/examples/middleware.rs b/examples/middleware.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a2ae65bc6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/middleware.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+use std::future::Future;
+use std::pin::Pin;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicUsize, Ordering};
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use tide::{Middleware, Next, Request, Response, Result, StatusCode};
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct User {
+    name: String,
+}
+
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct UserDatabase;
+impl UserDatabase {
+    async fn find_user(&self) -> Option<User> {
+        Some(User {
+            name: "nori".into(),
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+// This is an example of a function middleware that uses the
+// application state. Because it depends on a specific request state,
+// it would likely be closely tied to a specific application
+fn user_loader<'a>(
+    mut request: Request<UserDatabase>,
+    next: Next<'a, UserDatabase>,
+) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result> + Send + 'a>> {
+    Box::pin(async {
+        if let Some(user) = request.state().find_user().await {
+            tide::log::trace!("user loaded", {user: user.name});
+            request.set_ext(user);
+            next.run(request).await
+        // this middleware only needs to run before the endpoint, so
+        // it just passes through the result of Next
+        } else {
+            // do not run endpoints, we could not find a user
+            Ok(Response::new(StatusCode::Unauthorized))
+        }
+    })
+}
+
+//
+//
+// this is an example of middleware that keeps its own state and could
+// be provided as a third party crate
+#[derive(Default)]
+struct RequestCounterMiddleware {
+    requests_counted: Arc<AtomicUsize>,
+}
+
+impl RequestCounterMiddleware {
+    fn new(start: usize) -> Self {
+        Self {
+            requests_counted: Arc::new(AtomicUsize::new(start)),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+struct RequestCount(usize);
+
+impl<State: Send + Sync + 'static> Middleware<State> for RequestCounterMiddleware {
+    fn handle<'a>(
+        &'a self,
+        mut req: Request<State>,
+        next: Next<'a, State>,
+    ) -> Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result> + Send + 'a>> {
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            let count = self.requests_counted.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed);
+            tide::log::trace!("request counter", { count: count });
+            req.set_ext(RequestCount(count));
+
+            let mut response = next.run(req).await?;
+
+            response = response.set_header("request-number", count.to_string());
+            Ok(response)
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+#[async_std::main]
+async fn main() -> Result<()> {
+    tide::log::start();
+    let mut app = tide::with_state(UserDatabase::default());
+
+    app.middleware(user_loader);
+    app.middleware(RequestCounterMiddleware::new(0));
+
+    app.at("/").get(|req: Request<_>| async move {
+        let count: &RequestCount = req.ext().unwrap();
+        let user: &User = req.ext().unwrap();
+
+        Ok(format!(
+            "Hello {}, this was request number {}!",
+            user.name, count.0
+        ))
+    });
+
+    app.listen("127.0.0.1:8080").await?;
+    Ok(())
+}
diff --git a/src/middleware.rs b/src/middleware.rs
index 19424f01f..573f005ea 100644
--- a/src/middleware.rs
+++ b/src/middleware.rs
@@ -17,9 +17,14 @@ pub trait Middleware<State>: 'static + Send + Sync {
     /// Asynchronously handle the request, and return a response.
     fn handle<'a>(
         &'a self,
-        cx: Request<State>,
+        request: Request<State>,
         next: Next<'a, State>,
     ) -> BoxFuture<'a, crate::Result>;
+
+    /// Set the middleware's name. By default it uses the type signature.
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        std::any::type_name::<Self>()
+    }
 }
 
 impl<State, F> Middleware<State> for F
diff --git a/src/server.rs b/src/server.rs
index 029aadab3..d0bff9d96 100644
--- a/src/server.rs
+++ b/src/server.rs
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ use async_std::prelude::*;
 use async_std::sync::Arc;
 use async_std::task;
 
-use std::fmt::Debug;
-
 use crate::cookies;
 use crate::log;
 use crate::middleware::{Middleware, Next};
@@ -268,9 +266,9 @@ impl<State: Send + Sync + 'static> Server<State> {
     /// order in which it is applied.
     pub fn middleware<M>(&mut self, middleware: M) -> &mut Self
     where
-        M: Middleware<State> + Debug,
+        M: Middleware<State>,
     {
-        log::trace!("Adding middleware {:?}", middleware);
+        log::trace!("Adding middleware {}", middleware.name());
         let m = Arc::get_mut(&mut self.middleware)
             .expect("Registering middleware is not possible after the Server has started");
         m.push(Arc::new(middleware));