diff --git a/runtime/src/server/constants.js b/runtime/src/server/constants.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 468742b..0000000
--- a/runtime/src/server/constants.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-export const IGNORE = '__SAPPER__IGNORE__';
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts b/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts
index fd22207..2d73330 100644
--- a/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts
+++ b/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_page_handler.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import cookie from 'cookie';
 import devalue from 'devalue';
 import fetch from 'node-fetch';
 import URL from 'url';
-import { IGNORE } from '../constants';
 import { Manifest, Page, Props, Req, Res } from './types';
 import { build_dir, dev, src_dir } from '@sapper/internal/manifest-server';
 import { stores } from '@sapper/internal/shared';
@@ -328,8 +327,6 @@ export function get_page_handler(
 	}
 
 	return function find_route(req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) {
-		if (req[IGNORE]) return next();
-
 		if (req.path === '/service-worker-index.html') {
 			const homePage = pages.find(page => page.pattern.test('/'));
 			handle_page(homePage, req, res);
diff --git a/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_server_route_handler.ts b/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_server_route_handler.ts
index 80bf943..ce1b7a4 100644
--- a/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_server_route_handler.ts
+++ b/runtime/src/server/middleware/get_server_route_handler.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { IGNORE } from '../constants';
 import { Req, Res, ServerRoute } from './types';
 
 export function get_server_route_handler(routes: ServerRoute[]) {
@@ -64,8 +63,6 @@ export function get_server_route_handler(routes: ServerRoute[]) {
 	}
 
 	return function find_route(req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) {
-		if (req[IGNORE]) return next();
-
 		for (const route of routes) {
 			if (route.pattern.test(req.path)) {
 				handle_route(route, req, res, next);
@@ -75,4 +72,4 @@ export function get_server_route_handler(routes: ServerRoute[]) {
 
 		next();
 	};
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/runtime/src/server/middleware/index.ts b/runtime/src/server/middleware/index.ts
index 8a09803..f7bbea4 100644
--- a/runtime/src/server/middleware/index.ts
+++ b/runtime/src/server/middleware/index.ts
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import { Handler, Req, Res } from './types';
 import { get_server_route_handler } from './get_server_route_handler';
 import { get_page_handler } from './get_page_handler';
 import { lookup } from './mime';
-import { IGNORE } from '../constants';
 
 export default function middleware(opts: {
 	session?: (req: Req, res: Res) => any,
@@ -15,15 +14,8 @@ export default function middleware(opts: {
 
 	let emitted_basepath = false;
 
-	return compose_handlers([
-		ignore && ((req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) => {
-			req[IGNORE] = should_ignore(req.path, ignore);
-			next();
-		}),
-
+	return compose_handlers(ignore, [
 		(req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) => {
-			if (req[IGNORE]) return next();
-
 			if (req.baseUrl === undefined) {
 				let { originalUrl } = req;
 				if (req.url === '/' && originalUrl[originalUrl.length - 1] !== '/') {
@@ -73,24 +65,26 @@ export default function middleware(opts: {
 	].filter(Boolean));
 }
 
-export function compose_handlers(handlers: Handler[]) {
-	return (req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) => {
-		let i = 0;
-		function go() {
-			const handler = handlers[i];
+export function compose_handlers(ignore: any, handlers: Handler[]): Handler {
+	const total = handlers.length;
 
-			if (handler) {
-				handler(req, res, () => {
-					i += 1;
-					go();
-				});
-			} else {
-				next();
-			}
+	function nth_handler(n: number, req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) {
+		if (n >= total) {
+			return next();
 		}
 
-		go();
-	};
+		handlers[n](req, res, () => nth_handler(n+1, req, res, next));
+	}
+
+	return !ignore
+		? (req, res, next) => nth_handler(0, req, res, next)
+		: (req, res, next) => {
+			if (should_ignore(req.path, ignore)) {
+				next();
+			} else {
+				nth_handler(0, req, res, next);
+			}
+		};
 }
 
 export function should_ignore(uri: string, val: any) {
@@ -116,8 +110,6 @@ export function serve({ prefix, pathname, cache_control }: {
 		: (file: string) => (cache.has(file) ? cache : cache.set(file, fs.readFileSync(path.resolve(build_dir, file)))).get(file)
 
 	return (req: Req, res: Res, next: () => void) => {
-		if (req[IGNORE]) return next();
-
 		if (filter(req)) {
 			const type = lookup(req.path);