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);
 
diff --git a/src/core/create_manifest_data.ts b/src/core/create_manifest_data.ts
index 5758d78..12cabe2 100644
--- a/src/core/create_manifest_data.ts
+++ b/src/core/create_manifest_data.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,19 @@ export default function create_manifest_data(cwd: string): ManifestData {
 		return false;
 	}
 
+	function find_layout(file_name: string, component_name: string, dir: string = '') {
+		const ext = component_extensions.find((ext) => fs.existsSync(path.join(cwd, dir, `${file_name}${ext}`)));
+		const file = posixify(path.join(dir, `${file_name}${ext}`))
+
+		return ext
+			? {
+				name: component_name,
+				file: file,
+				has_preload: has_preload(file)
+			}
+			: null;
+	}
+
 	const components: PageComponent[] = [];
 	const pages: Page[] = [];
 	const server_routes: ServerRoute[] = [];
@@ -61,11 +74,14 @@ export default function create_manifest_data(cwd: string): ManifestData {
 				const is_dir = fs.statSync(resolved).isDirectory();
 
 				const ext = path.extname(basename);
+
+				if (basename[0] === '_') return null;
+				if (basename[0] === '.' && basename !== '.well-known') return null;
 				if (!is_dir && !/^\.[a-z]+$/i.test(ext)) return null; // filter out tmp files etc
 
 				const segment = is_dir
 					? basename
-					: basename.slice(0, -path.extname(basename).length);
+					: basename.slice(0, -ext.length);
 
 				const parts = get_parts(segment);
 				const is_index = is_dir ? false : basename.startsWith('index.');
@@ -95,22 +111,17 @@ export default function create_manifest_data(cwd: string): ManifestData {
 			.sort(comparator);
 
 		items.forEach(item => {
-			if (item.basename[0] === '_') return;
-
-			if (item.basename[0] === '.') {
-				if (item.file !== '.well-known') return;
-			}
-
 			const segments = parent_segments.slice();
 
 			if (item.is_index && segments.length > 0) {
-				const last_segment = segments[segments.length - 1].slice();
 				const suffix = item.basename
-					.slice(0, -path.extname(item.basename).length).
-					replace('index', '');
+					.slice(0, -item.ext.length)
+					.replace('index', '');
 
 				if (suffix) {
+					const last_segment = segments[segments.length - 1].slice();
 					const last_part = last_segment[last_segment.length - 1];
+
 					if (last_part.dynamic) {
 						last_segment.push({ dynamic: false, content: suffix });
 					} else {
@@ -130,16 +141,7 @@ export default function create_manifest_data(cwd: string): ManifestData {
 			params.push(...item.parts.filter(p => p.dynamic).map(p => p.content));
 
 			if (item.is_dir) {
-				const ext = component_extensions.find((ext: string) => {
-					const index = path.join(dir, item.basename, `_layout${ext}`);
-					return fs.existsSync(index);
-				});
-
-				const component = ext && {
-					name: `${get_slug(item.file)}__layout`,
-					file: `${item.file}/_layout${ext}`,
-					has_preload: has_preload(`${item.file}/_layout${ext}`)
-				};
+				const component = find_layout('_layout', `${get_slug(item.file)}__layout`, item.file);
 
 				if (component) components.push(component);
 
@@ -187,23 +189,8 @@ export default function create_manifest_data(cwd: string): ManifestData {
 		});
 	}
 
-	const root_ext = component_extensions.find(ext => fs.existsSync(path.join(cwd, `_layout${ext}`)));
-	const root = root_ext
-		? {
-			name: 'main',
-			file: `_layout${root_ext}`,
-			has_preload: has_preload(`_layout${root_ext}`)
-		}
-		: default_layout;
-
-	const error_ext = component_extensions.find(ext => fs.existsSync(path.join(cwd, `_error${ext}`)));
-	const error = error_ext
-		? {
-			name: 'error',
-			file: `_error${error_ext}`,
-			has_preload: has_preload(`_error${error_ext}`)
-		}
-		: default_error;
+	const root = find_layout('_layout', 'main') || default_layout;
+	const error = find_layout('_error', 'error') || default_error;
 
 	walk(cwd, [], [], []);
 
@@ -249,7 +236,7 @@ type Part = {
 	spread?: boolean;
 };
 
-function is_spead(path: string) {
+function is_spread(path: string) {
 	const spread_pattern = /\[\.{3}/g;
 	return spread_pattern.test(path)
 }
@@ -259,9 +246,9 @@ function comparator(
 	b: { basename: string, parts: Part[], file: string, is_index: boolean }
 ) {
 	if (a.is_index !== b.is_index) {
-		if (a.is_index) return is_spead(a.file) ? 1 : -1;
+		if (a.is_index) return is_spread(a.file) ? 1 : -1;
 
-		return is_spead(b.file) ? -1 : 1;
+		return is_spread(b.file) ? -1 : 1;
 	}
 
 	const max = Math.max(a.parts.length, b.parts.length);