diff --git a/examples/petstore-expanded/gorilla/api/petstore.gen.go b/examples/petstore-expanded/gorilla/api/petstore.gen.go
index 2d3f21d35..f5b07ba15 100644
--- a/examples/petstore-expanded/gorilla/api/petstore.gen.go
+++ b/examples/petstore-expanded/gorilla/api/petstore.gen.go
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ type ServerInterfaceWrapper struct {
 	ErrorHandlerFunc   func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, err error)
 }
 
-type MiddlewareFunc func(http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc
+type MiddlewareFunc func(http.Handler) http.Handler
 
 // FindPets operation middleware
 func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) FindPets(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -110,30 +110,30 @@ func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) FindPets(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Reque
 		return
 	}
 
-	handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	handler := http.Handler(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		siw.Handler.FindPets(w, r, params)
-	}
+	}))
 
 	for i := len(siw.HandlerMiddlewares) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		handler = siw.HandlerMiddlewares[i](handler)
 	}
 
-	handler(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
+	handler.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 }
 
 // AddPet operation middleware
 func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) AddPet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	ctx := r.Context()
 
-	handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	handler := http.Handler(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		siw.Handler.AddPet(w, r)
-	}
+	}))
 
 	for i := len(siw.HandlerMiddlewares) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		handler = siw.HandlerMiddlewares[i](handler)
 	}
 
-	handler(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
+	handler.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 }
 
 // DeletePet operation middleware
@@ -151,15 +151,15 @@ func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) DeletePet(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Requ
 		return
 	}
 
-	handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	handler := http.Handler(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		siw.Handler.DeletePet(w, r, id)
-	}
+	}))
 
 	for i := len(siw.HandlerMiddlewares) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		handler = siw.HandlerMiddlewares[i](handler)
 	}
 
-	handler(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
+	handler.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 }
 
 // FindPetByID operation middleware
@@ -177,15 +177,15 @@ func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) FindPetByID(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Re
 		return
 	}
 
-	handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	handler := http.Handler(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 		siw.Handler.FindPetByID(w, r, id)
-	}
+	}))
 
 	for i := len(siw.HandlerMiddlewares) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		handler = siw.HandlerMiddlewares[i](handler)
 	}
 
-	handler(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
+	handler.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 }
 
 type UnescapedCookieParamError struct {
diff --git a/pkg/codegen/templates/gorilla/gorilla-middleware.tmpl b/pkg/codegen/templates/gorilla/gorilla-middleware.tmpl
index 468ed5dd2..0e0a5e17c 100644
--- a/pkg/codegen/templates/gorilla/gorilla-middleware.tmpl
+++ b/pkg/codegen/templates/gorilla/gorilla-middleware.tmpl
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ type ServerInterfaceWrapper struct {
     ErrorHandlerFunc func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, err error)
 }
 
-type MiddlewareFunc func(http.HandlerFunc) http.HandlerFunc
+type MiddlewareFunc func(http.Handler) http.Handler
 
 {{range .}}{{$opid := .OperationId}}
 
@@ -173,9 +173,9 @@ func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) {{$opid}}(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Requ
     {{end}}
   {{end}}
 
-  handler := func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+  handler := http.Handler(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
     siw.Handler.{{.OperationId}}(w, r{{genParamNames .PathParams}}{{if .RequiresParamObject}}, params{{end}})
-}
+  }))
 
   {{if opts.Compatibility.ApplyGorillaMiddlewareFirstToLast}}
   for i := len(siw.HandlerMiddlewares) -1; i >= 0; i-- {
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ func (siw *ServerInterfaceWrapper) {{$opid}}(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Requ
   }
   {{end}}
 
-  handler(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
+  handler.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 }
 {{end}}