diff --git a/lib/middleware/karma.js b/lib/middleware/karma.js
index 6ef06ef63..d47e898a0 100644
--- a/lib/middleware/karma.js
+++ b/lib/middleware/karma.js
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ var url = require('url')
 var _ = require('lodash')
 
 var log = require('../logger').create('middleware:karma')
+var stripHost = require('./strip_host').stripHost
 
 function urlparse (urlStr) {
   var urlObj = url.parse(urlStr, true)
@@ -90,7 +91,11 @@ function createKarmaMiddleware (
     var customClientContextFile = injector.get('config.customClientContextFile')
     var includeCrossOriginAttribute = injector.get('config.crossOriginAttribute')
 
-    var requestUrl = request.normalizedUrl.replace(/\?.*/, '')
+    var normalizedUrl = stripHost(request.url) || request.url
+    // For backwards compatibility in middleware plugins, remove in v4.
+    request.normalizedUrl = normalizedUrl
+
+    var requestUrl = normalizedUrl.replace(/\?.*/, '')
     var requestedRangeHeader = request.headers['range']
 
     // redirect /__karma__ to /__karma__ (trailing slash)
diff --git a/lib/middleware/strip_host.js b/lib/middleware/strip_host.js
index 984f89f2d..5f363de9e 100644
--- a/lib/middleware/strip_host.js
+++ b/lib/middleware/strip_host.js
@@ -1,18 +1,11 @@
 /**
- * Strip host middleware is responsible for stripping hostname from request path
+ * Strip hostname from request path
  * This to handle requests that uses (normally over proxies) an absoluteURI as request path
  */
 
-function createStripHostMiddleware () {
-  return function (request, response, next) {
-    function stripHostFromUrl (url) {
-      return url.replace(/^http[s]?:\/\/([a-z\-.:\d]+)\//, '/')
-    }
-
-    request.normalizedUrl = stripHostFromUrl(request.url) || request.url
-    next()
-  }
+function stripHostFromUrl (url) {
+  return url.replace(/^http[s]?:\/\/([a-z\-.:\d]+)\//, '/')
 }
 
 // PUBLIC API
-exports.create = createStripHostMiddleware
+exports.stripHost = stripHostFromUrl
diff --git a/lib/web-server.js b/lib/web-server.js
index bd63481d7..3bda89827 100644
--- a/lib/web-server.js
+++ b/lib/web-server.js
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ const Promise = require('bluebird')
 const common = require('./middleware/common')
 const runnerMiddleware = require('./middleware/runner')
 const stopperMiddleware = require('./middleware/stopper')
-const stripHostMiddleware = require('./middleware/strip_host')
 const karmaMiddleware = require('./middleware/karma')
 const sourceFilesMiddleware = require('./middleware/source_files')
 const proxyMiddleware = require('./middleware/proxy')
@@ -65,7 +64,6 @@ function createWebServer (injector, config) {
 
   handler.use(injector.invoke(runnerMiddleware.create))
   handler.use(injector.invoke(stopperMiddleware.create))
-  handler.use(injector.invoke(stripHostMiddleware.create))
   handler.use(injector.invoke(karmaMiddleware.create))
   handler.use(injector.invoke(sourceFilesMiddleware.create))
   // TODO(vojta): extract the proxy into a plugin
diff --git a/test/unit/middleware/strip_host.spec.js b/test/unit/middleware/strip_host.spec.js
index 5983e61c8..5315f08f1 100644
--- a/test/unit/middleware/strip_host.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/middleware/strip_host.spec.js
@@ -1,61 +1,28 @@
-var mocks = require('mocks')
-
 describe('middleware.strip_host', function () {
-  var nextSpy
-  var HttpRequestMock = mocks.http.ServerRequest
-
-  var createStripHostMiddleware = require('../../../lib/middleware/strip_host').create
-
-  var handler = nextSpy = null
-
-  beforeEach(function () {
-    nextSpy = sinon.spy()
-    handler = createStripHostMiddleware(null, null, '/base/path')
-    return handler
-  })
+  const stripHost = require('../../../lib/middleware/strip_host').stripHost
 
-  it('should strip request with IP number', function (done) {
-    var request = new HttpRequestMock('http://192.12.31.100/base/a.js?123345')
-    handler(request, null, nextSpy)
-
-    expect(request.normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
-    expect(nextSpy).to.have.been.called
-    return done()
+  it('should strip request with IP number', function () {
+    const normalizedUrl = stripHost('http://192.12.31.100/base/a.js?123345')
+    expect(normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
   })
 
-  it('should strip request with absoluteURI', function (done) {
-    var request = new HttpRequestMock('http://localhost/base/a.js?123345')
-    handler(request, null, nextSpy)
-
-    expect(request.normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
-    expect(nextSpy).to.have.been.called
-    return done()
+  it('should strip request with absoluteURI', function () {
+    const normalizedUrl = stripHost('http://localhost/base/a.js?123345')
+    expect(normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
   })
 
-  it('should strip request with absoluteURI and port', function (done) {
-    var request = new HttpRequestMock('http://localhost:9876/base/a.js?123345')
-    handler(request, null, nextSpy)
-
-    expect(request.normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
-    expect(nextSpy).to.have.been.called
-    return done()
+  it('should strip request with absoluteURI and port', function () {
+    const normalizedUrl = stripHost('http://localhost:9876/base/a.js?123345')
+    expect(normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
   })
 
-  it('should strip request with absoluteURI over HTTPS', function (done) {
-    var request = new HttpRequestMock('https://karma-runner.github.io/base/a.js?123345')
-    handler(request, null, nextSpy)
-
-    expect(request.normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
-    expect(nextSpy).to.have.been.called
-    return done()
+  it('should strip request with absoluteURI over HTTPS', function () {
+    const normalizedUrl = stripHost('https://karma-runner.github.io/base/a.js?123345')
+    expect(normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/a.js?123345')
   })
 
-  return it('should return same url as passed one', function (done) {
-    var request = new HttpRequestMock('/base/b.js?123345')
-    handler(request, null, nextSpy)
-
-    expect(request.normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/b.js?123345')
-    expect(nextSpy).to.have.been.called
-    return done()
+  it('should return same url as passed one', function () {
+    const normalizedUrl = stripHost('/base/b.js?123345')
+    expect(normalizedUrl).to.equal('/base/b.js?123345')
   })
 })