diff --git a/mux.go b/mux.go
index 3009e97..bfe528b 100644
--- a/mux.go
+++ b/mux.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 package pat
 
 import (
+	"context"
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"strings"
@@ -97,15 +98,52 @@ type PatternServeMux struct {
 	// NotFound, if set, is used whenever the request doesn't match any
 	// pattern for its method. NotFound should be set before serving any
 	// requests.
-	NotFound http.Handler
-	handlers map[string][]*patHandler
+	NotFound    http.Handler
+	handlers    map[string][]*patHandler
+	middlewares []MiddlewareFunc
 }
 
+// MiddlewareFunc is a function which receives an http.Handler and returns
+// another http.Handler.
+// Typically, the returned handler is a closure which does something with the
+// http.ResponseWriter and http.Request passed
+// to it, and then calls the handler passed as parameter to the MiddlewareFunc.
+type MiddlewareFunc func(http.Handler) http.Handler
+
+// middleware interface is anything which implements a MiddlewareFunc named
+// Middleware.
+type middleware interface {
+	Middleware(handler http.Handler) http.Handler
+}
+
+// Middleware allows MiddlewareFunc to implement the middleware interface.
+func (mw MiddlewareFunc) Middleware(handler http.Handler) http.Handler {
+	return mw(handler)
+}
+
+type contextKey int
+
+const (
+	// RouteKey is inspired by mux and other routers to preserve the matched
+	// pattern that can be referenced in the lifetime of a handler.
+	// This is useful for telemetry and instrumentation to use the pattern
+	// AND not the whole URL, which can result in cardinality explosion.
+	// For compatibility with most other mux like gorilla, mux, use count=1
+	RouteKey contextKey = iota + 1
+)
+
 // New returns a new PatternServeMux.
 func New() *PatternServeMux {
 	return &PatternServeMux{handlers: make(map[string][]*patHandler)}
 }
 
+// Use appends a MiddlewareFunc to the chain. Middleware can be used to intercept or otherwise modify requests and/or responses, and are executed in the order that they are applied to the Router.
+func (p *PatternServeMux) Use(mwf ...MiddlewareFunc) {
+	for _, fn := range mwf {
+		p.middlewares = append(p.middlewares, fn)
+	}
+}
+
 // ServeHTTP matches r.URL.Path against its routing table using the rules
 // described above.
 func (p *PatternServeMux) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -114,7 +152,17 @@ func (p *PatternServeMux) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			if len(params) > 0 && !ph.redirect {
 				r.URL.RawQuery = url.Values(params).Encode() + "&" + r.URL.RawQuery
 			}
-			ph.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+
+			// Set the routeKey in context to the current pattern.
+			ctx := context.WithValue(r.Context(), RouteKey, ph.pat)
+
+			h := ph.Handler
+			// Build middleware chain if no error was found
+			for i := len(p.middlewares) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
+				h = p.middlewares[i].Middleware(h)
+			}
+
+			h.ServeHTTP(w, r.WithContext(ctx))
 			return
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/mux_test.go b/mux_test.go
index 5ad1f1d..4e65c65 100644
--- a/mux_test.go
+++ b/mux_test.go
@@ -72,6 +72,15 @@ func TestPatRoutingHit(t *testing.T) {
 		if got, want := r.URL.Query().Get(":name"), "keith"; got != want {
 			t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, want)
 		}
+
+		if rk := r.Context().Value(RouteKey); rk != nil {
+			if rk.(string) != "/foo/:name" {
+				t.Errorf("routeKey %v does not match /foo/:name", rk)
+			}
+		} else {
+			t.Error("Should've found routeKey /foo/:name")
+		}
+
 	}))
 
 	p.ServeHTTP(nil, newRequest("GET", "/foo/keith?a=b", nil))
@@ -121,6 +130,14 @@ func TestPatNoParams(t *testing.T) {
 		if r.URL.RawQuery != "" {
 			t.Errorf("RawQuery was %q; should be empty", r.URL.RawQuery)
 		}
+
+		if rk := r.Context().Value(RouteKey); rk != nil {
+			if rk.(string) != "/foo/" {
+				t.Errorf("routeKey %v does not match /foo/:name", rk)
+			}
+		} else {
+			t.Error("Should've found routeKey /foo/:name")
+		}
 	}))
 
 	p.ServeHTTP(nil, newRequest("GET", "/foo/", nil))
@@ -262,6 +279,40 @@ func TestEscapedUrl(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestMiddleware(t *testing.T) {
+	mdf := func(h http.Handler) http.Handler {
+		return http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+			q := r.URL.Query()
+			q.Set("middleware", "passed")
+
+			r.URL.RawQuery = q.Encode()
+
+			h.ServeHTTP(w, r)
+		})
+	}
+
+	p := New()
+
+	var middlewareCalled bool
+	p.Get("/foo/:name", http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		t.Logf("%#v", r.URL.Query())
+		if got, want := r.URL.Query().Get("middleware"), "passed"; got != want {
+			t.Errorf("got %q, want %q", got, want)
+		} else {
+			middlewareCalled = true
+		}
+	}))
+
+	// use middleware
+	p.Use(mdf)
+
+	p.ServeHTTP(nil, newRequest("GET", "/foo/bad", nil))
+
+	if !middlewareCalled {
+		t.Error("middleware not called")
+	}
+}
+
 func newRequest(method, urlStr string, body io.Reader) *http.Request {
 	req, err := http.NewRequest(method, urlStr, body)
 	if err != nil {