diff --git a/lib/server-app.js b/lib/server-app.js
index ac8e09ea..b75835da 100644
--- a/lib/server-app.js
+++ b/lib/server-app.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ var express = require('express');
 var merge = require('util')._extend;
 var PhaseList = require('loopback-phase').PhaseList;
 var debug = require('debug')('loopback:app');
+var pathToRegexp = require('path-to-regexp');
 
 var proto = {};
 
@@ -31,13 +32,15 @@ module.exports = function loopbackExpress() {
  * @param {function} factory The factory function creating a middleware handler.
  *   Typically a result of `require()` call, e.g. `require('compression')`.
  * @options {Object} config The configuration.
- * @property {String} phase The phase to register the middelware in.
+ * @property {String} phase The phase to register the middleware in.
  * @property {Boolean} [enabled] Whether the middleware is enabled.
  *   Default: `true`.
  * @property {Array|*} [params] The arguments to pass to the factory
  *   function. Either an array of arguments,
  *   or the value of the first argument when the factory expects
  *   a single argument only.
+ * @property {Array|string|RegExp} [paths] Optional list of paths limiting
+ *   the scope of the middleware.
  *
  * @returns {object} this (fluent API)
  *
@@ -60,7 +63,7 @@ proto.middlewareFromConfig = function(factory, config) {
   }
 
   var handler = factory.apply(null, params);
-  this.middleware(config.phase, handler);
+  this.middleware(config.phase, config.paths || [], handler);
 
   return this;
 };
@@ -112,6 +115,10 @@ proto.defineMiddlewarePhases = function(nameOrArray) {
 /**
  * Register a middleware handler to be executed in a given phase.
  * @param {string} name The phase name, e.g. "init" or "routes".
+ * @param {Array|string|RegExp} [paths] Optional list of paths limiting
+ *   the scope of the middleware.
+ *   String paths are interpreted as expressjs path patterns,
+ *   regular expressions are used as-is.
  * @param {function} handler The middleware handler, one of
  *   `function(req, res, next)` or
  *   `function(err, req, res, next)`
@@ -119,11 +126,21 @@ proto.defineMiddlewarePhases = function(nameOrArray) {
  *
  * @header app.middleware(name, handler)
  */
-proto.middleware = function(name, handler) {
+proto.middleware = function(name, paths, handler) {
   this.lazyrouter();
 
+  if (handler === undefined && typeof paths === 'function') {
+    handler = paths;
+    paths = [];
+  }
+
+  if (typeof paths === 'string' || paths instanceof RegExp) {
+    paths = [paths];
+  }
+
   assert(typeof name === 'string' && name, '"name" must be a non-empty string');
   assert(typeof handler === 'function', '"handler" must be a function');
+  assert(Array.isArray(paths), '"paths" must be an array');
 
   var fullName = name;
   var handlerName = handler.name || '(anonymous)';
@@ -139,13 +156,15 @@ proto.middleware = function(name, handler) {
   if (!phase)
     throw new Error('Unknown middleware phase ' + name);
 
+  var matches = createRequestMatcher(paths);
+
   var wrapper;
   if (handler.length === 4) {
     // handler is function(err, req, res, next)
     debug('Add error handler %j to phase %j', handlerName, fullName);
 
     wrapper = function errorHandler(ctx, next) {
-      if (ctx.err) {
+      if (ctx.err && matches(ctx.req)) {
         var err = ctx.err;
         ctx.err = undefined;
         handler(err, ctx.req, ctx.res, storeErrorAndContinue(ctx, next));
@@ -157,7 +176,7 @@ proto.middleware = function(name, handler) {
     // handler is function(req, res, next)
     debug('Add middleware %j to phase %j', handlerName , fullName);
     wrapper = function regularHandler(ctx, next) {
-      if (ctx.err) {
+      if (ctx.err || !matches(ctx.req)) {
         next();
       } else {
         handler(ctx.req, ctx.res, storeErrorAndContinue(ctx, next));
@@ -169,6 +188,26 @@ proto.middleware = function(name, handler) {
   return this;
 };
 
+function createRequestMatcher(paths) {
+  if (!paths.length) {
+    return function requestMatcher(req) { return true; };
+  }
+
+  var checks = paths.map(function(p) {
+    return pathToRegexp(p, {
+      sensitive: true,
+      strict: false,
+      end: false
+    });
+  });
+
+  return function requestMatcher(req) {
+    return checks.some(function(regex) {
+      return regex.test(req.url);
+    });
+  };
+}
+
 function storeErrorAndContinue(ctx, next) {
   return function(err) {
     if (err) ctx.err = err;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 2c928bc0..5bce6742 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
     "loopback-phase": "^1.0.1",
     "nodemailer": "~1.3.0",
     "nodemailer-stub-transport": "~0.1.4",
+    "path-to-regexp": "^1.0.1",
     "strong-remoting": "^2.4.0",
     "uid2": "0.0.3",
     "underscore": "~1.7.0",
diff --git a/test/app.test.js b/test/app.test.js
index a5e02add..073bf149 100644
--- a/test/app.test.js
+++ b/test/app.test.js
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+var async = require('async');
 var path = require('path');
 
 var http = require('http');
@@ -109,12 +110,58 @@ describe('app', function() {
       });
     });
 
+    it('scopes middleware to a string path', function(done) {
+      app.middleware('initial', '/scope', pathSavingHandler());
+
+      async.eachSeries(
+        ['/', '/scope', '/scope/item', '/other'],
+        function(url, next) { executeMiddlewareHandlers(app, url, next); },
+        function(err) {
+          if (err) return done(err);
+          expect(steps).to.eql(['/scope', '/scope/item']);
+          done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('scopes middleware to a regex path', function(done) {
+      app.middleware('initial', /^\/(a|b)/, pathSavingHandler());
+
+      async.eachSeries(
+        ['/', '/a', '/b', '/c'],
+        function(url, next) { executeMiddlewareHandlers(app, url, next); },
+        function(err) {
+          if (err) return done(err);
+          expect(steps).to.eql(['/a', '/b']);
+          done();
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('scopes middleware to a list of scopes', function(done) {
+      app.middleware('initial', ['/scope', /^\/(a|b)/], pathSavingHandler());
+
+      async.eachSeries(
+        ['/', '/a', '/b', '/c', '/scope', '/other'],
+        function(url, next) { executeMiddlewareHandlers(app, url, next); },
+        function(err) {
+          if (err) return done(err);
+          expect(steps).to.eql(['/a', '/b', '/scope']);
+          done();
+        });
+    });
+
     function namedHandler(name) {
       return function(req, res, next) {
         steps.push(name);
         next();
       };
     }
+
+    function pathSavingHandler() {
+      return function(req, res, next) {
+        steps.push(req.url);
+        next();
+      };
+    }
   });
 
   describe.onServer('.middlewareFromConfig', function() {
@@ -168,6 +215,30 @@ describe('app', function() {
         done();
       });
     });
+
+    it('scopes middleware to a list of scopes', function(done) {
+      var steps = [];
+      app.middlewareFromConfig(
+        function factory() {
+          return function(req, res, next) {
+            steps.push(req.url);
+            next();
+          };
+        },
+        {
+          phase: 'initial',
+          paths: ['/scope', /^\/(a|b)/]
+        });
+
+      async.eachSeries(
+        ['/', '/a', '/b', '/c', '/scope', '/other'],
+        function(url, next) { executeMiddlewareHandlers(app, url, next); },
+        function(err) {
+          if (err) return done(err);
+          expect(steps).to.eql(['/a', '/b', '/scope']);
+          done();
+        });
+    });
   });
 
   describe.onServer('.defineMiddlewarePhases(nameOrArray)', function() {
@@ -600,13 +671,18 @@ describe('app', function() {
   });
 });
 
-function executeMiddlewareHandlers(app, callback) {
+function executeMiddlewareHandlers(app, urlPath, callback) {
   var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
     app.handle(req, res, callback);
   });
 
+  if (callback === undefined && typeof urlPath === 'function') {
+    callback = urlPath;
+    urlPath = '/test/url';
+  }
+
   request(server)
-    .get('/test/url')
+    .get(urlPath)
     .end(function(err) {
       if (err) return callback(err);
     });