diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DefaultRouting.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DefaultRouting.java
index 94bf2c9f..2cf07e2f 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DefaultRouting.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DefaultRouting.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import java.util.Deque;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import io.avaje.jex.security.Role;
 
@@ -179,7 +180,6 @@ public Routing filter(HttpFilter handler) {
     return this;
   }
 
-
   private static class Entry implements Routing.Entry {
 
     private final Type type;
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/FilterChain.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/FilterChain.java
index b5966196..033f6aaf 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/FilterChain.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/FilterChain.java
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@
 public interface FilterChain {
 
   /**
-   * Calls the next filter in the chain, or else the users exchange handler, if this is the final
+   * Calls the next filter in the chain, or else the user's exchange handler, if this is the final
    * filter in the chain. The {@link HttpFilter} may decide to terminate the chain, by not
    * calling this method. In this case, the filter <b>must</b> send the response to the request,
    * because the application's {@linkplain HttpExchange exchange} handler will not be invoked.
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Handler.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Handler.java
index e23816d2..aacbf15f 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Handler.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Handler.java
@@ -1,7 +1,18 @@
 package io.avaje.jex;
 
+/**
+ * A handler which is invoked to process HTTP exchanges. Each HTTP exchange is handled by one of
+ * these handlers.
+ */
 @FunctionalInterface
 public interface Handler {
 
+  /**
+   * Handle the given request and generate an appropriate response. See {@link Context} for a
+   * description of the steps involved in handling an exchange.
+   *
+   * @param ctx the request context containing the request from the client and used to send the
+   *     response
+   */
   void handle(Context ctx);
 }
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Routing.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Routing.java
index c2096e8f..c36022f6 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Routing.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/Routing.java
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import io.avaje.jex.security.Role;
 
@@ -128,6 +129,26 @@ public interface Routing {
    */
   Routing filter(HttpFilter handler);
 
+  /** Add a preprocessing filter for all requests. */
+  default Routing before(Consumer<Context> handler) {
+
+    return filter(
+        (ctx, chain) -> {
+          handler.accept(ctx);
+          chain.proceed();
+        });
+  }
+
+  /** Add a post-processing filter for all requests. */
+  default Routing after(Consumer<Context> handler) {
+    
+    return filter(
+        (ctx, chain) -> {
+          chain.proceed();
+          handler.accept(ctx);
+        });
+  }
+
   /**
    * Return all the registered handlers.
    */
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/RoutingFilter.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/RoutingFilter.java
index f78fdbdd..32ecb31d 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/RoutingFilter.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/RoutingFilter.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ public void doFilter(HttpExchange exchange, Filter.Chain chain) {
         handleException(ctx, e);
       } finally {
         routes.dec();
+        exchange.close();
       }
     } else {
       route.inc();
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ public void doFilter(HttpExchange exchange, Filter.Chain chain) {
         }
       } finally {
         route.dec();
+        exchange.close();
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/test/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/FilterTest.java b/avaje-jex/src/test/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/FilterTest.java
index 7d9e4b03..a40afe17 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/test/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/FilterTest.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/test/java/io/avaje/jex/jdk/FilterTest.java
@@ -26,11 +26,7 @@ static TestPair init() {
                         .get("/one", ctx -> ctx.text("one"))
                         .get("/two", ctx -> ctx.text("two"))
                         .get("/two/{id}", ctx -> ctx.text("two-id"))
-                        .filter(
-                            (ctx, chain) -> {
-                              ctx.header("before-all", "set");
-                              chain.proceed();
-                            })
+                        .before(ctx -> ctx.header("before-all", "set"))
                         .filter(
                             (ctx, chain) -> {
                               if (ctx.url().contains("/two/")) {
@@ -38,11 +34,7 @@ static TestPair init() {
                               }
                               chain.proceed();
                             })
-                        .filter(
-                            (ctx, chain) -> {
-                              chain.proceed();
-                              afterAll.set("set");
-                            })
+                        .after(ctx -> afterAll.set("set"))
                         .filter(
                             (ctx, chain) -> {
                               chain.proceed();