diff --git a/lib/sidekiq/middleware.rb b/lib/sidekiq/middleware.rb
index db80b6ab..8573f7da 100644
--- a/lib/sidekiq/middleware.rb
+++ b/lib/sidekiq/middleware.rb
@@ -23,33 +23,35 @@ module Sidekiq
   module Middleware
     class Chain
       def self.register(&block)
-        @chain ||= default
-        self.instance_exec(&block)
+        instance_exec(&block)
       end
 
       def self.default
-        [Entry.new(Airbrake), Entry.new(ActiveRecord)]
+        @default ||= [Entry.new(Airbrake), Entry.new(ActiveRecord)]
       end
 
-      def self.use(klass, options=nil)
-        @chain << Entry.new(klass, options)
+      def self.use(klass, *args)
+        chain << Entry.new(klass, args)
       end
 
       def self.chain
-        defined?(@chain) ? @chain : default
+        @chain ||= default
       end
 
       def self.retrieve
-        Thread.current[:sidekiq_chain] ||= chain.map { |entry| entry.klass.new(entry.options) }
+        Thread.current[:sidekiq_chain] ||= chain.map { |entry| entry.make_new }
       end
     end
 
     class Entry
-      attr_accessor :klass
-      attr_accessor :options
-      def initialize(klass, options=nil)
+      attr_reader :klass
+      def initialize(klass, args = [])
         @klass = klass
-        @options = options
+        @args  = args
+      end
+
+      def make_new
+        @klass.new(*@args)
       end
     end
   end
@@ -62,7 +64,7 @@ module Sidekiq
       yield
     rescue => ex
       send_to_airbrake(msg, ex) if defined?(::Airbrake)
-      raise ex
+      raise
     end
 
     private
@@ -78,7 +80,7 @@ module Sidekiq
     def initialize(options=nil)
     end
 
-    def call(*_)
+    def call(*)
       yield
     ensure
       ActiveRecord::Base.clear_active_connections! if defined?(::ActiveRecord)
diff --git a/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb b/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb
index f9f609ed..3674a698 100644
--- a/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb
+++ b/lib/sidekiq/processor.rb
@@ -13,25 +13,20 @@ module Sidekiq
 
     def process(msg)
       klass = constantize(msg['class'])
-      invoke_chain(klass.new, msg) do |worker, msg|
-        worker.perform(*msg['args'])
-      end
-    end
-
-    def invoke_chain(worker, msg, &block)
-      invoke_link(0, worker, msg, &block)
+      invoke_chain(klass.new, msg)
       @boss.processor_done!(current_actor)
     end
 
-    def invoke_link(idx, worker, msg, &block)
-      chain = Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.retrieve
-      if chain.size == idx
-        block.call(worker, msg)
-      else
-        chain[idx].call(worker, msg) do
-          invoke_link(idx + 1, worker, msg, &block)
+    def invoke_chain(worker, msg)
+      chain = Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.retrieve.dup
+      traverse_chain = lambda do
+        if chain.empty?
+          worker.perform(*msg['args'])
+        else
+          chain.shift.call(worker, msg, &traverse_chain)
         end
       end
+      traverse_chain.call
     end
 
     # See http://github.com/tarcieri/celluloid/issues/22
diff --git a/test/test_middleware.rb b/test/test_middleware.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8d682dbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_middleware.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+require 'helper'
+require 'sidekiq/middleware'
+require 'sidekiq/processor'
+
+class TestMiddleware < MiniTest::Unit::TestCase
+  describe 'middleware chain' do
+    before do
+      @boss = MiniTest::Mock.new
+      Celluloid.logger = nil
+    end
+
+    class CustomMiddleware
+      def initialize(name, recorder)
+        @name = name
+        @recorder = recorder
+      end
+
+      def call(worker, msg)
+        @recorder << [@name, 'before']
+        yield
+        @recorder << [@name, 'after']
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'configures default middleware' do
+      chain = Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.chain
+      assert_equal chain, Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.default
+    end
+
+    it 'supports custom middleware' do
+      Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.register do
+        use CustomMiddleware, 1, []
+      end
+      chain = Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.chain
+      assert_equal chain.last.klass, CustomMiddleware
+    end
+
+    class CustomWorker
+      def perform(recorder)
+        recorder << ['work_performed']
+      end
+    end
+
+    it 'executes middleware in the proper order' do
+      recorder = []
+      msg = { 'class' => CustomWorker.to_s, 'args' => [recorder] }
+
+      Sidekiq::Middleware::Chain.register do
+        2.times { |i| use CustomMiddleware, i.to_s, recorder }
+      end
+
+      processor = Sidekiq::Processor.new(@boss)
+      @boss.expect(:processor_done!, nil, [processor])
+      processor.process(msg)
+      assert_equal recorder.flatten, %w(0 before 1 before work_performed 1 after 0 after)
+    end
+  end
+end
+
+
+
+