diff --git a/src/fs.rs b/src/fs.rs
index 75650a05e..86b9ed55b 100644
--- a/src/fs.rs
+++ b/src/fs.rs
@@ -5,13 +5,189 @@ use std::io;
 use std::io::Read;
 use std::fmt::Write;
 use std::fs::{File, DirEntry};
-use std::path::PathBuf;
+use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+use std::ops::{Deref, DerefMut};
 
 use mime_guess::get_mime_type;
-use route::Handler;
+use route::{Handler, FromRequest};
+use recognizer::FromParam;
 use httprequest::HttpRequest;
 use httpresponse::HttpResponse;
-use httpcodes::{HTTPOk, HTTPNotFound};
+use httpcodes::HTTPOk;
+
+/// A file with an associated name; responds with the Content-Type based on the
+/// file extension.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct NamedFile(PathBuf, File);
+
+impl NamedFile {
+    /// Attempts to open a file in read-only mode.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```rust
+    /// use actix_web::fs::NamedFile;
+    ///
+    /// # #[allow(unused_variables)]
+    /// let file = NamedFile::open("foo.txt");
+    /// ```
+    pub fn open<P: AsRef<Path>>(path: P) -> io::Result<NamedFile> {
+        let file = File::open(path.as_ref())?;
+        Ok(NamedFile(path.as_ref().to_path_buf(), file))
+    }
+
+    /// Returns reference to the underlying `File` object.
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn file(&self) -> &File {
+        &self.1
+    }
+
+    /// Retrieve the path of this file.
+    ///
+    /// # Examples
+    ///
+    /// ```rust
+    /// # use std::io;
+    /// use actix_web::fs::NamedFile;
+    ///
+    /// # #[allow(dead_code)]
+    /// # fn path() -> io::Result<()> {
+    /// let file = NamedFile::open("test.txt")?;
+    /// assert_eq!(file.path().as_os_str(), "foo.txt");
+    /// # Ok(())
+    /// # }
+    /// ```
+    #[inline]
+    pub fn path(&self) -> &Path {
+        self.0.as_path()
+    }
+}
+
+impl Deref for NamedFile {
+    type Target = File;
+
+    fn deref(&self) -> &File {
+        &self.1
+    }
+}
+
+impl DerefMut for NamedFile {
+    fn deref_mut(&mut self) -> &mut File {
+        &mut self.1
+    }
+}
+
+impl FromRequest for NamedFile {
+    type Item = HttpResponse;
+    type Error = io::Error;
+
+    fn from_request(mut self, _: HttpRequest) -> Result<HttpResponse, io::Error> {
+        let mut resp = HTTPOk.build();
+        if let Some(ext) = self.path().extension() {
+            let mime = get_mime_type(&ext.to_string_lossy());
+            resp.content_type(format!("{}", mime).as_str());
+        }
+        let mut data = Vec::new();
+        let _ = self.1.read_to_end(&mut data);
+        Ok(resp.body(data).unwrap())
+    }
+}
+
+/// A directory; responds with the generated directory listing.
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Directory{
+    base: PathBuf,
+    path: PathBuf
+}
+
+impl Directory {
+    pub fn new(base: PathBuf, path: PathBuf) -> Directory {
+        Directory {
+            base: base,
+            path: path
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn can_list(&self, entry: &io::Result<DirEntry>) -> bool {
+        if let Ok(ref entry) = *entry {
+            if let Some(name) = entry.file_name().to_str() {
+                if name.starts_with('.') {
+                    return false
+                }
+            }
+            if let Ok(ref md) = entry.metadata() {
+                let ft = md.file_type();
+                return ft.is_dir() || ft.is_file() || ft.is_symlink()
+            }
+        }
+        false
+    }
+}
+
+impl FromRequest for Directory {
+    type Item = HttpResponse;
+    type Error = io::Error;
+
+    fn from_request(self, req: HttpRequest) -> Result<HttpResponse, io::Error> {
+        let index_of = format!("Index of {}", req.path());
+        let mut body = String::new();
+        let base = Path::new(req.path());
+
+        for entry in self.path.read_dir()? {
+            if self.can_list(&entry) {
+                let entry = entry.unwrap();
+                let p = match entry.path().strip_prefix(&self.base) {
+                    Ok(p) => base.join(p),
+                    Err(_) => continue
+                };
+                // show file url as relative to static path
+                let file_url = format!("{}", p.to_string_lossy());
+
+                // if file is a directory, add '/' to the end of the name
+                if let Ok(metadata) = entry.metadata() {
+                    if metadata.is_dir() {
+                        let _ = write!(body, "<li><a href=\"{}\">{}/</a></li>",
+                                       file_url, entry.file_name().to_string_lossy());
+                    } else {
+                        let _ = write!(body, "<li><a href=\"{}\">{}</a></li>",
+                                       file_url, entry.file_name().to_string_lossy());
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    continue
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        let html = format!("<html>\
+                            <head><title>{}</title></head>\
+                            <body><h1>{}</h1>\
+                            <ul>\
+                            {}\
+                            </ul></body>\n</html>", index_of, index_of, body);
+        Ok(HTTPOk.build()
+           .content_type("text/html; charset=utf-8")
+           .body(html).unwrap())
+    }
+}
+
+/// This enum represents all filesystem elements.
+pub enum FilesystemElement {
+    File(NamedFile),
+    Directory(Directory),
+}
+
+impl FromRequest for FilesystemElement {
+    type Item = HttpResponse;
+    type Error = io::Error;
+
+    fn from_request(self, req: HttpRequest) -> Result<HttpResponse, io::Error> {
+        match self {
+            FilesystemElement::File(file) => file.from_request(req),
+            FilesystemElement::Directory(dir) => dir.from_request(req),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 
 /// Static files handling
 ///
@@ -67,106 +243,25 @@ impl StaticFiles {
         }
     }
 
-    fn index(&self, prefix: &str, relpath: &str, filename: &PathBuf) -> Result<HttpResponse, io::Error> {
-        let index_of = format!("Index of {}{}", prefix, relpath);
-        let mut body = String::new();
-
-        for entry in filename.read_dir()? {
-            if self.can_list(&entry) {
-                let entry = entry.unwrap();
-                // show file url as relative to static path
-                let file_url = format!(
-                    "{}{}", prefix,
-                    entry.path().strip_prefix(&self.directory).unwrap().to_string_lossy());
-
-                // if file is a directory, add '/' to the end of the name
-                if let Ok(metadata) = entry.metadata() {
-                    if metadata.is_dir() {
-                        //format!("<li><a href=\"{}\">{}</a></li>", file_url, file_name));
-                        let _ = write!(body, "<li><a href=\"{}\">{}/</a></li>",
-                                       file_url, entry.file_name().to_string_lossy());
-                    } else {
-                        // write!(body, "{}/", entry.file_name())
-                        let _ = write!(body, "<li><a href=\"{}\">{}</a></li>",
-                                       file_url, entry.file_name().to_string_lossy());
-                    }
-                } else {
-                    continue
-                }
-            }
-        }
-
-        let html = format!("<html>\
-                            <head><title>{}</title></head>\
-                            <body><h1>{}</h1>\
-                            <ul>\
-                            {}\
-                            </ul></body>\n</html>", index_of, index_of, body);
-        Ok(
-            HTTPOk.build()
-                .content_type("text/html; charset=utf-8")
-                .body(html).unwrap()
-        )
-    }
-
-    fn can_list(&self, entry: &io::Result<DirEntry>) -> bool {
-        if let Ok(ref entry) = *entry {
-            if let Some(name) = entry.file_name().to_str() {
-                if name.starts_with('.') {
-                    return false
-                }
-            }
-            if let Ok(ref md) = entry.metadata() {
-                let ft = md.file_type();
-                return ft.is_dir() || ft.is_file() || ft.is_symlink()
-            }
-        }
-        false
-    }
 }
 
 impl<S> Handler<S> for StaticFiles {
-    type Result = Result<HttpResponse, io::Error>;
+    type Result = Result<FilesystemElement, io::Error>;
 
     fn handle(&self, req: HttpRequest<S>) -> Self::Result {
         if !self.accessible {
-            Ok(HTTPNotFound.into())
+            Err(io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "not found"))
         } else {
-            let mut hidden = false;
-            let filepath = req.path()[req.prefix_len()..]
-                .split('/').filter(|s| {
-                    if s.starts_with('.') {
-                        hidden = true;
-                    }
-                    !s.is_empty()
-                })
-                .fold(String::new(), |s, i| {s + "/" + i});
-
-            // hidden file
-            if hidden {
-                return Ok(HTTPNotFound.into())
-            }
+            let relpath = PathBuf::from_param(&req.path()[req.prefix_len()..])
+                .map_err(|_| io::Error::new(io::ErrorKind::NotFound, "not found"))?;
 
             // full filepath
-            let idx = if filepath.starts_with('/') { 1 } else { 0 };
-            let filename = self.directory.join(&filepath[idx..]).canonicalize()?;
+            let path = self.directory.join(&relpath).canonicalize()?;
 
-            if filename.is_dir() {
-                self.index(&req.path()[..req.prefix_len()], &filepath[idx..], &filename)
+            if path.is_dir() {
+                Ok(FilesystemElement::Directory(Directory::new(self.directory.clone(), path)))
             } else {
-                let mut resp = HTTPOk.build();
-                if let Some(ext) = filename.extension() {
-                    let mime = get_mime_type(&ext.to_string_lossy());
-                    resp.content_type(format!("{}", mime).as_str());
-                }
-                match File::open(filename) {
-                    Ok(mut file) => {
-                        let mut data = Vec::new();
-                        let _ = file.read_to_end(&mut data);
-                        Ok(resp.body(data).unwrap())
-                    },
-                    Err(err) => Err(err),
-                }
+                Ok(FilesystemElement::File(NamedFile::open(path)?))
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/route.rs b/src/route.rs
index 7a1fbcbc5..cb35da70f 100644
--- a/src/route.rs
+++ b/src/route.rs
@@ -101,27 +101,22 @@ impl From<HttpResponse> for Reply {
     }
 }
 
-impl<T: Into<HttpResponse>, E: Into<Error>> FromRequest for Result<T, E> {
-    type Item = Reply;
-    type Error = E;
+impl<T: FromRequest, E: Into<Error>> FromRequest for Result<T, E>
+{
+    type Item = <T as FromRequest>::Item;
+    type Error = Error;
 
-    fn from_request(self, _: HttpRequest) -> Result<Reply, Self::Error> {
+    fn from_request(self, req: HttpRequest) -> Result<Self::Item, Self::Error> {
         match self {
-            Ok(val) => Ok(Reply(ReplyItem::Message(val.into()))),
-            Err(err) => Err(err),
+            Ok(val) => match val.from_request(req) {
+                Ok(val) => Ok(val),
+                Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
+            },
+            Err(err) => Err(err.into()),
         }
     }
 }
 
-impl<E: Into<Error>> FromRequest for Result<Reply, E> {
-    type Item = Reply;
-    type Error = E;
-
-    fn from_request(self, _: HttpRequest) -> Result<Reply, E> {
-        self
-    }
-}
-
 impl<E: Into<Error>> From<Result<Reply, E>> for Reply {
     fn from(res: Result<Reply, E>) -> Self {
         match res {