diff --git a/src/service.js b/src/service.js
index a572e0e..6df7026 100644
--- a/src/service.js
+++ b/src/service.js
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import { reduceHandlers } from './utils';
+
 /**
  * @property {Array} middlewares stack
  * @property {AxiosInstance} http
@@ -101,10 +103,22 @@ export default class HttpMiddlewareService {
    * @returns {Promise}
    */
   adapter(config) {
-    return this.chain.reduce(
-      (acc, [onResolve, onError]) => acc.then(onResolve, onError),
-      Promise.resolve(config)
-    );
+    const { request: requestHandlers, response } = this.chain;
+    return reduceHandlers(requestHandlers, Promise.resolve(config))
+      .then(
+        (conf) => {
+          if (!conf) {
+            const err = Error('Request cancelled within a middleware');
+            err.type = 'REQUEST_CANCELLED';
+            return Promise.reject(err);
+          }
+          return reduceHandlers(
+            response,
+            this._onSync(this.originalAdapter.call(this.http, conf))
+          );
+        },
+        err => reduceHandlers(response, Promise.reject(err))
+      );
   }
 
   /**
@@ -113,12 +127,17 @@ export default class HttpMiddlewareService {
    * @private
    */
   _addMiddleware(middleware) {
-    this.chain.unshift([
-      middleware.onRequest && (conf => middleware.onRequest(conf)),
+    if (!this.chain) {
+      this._updateChain();
+      return;
+    }
+
+    this.chain.request.unshift([
+      middleware.onRequest && (conf => conf && middleware.onRequest(conf)),
       middleware.onRequestError && (error => middleware.onRequestError(error)),
     ]);
 
-    this.chain.push([
+    this.chain.response.push([
       middleware.onResponse && (response => middleware.onResponse(response)),
       middleware.onResponseError && (error => middleware.onResponseError(error)),
     ]);
@@ -128,7 +147,10 @@ export default class HttpMiddlewareService {
    * @private
    */
   _updateChain() {
-    this.chain = [[conf => this._onSync(this.originalAdapter.call(this.http, conf)), undefined]];
+    this.chain = {
+      request: [],
+      response: [],
+    };
     this.middlewares.forEach(middleware => this._addMiddleware(middleware));
   }
 
diff --git a/src/utils.js b/src/utils.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d163742
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+export const reduceHandlers = (handlers, promise) => handlers.reduce(
+  (acc, [onResolve, onError]) => acc.then(onResolve, onError),
+  promise
+);
diff --git a/test/mocks/MiddlewareMock.js b/test/mocks/MiddlewareMock.js
index b4c6c6e..1a96c92 100644
--- a/test/mocks/MiddlewareMock.js
+++ b/test/mocks/MiddlewareMock.js
@@ -1,11 +1,14 @@
+const identity = a => a;
+const reject = err => Promise.reject(err);
+
 export default class MiddlewareMock {
-  constructor() {
+  constructor(id = 'MiddlewareMock') {
     Object.assign(this, {
-      onRequest: jest.fn(config => config),
-      onRequestError: jest.fn(),
-      onSync: jest.fn(promise => promise),
-      onResponse: jest.fn(response => response),
-      onResponseError: jest.fn(),
+      onRequest: jest.fn(identity).mockName(`${id}.onRequest`),
+      onRequestError: jest.fn(reject).mockName(`${id}.onRequestError`),
+      onSync: jest.fn(identity).mockName(`${id}.onSync`),
+      onResponse: jest.fn(response => response).mockName(`${id}.onResponse`),
+      onResponseError: jest.fn(reject).mockName(`${id}.onResponseError`),
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/test/specs/cancellation.spec.js b/test/specs/cancellation.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ba5d30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/cancellation.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+import { Service } from '../../dist/axios-middleware.common';
+import MiddlewareMock from '../mocks/MiddlewareMock';
+
+describe('onRequest cancellation', () => {
+  it('can reject a request', () => {
+    const service = new Service();
+    service.originalAdapter = jest.fn(conf => Promise.resolve(conf));
+
+    const middleware1 = new MiddlewareMock('middleware1');
+    const middleware2 = new MiddlewareMock('middleware2');
+
+    middleware1.onRequest.mockImplementation(() => Promise.reject());
+
+    service.register([
+      middleware2,
+      middleware1,
+    ]);
+
+    return service.adapter('test').catch(() => {
+      expect(middleware1.onRequest).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(middleware2.onRequest).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware1.onRequestError).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware2.onRequestError).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+
+      expect(middleware1.onSync).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware2.onSync).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware2.onResponse).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware1.onResponse).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware2.onResponseError).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(middleware1.onResponseError).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('can cancel a request by returning false', () => {
+    const service = new Service();
+    service.originalAdapter = jest.fn(conf => Promise.resolve(conf));
+
+    const middleware1 = new MiddlewareMock(1);
+    const middleware2 = new MiddlewareMock(2);
+
+    middleware1.onRequest.mockImplementation(() => false);
+
+    service.register([
+      middleware2,
+      middleware1,
+    ]);
+
+    return service.adapter('test').catch(() => {
+      expect(middleware1.onRequest).toBeCalledTimes(1);
+      expect(middleware2.onRequest).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware1.onRequestError).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware2.onRequestError).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware1.onSync).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware2.onSync).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware2.onResponse).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware1.onResponse).not.toBeCalled();
+
+      expect(middleware2.onResponseError).not.toBeCalled();
+      expect(middleware1.onResponseError).not.toBeCalled();
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/specs/service.spec.js b/test/specs/service.spec.js
index d0438cc..cabf6f3 100644
--- a/test/specs/service.spec.js
+++ b/test/specs/service.spec.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 import axios from 'axios';
 import MockAdapter from 'axios-mock-adapter';
 import { Service } from '../../dist/axios-middleware.common';
-import MiddlewareMock from '../mocks/MiddlewareMock';
 
 const http = axios.create();
 const mock = new MockAdapter(http);
@@ -18,32 +17,6 @@ describe('Middleware service', () => {
     mock.restore();
   });
 
-  it('throws when adding the same middleware instance', () => {
-    const middleware = {};
-
-    service.register(middleware);
-
-    expect(() => service.register(middleware)).toThrow();
-  });
-
-  it('works with both middleware syntaxes', () => {
-    expect.assertions(2);
-    const middleware = new MiddlewareMock();
-    const simplifiedSyntax = {
-      onRequest: jest.fn(config => config),
-    };
-
-    service.register([
-      middleware,
-      simplifiedSyntax,
-    ]);
-
-    service.adapter().then(() => {
-      expect(middleware.onRequest).toHaveBeenCalled();
-      expect(simplifiedSyntax.onRequest).toHaveBeenCalled();
-    });
-  });
-
   it('runs the middlewares in order', () => {
     expect.assertions(1);
 
diff --git a/test/specs/syntax.spec.js b/test/specs/syntax.spec.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..879b8a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/specs/syntax.spec.js
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { Service } from '../../dist/axios-middleware.common';
+import MiddlewareMock from '../mocks/MiddlewareMock';
+
+describe('Middleware syntax', () => {
+  it('throws when adding the same middleware instance', () => {
+    const service = new Service();
+    const middleware = {};
+
+    service.register(middleware);
+
+    expect(() => service.register(middleware)).toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('works with both middleware syntaxes', () => {
+    expect.assertions(2);
+    const service = new Service();
+    service.originalAdapter = jest.fn(conf => Promise.resolve(conf));
+
+    const middleware = new MiddlewareMock();
+    const simplifiedSyntax = {
+      onRequest: jest.fn(config => config),
+    };
+
+    service.register([
+      middleware,
+      simplifiedSyntax,
+    ]);
+
+    return service.adapter({}).then(() => {
+      expect(middleware.onRequest).toHaveBeenCalled();
+      expect(simplifiedSyntax.onRequest).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+});