diff --git a/lib/faraday/builder.rb b/lib/faraday/builder.rb
index 611d66b8..40eded40 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/builder.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/builder.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ module Faraday
       new { |builder| yield builder }
     end
 
+    # Error raised when trying to modify the stack after calling `lock!`
+    class StackLocked < RuntimeError; end
+
     # borrowed from ActiveSupport::Dependencies::Reference &
     # ActionDispatch::MiddlewareStack::Middleware
     class Handler
@@ -55,6 +58,7 @@ module Faraday
     end
 
     def build(options = {})
+      raise_if_locked
       @handlers.clear unless options[:keep]
       yield self if block_given?
     end
@@ -76,7 +80,17 @@ module Faraday
       @handlers.reverse.inject(inner_app) { |app, handler| handler.build(app) }
     end
 
+    # Locks the middleware stack to ensure no further modifications are possible.
+    def lock!
+      @handlers.freeze
+    end
+
+    def locked?
+      @handlers.frozen?
+    end
+
     def use(klass, *args)
+      raise_if_locked
       block = block_given? ? Proc.new : nil
       @handlers << self.class::Handler.new(klass, *args, &block)
     end
@@ -99,6 +113,7 @@ module Faraday
     ## methods to push onto the various positions in the stack:
 
     def insert(index, *args, &block)
+      raise_if_locked
       index = assert_index(index)
       handler = self.class::Handler.new(*args, &block)
       @handlers.insert(index, handler)
@@ -112,17 +127,23 @@ module Faraday
     end
 
     def swap(index, *args, &block)
+      raise_if_locked
       index = assert_index(index)
       @handlers.delete_at(index)
       insert(index, *args, &block)
     end
 
     def delete(handler)
+      raise_if_locked
       @handlers.delete(handler)
     end
 
     private
 
+    def raise_if_locked
+      raise StackLocked, "can't modify middleware stack after making a request" if locked?
+    end
+
     def use_symbol(mod, key, *args)
       block = block_given? ? Proc.new : nil
       use(mod.lookup_module(key), *args, &block)
diff --git a/lib/faraday/connection.rb b/lib/faraday/connection.rb
index 8e0b6d17..554fea6e 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/connection.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/connection.rb
@@ -61,6 +61,25 @@ module Faraday
       @builder.build(options, &block)
     end
 
+    # The "rack app" wrapped in middleware. All requests are sent here.
+    #
+    # The builder is responsible for creating the app object. After this,
+    # the builder gets locked to ensure no further modifications are made
+    # to the middleware stack.
+    #
+    # Returns an object that responds to `call` and returns a Response.
+    def app
+      @app ||= begin
+        builder.lock!
+        builder.to_app(lambda { |env|
+          # the inner app that creates and returns the Response object
+          response = Response.new
+          response.finish(env) unless env[:parallel_manager]
+          env[:response] = response
+        })
+      end
+    end
+
     def get(url = nil, headers = nil)
       block = block_given? ? Proc.new : nil
       run_request(:get, url, nil, headers, &block)
diff --git a/lib/faraday/request.rb b/lib/faraday/request.rb
index 9074413c..c76b836f 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/request.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/request.rb
@@ -77,13 +77,8 @@ module Faraday
     end
 
     def run(connection, request_method)
-      app = lambda { |env|
-        response = Response.new
-        response.finish(env) unless env[:parallel_manager]
-        env[:response] = response
-      }
       env = to_env_hash(connection, request_method)
-      connection.builder.to_app(app).call(env)
+      connection.app.call(env)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/adapters/live_test.rb b/test/adapters/live_test.rb
index e9b740b2..f2d7eba9 100644
--- a/test/adapters/live_test.rb
+++ b/test/adapters/live_test.rb
@@ -158,19 +158,19 @@ else
 
       def create_connection(adapter)
         if adapter == :default
-          Faraday.default_connection.tap do |conn|
-            conn.url_prefix = LIVE_SERVER
-            conn.headers['X-Faraday-Adapter'] = adapter.to_s
-          end
+          builder_block = nil
         else
-          Faraday::Connection.new LIVE_SERVER, :headers => {'X-Faraday-Adapter' => adapter.to_s} do |b|
+          builder_block = Proc.new do |b|
             b.request :multipart
             b.request :url_encoded
             b.use adapter
           end
-        end.tap do |conn|
-          target = conn.builder.handlers.last
-          conn.builder.insert_before target, Faraday::Response::RaiseError
+        end
+        
+        Faraday::Connection.new(LIVE_SERVER, &builder_block).tap do |conn|
+          conn.headers['X-Faraday-Adapter'] = adapter.to_s
+          adapter_handler = conn.builder.handlers.last
+          conn.builder.insert_before adapter_handler, Faraday::Response::RaiseError
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/test/middleware_stack_test.rb b/test/middleware_stack_test.rb
index 12792df8..4fbc3479 100644
--- a/test/middleware_stack_test.rb
+++ b/test/middleware_stack_test.rb
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ class MiddlewareStackTest < Faraday::TestCase
 
   def test_allows_rebuilding
     build_stack Apple
-    assert_handlers %w[Apple]
-
     build_stack Orange
     assert_handlers %w[Orange]
   end
@@ -67,6 +65,28 @@ class MiddlewareStackTest < Faraday::TestCase
     assert_handlers %w[Orange]
   end
 
+  def test_stack_is_locked_after_making_requests
+    build_stack Apple
+    assert !@builder.locked?
+    @conn.get('/')
+    assert @builder.locked?
+
+    assert_raises Faraday::Builder::StackLocked do
+      @conn.use Orange
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_duped_stack_is_unlocked
+    build_stack Apple
+    assert !@builder.locked?
+    @builder.lock!
+    assert @builder.locked?
+
+    duped_connection = @conn.dup
+    assert_equal @builder, duped_connection.builder
+    assert !duped_connection.builder.locked?
+  end
+
   private
 
   # make a stack with test adapter that reflects the order of middleware