diff --git a/examples/README.md b/examples/README.md
index e10355bf..db850ffb 100644
--- a/examples/README.md
+++ b/examples/README.md
@@ -2,5 +2,7 @@
 
 This folder contains various examples of how to use tower-http.
 
+- `axum-key-value-store`: A key/value store with an HTTP API built with axum.
 - `warp-key-value-store`: A key/value store with an HTTP API built with warp.
 - `tonic-key-value-store`: A key/value store with a gRPC API and client built with tonic.
+- `custom-middleware-either`: A custom middleware showing how to unify body types using `Either`.
diff --git a/examples/custom-middleware-either/Cargo.toml b/examples/custom-middleware-either/Cargo.toml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..df30f32c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/custom-middleware-either/Cargo.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+[package]
+name = "custom-middleware-either"
+version = "0.1.0"
+authors = ["Tower Maintainers <team@tower-rs.com>"]
+edition = "2021"
+publish = false
+license = "MIT"
+
+[dependencies]
+bytes = "1.12.0"
+http = "1.4.2"
+http-body-util = "0.1.3"
+tokio = { version = "1.32.0", features = ["full"] }
+tower = { version = "0.5", features = ["full"] }
diff --git a/examples/custom-middleware-either/README.md b/examples/custom-middleware-either/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4c507a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/custom-middleware-either/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# custom-middleware-either
+
+Because a Tower `Service` requires a single, concrete `Response` type, you run into a type mismatch if your middleware returns an immediate error body in one branch, but defers to the inner service's body in the other. 
+
+This example solves that problem by using `http_body_util::Either<B, Full<Bytes>>` to gracefully unify the happy-path body and the early-rejection body, all without requiring dynamic allocations (boxing).
+
+## How it works
+
+- **Missing Header:** If the `x-api-key` header is missing, the middleware short-circuits the future using `std::future::ready` and immediately bounces the request with a `400 Bad Request` and a custom error body (`Either::Right`).
+- **Valid Request:** If the header is present, the request is passed through to the inner service, which returns a `200 OK` (`Either::Left`).
+
+## Running the example
+
+```
+RUST_LOG=custom_middleware_either=trace,tower_http=trace \
+    cargo run --bin custom-middleware-either
+```
diff --git a/examples/custom-middleware-either/src/main.rs b/examples/custom-middleware-either/src/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d5edd08a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/custom-middleware-either/src/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+use bytes::Bytes;
+use http::{Request, Response, StatusCode};
+use http_body_util::{Either, Full};
+use std::{
+    future::Future,
+    pin::Pin,
+    task::{Context, Poll},
+};
+use tower::{Service, ServiceBuilder, ServiceExt};
+
+// We use `Either` here because this middleware might return a completely different
+// body type (our error message) than the inner service returns. Both paths must
+// resolve to a single concrete response type.
+type ResponseBody<B> = Either<B, Full<Bytes>>;
+
+#[derive(Clone)]
+pub struct RequireHeader<S> {
+    inner: S,
+    header_name: &'static str,
+}
+
+impl<S, ReqBody, ResBody> Service<Request<ReqBody>> for RequireHeader<S>
+where
+    S: Service<Request<ReqBody>, Response = Response<ResBody>> + Clone + Send + 'static,
+    S::Future: Send,
+    S::Error: Send,
+    ReqBody: Send + 'static,
+    ResBody: Send + 'static,
+{
+    type Response = Response<ResponseBody<ResBody>>;
+    type Error = S::Error;
+    // We have to Box the Future dynamically here. Because we have two totally
+    // different return paths (the immediate error vs. waiting on the inner service)
+    // and Rust needs them to resolve to a single concrete type.
+    type Future = Pin<Box<dyn Future<Output = Result<Self::Response, Self::Error>> + Send>>;
+
+    fn poll_ready(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
+        self.inner.poll_ready(cx)
+    }
+
+    fn call(&mut self, req: Request<ReqBody>) -> Self::Future {
+        // If they don't have the header, bounce the request immediately
+        if !req.headers().contains_key(self.header_name) {
+            let body = Full::from("Missing required header");
+            let res = Response::builder()
+                .status(StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST)
+                // Either::Right explicitly tags our middleware-generated error body
+                .body(Either::Right(body))
+                .unwrap();
+
+            return Box::pin(std::future::ready(Ok(res)));
+        }
+
+        let mut inner = self.inner.clone();
+        Box::pin(async move {
+            let res = inner.call(req).await?;
+            // Either::Left maps the inner service's successful body into our unified type
+            Ok(res.map(Either::Left))
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+impl<S> RequireHeader<S> {
+    pub fn new(inner: S, header_name: &'static str) -> Self {
+        Self { inner, header_name }
+    }
+}
+
+#[tokio::main]
+async fn main() -> Result<(), Box<dyn std::error::Error>> {
+    let inner_service = tower::service_fn(|_req: Request<Full<Bytes>>| async {
+        Ok::<_, std::convert::Infallible>(Response::new(Full::new(Bytes::from("Hello, World!"))))
+    });
+
+    let mut service = ServiceBuilder::new()
+        .layer_fn(|inner| RequireHeader::new(inner, "x-api-key"))
+        .service(inner_service);
+
+    let req_bad = Request::builder().body(Full::<Bytes>::default()).unwrap();
+    let res_bad = service.ready().await?.call(req_bad).await?;
+    println!("Bad: {}", res_bad.status());
+
+    let req_good = Request::builder()
+        .header("x-api-key", "secret")
+        .body(Full::<Bytes>::default())
+        .unwrap();
+    let res_good = service.ready().await?.call(req_good).await?;
+    println!("Good: {}", res_good.status());
+
+    Ok(())
+}