diff --git a/router_serve.go b/router_serve.go
index 8f07909..5f77fee 100644
--- a/router_serve.go
+++ b/router_serve.go
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ func (rootRouter *Router) ServeHTTP(rw http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	closure.Routers = make([]*Router, 1, rootRouter.maxChildrenDepth)
 	closure.Routers[0] = rootRouter
 	closure.Contexts = make([]reflect.Value, 1, rootRouter.maxChildrenDepth)
-	closure.Contexts[0] = reflect.New(rootRouter.contextType)
+	closure.Contexts[0] = reflect.New(rootRouter.contextType.Type)
 	closure.currentMiddlewareLen = len(rootRouter.middleware)
 	closure.RootRouter = rootRouter
 	closure.Request.rootContext = closure.Contexts[0]
@@ -220,13 +220,17 @@ func contextsFor(contexts []reflect.Value, routers []*Router) []reflect.Value {
 
 	for i := 1; i < routersLen; i++ {
 		var ctx reflect.Value
-		if routers[i].contextType == routers[i-1].contextType {
+		if routers[i].contextType.Type == routers[i-1].contextType.Type {
 			ctx = contexts[i-1]
 		} else {
-			ctx = reflect.New(routers[i].contextType)
+			ctxType := routers[i].contextType.Type
 			// set the first field to the parent
-			f := reflect.Indirect(ctx).Field(0)
-			f.Set(contexts[i-1])
+			if routers[i].contextType.IsDerived {
+				ctx = createDrivedContext(contexts[i-1], ctxType)
+			} else {
+				ctxType = reflect.PtrTo(ctxType)
+				ctx = getMatchedParentContext(contexts[i-1], ctxType)
+			}
 		}
 		contexts = append(contexts, ctx)
 	}
@@ -234,6 +238,35 @@ func contextsFor(contexts []reflect.Value, routers []*Router) []reflect.Value {
 	return contexts
 }
 
+func createDrivedContext(context reflect.Value, neededType reflect.Type) reflect.Value {
+	ctx := reflect.New(neededType)
+	childCtx := ctx
+	for {
+		f := reflect.Indirect(childCtx).Field(0)
+		if f.Type() != context.Type() && f.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+			childCtx = reflect.New(f.Type().Elem())
+			f.Set(childCtx)
+			continue
+		} else {
+			f.Set(context)
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	return ctx
+}
+
+func getMatchedParentContext(context reflect.Value, neededType reflect.Type) reflect.Value {
+	if neededType != context.Type() {
+		for {
+			context = reflect.Indirect(context).Field(0)
+			if context.Type() == neededType {
+				break
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	return context
+}
+
 // If there's a panic in the root middleware (so that we don't have a route/target), then invoke the root handler or default.
 // If there's a panic in other middleware, then invoke the target action's function.
 // If there's a panic in the action handler, then invoke the target action's function.
@@ -250,19 +283,17 @@ func (rootRouter *Router) handlePanic(rw *appResponseWriter, req *Request, err i
 
 		for !targetRouter.errorHandler.IsValid() && targetRouter.parent != nil {
 			targetRouter = targetRouter.parent
-
-			// Need to set context to the next context, UNLESS the context is the same type.
-			curContextStruct := reflect.Indirect(context)
-			if targetRouter.contextType != curContextStruct.Type() {
-				context = curContextStruct.Field(0)
-				if reflect.Indirect(context).Type() != targetRouter.contextType {
-					panic("bug: shouldn't get here")
-				}
-			}
 		}
 	}
 
 	if targetRouter.errorHandler.IsValid() {
+		// Need to set context to the next context, UNLESS the context is the same type.
+		if _, err := validateContext(reflect.Indirect(reflect.New(targetRouter.contextType.Type)).Interface(), reflect.Indirect(context).Type()); err != nil {
+			panic(err)
+		}
+
+		ctxType := reflect.PtrTo(targetRouter.contextType.Type)
+		context = getMatchedParentContext(context, ctxType)
 		invoke(targetRouter.errorHandler, context, []reflect.Value{reflect.ValueOf(rw), reflect.ValueOf(req), reflect.ValueOf(err)})
 	} else {
 		http.Error(rw, DefaultPanicResponse, http.StatusInternalServerError)
diff --git a/router_setup.go b/router_setup.go
index c248dfb..258ad54 100644
--- a/router_setup.go
+++ b/router_setup.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package web
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"reflect"
 	"strings"
 )
@@ -19,6 +20,11 @@ const (
 
 var httpMethods = []httpMethod{httpMethodGet, httpMethodPost, httpMethodPut, httpMethodDelete, httpMethodPatch, httpMethodHead, httpMethodOptions}
 
+type ContextSt struct {
+	Type      reflect.Type
+	IsDerived bool //true if it's drived from main route, false if main route is drived from it
+}
+
 // Router implements net/http's Handler interface and is what you attach middleware, routes/handlers, and subrouters to.
 type Router struct {
 	// Hierarchy:
@@ -27,7 +33,7 @@ type Router struct {
 	maxChildrenDepth int
 
 	// For each request we'll create one of these objects
-	contextType reflect.Type
+	contextType ContextSt
 
 	// Eg, "/" or "/admin". Any routes added to this router will be prefixed with this.
 	pathPrefix string
@@ -89,10 +95,10 @@ var emptyInterfaceType = reflect.TypeOf((*interface{})(nil)).Elem()
 // whose purpose is to communicate type information. On each request, an instance of this
 // context type will be automatically allocated and sent to handlers.
 func New(ctx interface{}) *Router {
-	validateContext(ctx, nil)
+	// validateContext(ctx, nil)
 
 	r := &Router{}
-	r.contextType = reflect.TypeOf(ctx)
+	r.contextType = ContextSt{Type: reflect.TypeOf(ctx)}
 	r.pathPrefix = "/"
 	r.maxChildrenDepth = 1
 	r.root = make(map[httpMethod]*pathNode)
@@ -116,10 +122,14 @@ func NewWithPrefix(ctx interface{}, pathPrefix string) *Router {
 // embed a pointer to the previous context in the first slot. You can also pass
 // a pathPrefix that each route will have. If "" is passed, then no path prefix is applied.
 func (r *Router) Subrouter(ctx interface{}, pathPrefix string) *Router {
-	validateContext(ctx, r.contextType)
 
 	// Create new router, link up hierarchy
 	newRouter := &Router{parent: r}
+	contextType, err := validateContext(ctx, r.contextType.Type)
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(err)
+	}
+	newRouter.contextType = *contextType
 	r.children = append(r.children, newRouter)
 
 	// Increment maxChildrenDepth if this is the first child of the router
@@ -131,7 +141,6 @@ func (r *Router) Subrouter(ctx interface{}, pathPrefix string) *Router {
 		}
 	}
 
-	newRouter.contextType = reflect.TypeOf(ctx)
 	newRouter.pathPrefix = appendPath(r.pathPrefix, pathPrefix)
 	newRouter.root = r.root
 
@@ -141,7 +150,7 @@ func (r *Router) Subrouter(ctx interface{}, pathPrefix string) *Router {
 // Middleware adds the specified middleware tot he router and returns the router.
 func (r *Router) Middleware(fn interface{}) *Router {
 	vfn := reflect.ValueOf(fn)
-	validateMiddleware(vfn, r.contextType)
+	validateMiddleware(vfn, r.contextType.Type)
 	if vfn.Type().NumIn() == 3 {
 		r.middleware = append(r.middleware, &middlewareHandler{Generic: true, GenericMiddleware: fn.(func(ResponseWriter, *Request, NextMiddlewareFunc))})
 	} else {
@@ -154,7 +163,7 @@ func (r *Router) Middleware(fn interface{}) *Router {
 // Error sets the specified function as the error handler (when panics happen) and returns the router.
 func (r *Router) Error(fn interface{}) *Router {
 	vfn := reflect.ValueOf(fn)
-	validateErrorHandler(vfn, r.contextType)
+	validateErrorHandler(vfn, r.contextType.Type)
 	r.errorHandler = vfn
 	return r
 }
@@ -166,7 +175,7 @@ func (r *Router) NotFound(fn interface{}) *Router {
 		panic("You can only set a NotFoundHandler on the root router.")
 	}
 	vfn := reflect.ValueOf(fn)
-	validateNotFoundHandler(vfn, r.contextType)
+	validateNotFoundHandler(vfn, r.contextType.Type)
 	r.notFoundHandler = vfn
 	return r
 }
@@ -178,7 +187,7 @@ func (r *Router) OptionsHandler(fn interface{}) *Router {
 		panic("You can only set an OptionsHandler on the root router.")
 	}
 	vfn := reflect.ValueOf(fn)
-	validateOptionsHandler(vfn, r.contextType)
+	validateOptionsHandler(vfn, r.contextType.Type)
 	r.optionsHandler = vfn
 	return r
 }
@@ -220,7 +229,7 @@ func (r *Router) Options(path string, fn interface{}) *Router {
 
 func (r *Router) addRoute(method httpMethod, path string, fn interface{}) *Router {
 	vfn := reflect.ValueOf(fn)
-	validateHandler(vfn, r.contextType)
+	validateHandler(vfn, r.contextType.Type)
 	fullPath := appendPath(r.pathPrefix, path)
 	route := &route{Method: method, Path: fullPath, Router: r}
 	if vfn.Type().NumIn() == 2 {
@@ -249,26 +258,40 @@ func (r *Router) depth() int {
 // Private methods:
 //
 
-// Panics unless validation is correct
-func validateContext(ctx interface{}, parentCtxType reflect.Type) {
-	ctxType := reflect.TypeOf(ctx)
-
-	if ctxType.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
-		panic("web: Context needs to be a struct type")
-	}
-
-	if parentCtxType != nil && parentCtxType != ctxType {
-		if ctxType.NumField() == 0 {
-			panic("web: Context needs to have first field be a pointer to parent context")
+// validate contexts
+func validateContext(ctx interface{}, parentCtxType reflect.Type) (*ContextSt, error) {
+	doCheck := func(ctxType reflect.Type, parentCtxType reflect.Type) error {
+		for {
+			if ctxType.Kind() == reflect.Ptr {
+				ctxType = ctxType.Elem()
+			}
+			if ctxType.Kind() != reflect.Struct {
+				if ctxType == reflect.TypeOf(ctx) {
+					return errors.New("web: Context needs to be a struct type\n " + ctxType.String())
+				}
+				return errors.New("web: Context needs to have first field be a pointer to parent context\n" +
+					"Main Context: " + parentCtxType.String() + " Given Context: " + reflect.TypeOf(ctx).String())
+
+			}
+			if ctxType == parentCtxType {
+				break
+			}
+			if ctxType.NumField() == 0 {
+				return errors.New("web: Context needs to have first field be a pointer to parent context")
+			}
+			ctxType = ctxType.Field(0).Type
 		}
+		return nil
+	}
 
-		fldType := ctxType.Field(0).Type
-
-		// Ensure fld is a pointer to parentCtxType
-		if fldType != reflect.PtrTo(parentCtxType) {
-			panic("web: Context needs to have first field be a pointer to parent context")
+	ctxType := reflect.TypeOf(ctx)
+	if err1 := doCheck(ctxType, parentCtxType); err1 != nil {
+		if err2 := doCheck(parentCtxType, ctxType); err2 != nil {
+			return nil, err1
 		}
+		return &ContextSt{ctxType, false}, nil
 	}
+	return &ContextSt{ctxType, true}, nil
 }
 
 // Panics unless fn is a proper handler wrt ctxType
@@ -338,8 +361,10 @@ func isValidHandler(vfn reflect.Value, ctxType reflect.Type, types ...reflect.Ty
 	} else if numIn == (typesLen + 1) {
 		// context, types
 		firstArgType := fnType.In(0)
-		if firstArgType != reflect.PtrTo(ctxType) && firstArgType != emptyInterfaceType {
-			return false
+		if firstArgType != emptyInterfaceType {
+			if _, err := validateContext(reflect.Indirect(reflect.New(firstArgType.Elem())).Interface(), ctxType); err != nil {
+				return false
+			}
 		}
 		typesStartIdx = 1
 	} else {