diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DJexConfig.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DJexConfig.java
index bdcd54b8..1d5473e0 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DJexConfig.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/DJexConfig.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import com.sun.net.httpserver.HttpsConfigurator;
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ final class DJexConfig implements JexConfig {
   private int socketBacklog = 0;
   private boolean health = true;
   private boolean ignoreTrailingSlashes = true;
+  private Executor executor;
   private JsonService jsonService;
   private final Map<String, TemplateRender> renderers = new HashMap<>();
   private HttpsConfigurator httpsConfig;
@@ -81,6 +84,22 @@ public JexConfig renderer(String extension, TemplateRender renderer) {
     return this;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  public Executor executor() {
+    if (executor == null) {
+      executor =
+          Executors.newThreadPerTaskExecutor(
+              Thread.ofVirtual().name("avaje-jex-http-", 0).factory());
+    }
+    return executor;
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public JexConfig executor(Executor executor) {
+    this.executor = executor;
+    return this;
+  }
+
   @Override
   public String host() {
     return host;
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/JexConfig.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/JexConfig.java
index 9005fd39..6db7bf13 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/JexConfig.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/JexConfig.java
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 package io.avaje.jex;
 
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 import com.sun.net.httpserver.HttpServer;
@@ -41,6 +43,19 @@ public interface JexConfig {
    */
   JexConfig contextPath(String contextPath);
 
+  /**
+   * Executor for serving requests. Defaults to a {@link
+   * Executors#newVirtualThreadPerTaskExecutor()}
+   */
+  Executor executor();
+
+  /**
+   * Sets the executor service used to handle incoming requests.
+   *
+   * @param executor The executor service.
+   */
+  JexConfig executor(Executor executor);
+
   /** Returns whether the health endpoint is enabled. */
   boolean health();
 
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/core/BootstrapServer.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/core/BootstrapServer.java
index a82824ea..9348feba 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/core/BootstrapServer.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/core/BootstrapServer.java
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 import java.net.InetAddress;
 import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
 import java.net.UnknownHostException;
-import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 
 import com.sun.net.httpserver.HttpServer;
 
@@ -62,9 +61,7 @@ static Jex.Server start(Jex jex, SpiRoutes routes) {
       // jetty's server does not support setExecutor with virtual threads (VT)
       // as it has it's own impl that will auto-use VTs
       if (!serverClass.getName().contains("jetty")) {
-        server.setExecutor(
-            Executors.newThreadPerTaskExecutor(
-                Thread.ofVirtual().name("avaje-jex-http-", 0).factory()));
+        server.setExecutor(config.executor());
       }
 
       server.createContext(contextPath, handler);
diff --git a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/ExchangeHandler.java b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/ExchangeHandler.java
index 2b9ef63f..70577324 100644
--- a/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/ExchangeHandler.java
+++ b/avaje-jex/src/main/java/io/avaje/jex/http/ExchangeHandler.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package io.avaje.jex.http;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+
 /**
  * A functional interface representing an HTTP request handler.
  *
@@ -19,7 +21,7 @@ public interface ExchangeHandler {
    * parameters, and body, as well as methods for constructing and sending the response.
    *
    * @param ctx The context object containing the request and response details.
-   * @throws Exception if an error occurs during request processing or response generation.
+   * @throws IOException if an I/O error occurs during request processing or response generation.
    */
   void handle(Context ctx) throws Exception;
 }