diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index af66f9d348..0dd1fbc7cd 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -954,7 +954,6 @@ dependencies = [
  "linkerd-error",
  "linkerd-stack",
  "pin-project",
- "tower",
 ]
 
 [[package]]
@@ -1297,6 +1296,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "linkerd-addr",
  "linkerd-dns-name",
  "linkerd-error",
+ "linkerd-http-box",
  "linkerd-proxy-api-resolve",
  "linkerd-stack",
  "linkerd-tonic-watch",
diff --git a/linkerd/app/inbound/src/http/router.rs b/linkerd/app/inbound/src/http/router.rs
index 4a6a206cc3..59c366aadc 100644
--- a/linkerd/app/inbound/src/http/router.rs
+++ b/linkerd/app/inbound/src/http/router.rs
@@ -115,14 +115,12 @@ impl<C> Inbound<C> {
             // request has not been received for `cache_max_idle_age`.
             http.clone()
                 .check_new_service::<Logical, http::Request<http::BoxBody>>()
-                .push_on_response(http::BoxRequest::layer())
                 // The HTTP stack doesn't use the profile resolution, so drop it.
                 .push_map_target(Logical::from)
+                .push_on_response(http::BoxResponse::layer())
                 .push(profiles::http::route_request::layer(
                     svc::proxies()
-                        // Sets the route as a request extension so that it can be used
-                        // by tap.
-                        .push_http_insert_target::<dst::Route>()
+                        .push_on_response(http::BoxRequest::layer())
                         // Records per-route metrics.
                         .push(
                             rt.metrics
@@ -132,7 +130,9 @@ impl<C> Inbound<C> {
                         // Sets the per-route response classifier as a request
                         // extension.
                         .push(classify::NewClassify::layer())
-                        .check_new_clone::<dst::Route>()
+                        // Sets the route as a request extension so that it can be used
+                        // by tap.
+                        .push_http_insert_target::<dst::Route>()
                         .push_map_target(|(route, logical): (profiles::http::Route, Profile)| {
                             dst::Route {
                                 route,
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ impl<C> Inbound<C> {
                                 direction: metrics::Direction::In,
                             }
                         })
+                        .push_on_response(http::BoxResponse::layer())
                         .into_inner(),
                 ))
-                .push_on_response(http::BoxResponse::layer())
                 .push_switch(
                     // If the profile was resolved to a logical (service) address, build a profile
                     // stack to include route-level metrics, etc. Otherwise, skip this stack and use
diff --git a/linkerd/app/outbound/src/http/logical.rs b/linkerd/app/outbound/src/http/logical.rs
index 38ac278fc1..2cae46716e 100644
--- a/linkerd/app/outbound/src/http/logical.rs
+++ b/linkerd/app/outbound/src/http/logical.rs
@@ -109,9 +109,11 @@ impl<E> Outbound<E> {
                         .push_spawn_buffer(buffer_capacity),
                 )
                 .push_cache(cache_max_idle_age)
+                .push_on_response(http::BoxResponse::layer())
                 // Note: routes can't exert backpressure.
                 .push(profiles::http::route_request::layer(
                     svc::proxies()
+                        .push_on_response(http::BoxRequest::layer())
                         .push(
                             rt.metrics
                                 .http_route_actual
@@ -133,8 +135,10 @@ impl<E> Outbound<E> {
                         // extension.
                         .push(classify::NewClassify::layer())
                         .push_map_target(Logical::mk_route)
+                        .push_on_response(http::BoxResponse::layer())
                         .into_inner(),
                 ))
+                .push_on_response(http::BoxRequest::layer())
                 // Strips headers that may be set by this proxy and add an outbound
                 // canonical-dst-header. The response body is boxed unify the profile
                 // stack's response type with that of to endpoint stack.
diff --git a/linkerd/http-box/Cargo.toml b/linkerd/http-box/Cargo.toml
index 0189808e3e..079bbf2bbc 100644
--- a/linkerd/http-box/Cargo.toml
+++ b/linkerd/http-box/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,5 +13,4 @@ http = "0.2"
 http-body = "0.4"
 linkerd-error = { path = "../error" }
 linkerd-stack = { path = "../stack" }
-tower = {version = "0.4", default-features = false }
 pin-project = "1"
diff --git a/linkerd/http-box/src/erase_request.rs b/linkerd/http-box/src/erase_request.rs
index 4f122baf07..5f373167a7 100644
--- a/linkerd/http-box/src/erase_request.rs
+++ b/linkerd/http-box/src/erase_request.rs
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 
 use crate::BoxBody;
 use linkerd_error::Error;
-use linkerd_stack::{layer, Proxy};
+use linkerd_stack::{layer, Proxy, Service};
 use std::task::{Context, Poll};
 
 /// Boxes request bodies, erasing the original type.
 ///
 /// This is *very* similar to the [`BoxRequest`](crate::request::BoxRequest)
 /// middleware. However, that middleware is generic over a specific body type
-/// that is erased. A given instance of `EraseRequest` can only erase the type
+/// that is erased. A given instance of `BoxRequest` can only erase the type
 /// of one particular `Body` type, while this middleware will erase bodies of
 /// *any* type.
 ///
@@ -43,12 +43,12 @@ impl<S: Clone> Clone for EraseRequest<S> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<S, B> tower::Service<http::Request<B>> for EraseRequest<S>
+impl<S, B> Service<http::Request<B>> for EraseRequest<S>
 where
     B: http_body::Body + Send + 'static,
     B::Data: Send + 'static,
     B::Error: Into<Error>,
-    S: tower::Service<http::Request<BoxBody>>,
+    S: Service<http::Request<BoxBody>>,
 {
     type Response = S::Response;
     type Error = S::Error;
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@ where
     B: http_body::Body + Send + 'static,
     B::Data: Send + 'static,
     B::Error: Into<Error>,
-    S: tower::Service<P::Request>,
+    S: Service<P::Request>,
     P: Proxy<http::Request<BoxBody>, S>,
 {
     type Request = P::Request;
diff --git a/linkerd/http-box/src/request.rs b/linkerd/http-box/src/request.rs
index 714f2a206f..8ae598086e 100644
--- a/linkerd/http-box/src/request.rs
+++ b/linkerd/http-box/src/request.rs
@@ -2,16 +2,16 @@
 
 use crate::{erase_request::EraseRequest, BoxBody};
 use linkerd_error::Error;
-use linkerd_stack::layer;
+use linkerd_stack::{layer, Proxy, Service};
 use std::{
     marker::PhantomData,
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
 
 #[derive(Debug)]
-pub struct BoxRequest<S, B>(S, PhantomData<fn(B)>);
+pub struct BoxRequest<B, S>(S, PhantomData<fn(B)>);
 
-impl<S, B> BoxRequest<S, B> {
+impl<B, S> BoxRequest<B, S> {
     pub fn layer() -> impl layer::Layer<S, Service = Self> + Clone + Copy {
         layer::mk(|inner| BoxRequest(inner, PhantomData))
     }
@@ -24,18 +24,18 @@ impl<S> BoxRequest<S, ()> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<S: Clone, B> Clone for BoxRequest<S, B> {
+impl<B, S: Clone> Clone for BoxRequest<B, S> {
     fn clone(&self) -> Self {
         BoxRequest(self.0.clone(), self.1)
     }
 }
 
-impl<S, B> tower::Service<http::Request<B>> for BoxRequest<S, B>
+impl<B, S> Service<http::Request<B>> for BoxRequest<B, S>
 where
     B: http_body::Body + Send + 'static,
     B::Data: Send + 'static,
     B::Error: Into<Error>,
-    S: tower::Service<http::Request<BoxBody>>,
+    S: Service<http::Request<BoxBody>>,
 {
     type Response = S::Response;
     type Error = S::Error;
@@ -51,3 +51,22 @@ where
         self.0.call(req.map(BoxBody::new))
     }
 }
+
+impl<B, S, P> Proxy<http::Request<B>, S> for BoxRequest<B, P>
+where
+    B: http_body::Body + Send + 'static,
+    B::Data: Send + 'static,
+    B::Error: Into<Error>,
+    S: Service<P::Request>,
+    P: Proxy<http::Request<BoxBody>, S>,
+{
+    type Request = P::Request;
+    type Response = P::Response;
+    type Error = P::Error;
+    type Future = P::Future;
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn proxy(&self, inner: &mut S, req: http::Request<B>) -> Self::Future {
+        self.0.proxy(inner, req.map(BoxBody::new))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/linkerd/http-box/src/response.rs b/linkerd/http-box/src/response.rs
index 73e88e608a..90e86cf84c 100644
--- a/linkerd/http-box/src/response.rs
+++ b/linkerd/http-box/src/response.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 use crate::BoxBody;
 use futures::{future, TryFutureExt};
 use linkerd_error::Error;
-use linkerd_stack::layer;
+use linkerd_stack::{layer, Proxy, Service};
 use std::task::{Context, Poll};
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ impl<S> BoxResponse<S> {
     }
 }
 
-impl<S, Req, B> tower::Service<Req> for BoxResponse<S>
+impl<S, Req, B> Service<Req> for BoxResponse<S>
 where
-    S: tower::Service<Req, Response = http::Response<B>>,
+    S: Service<Req, Response = http::Response<B>>,
     B: http_body::Body + Send + 'static,
     B::Data: Send + 'static,
     B::Error: Into<Error> + 'static,
@@ -36,3 +36,22 @@ where
         self.0.call(req).map_ok(|rsp| rsp.map(BoxBody::new))
     }
 }
+
+impl<Req, B, S, P> Proxy<Req, S> for BoxResponse<P>
+where
+    B: http_body::Body + Send + 'static,
+    B::Data: Send + 'static,
+    B::Error: Into<Error>,
+    S: Service<P::Request>,
+    P: Proxy<Req, S, Response = http::Response<B>>,
+{
+    type Request = P::Request;
+    type Response = http::Response<BoxBody>;
+    type Error = P::Error;
+    type Future = future::MapOk<P::Future, fn(P::Response) -> Self::Response>;
+
+    #[inline]
+    fn proxy(&self, inner: &mut S, req: Req) -> Self::Future {
+        self.0.proxy(inner, req).map_ok(|rsp| rsp.map(BoxBody::new))
+    }
+}
diff --git a/linkerd/service-profiles/Cargo.toml b/linkerd/service-profiles/Cargo.toml
index 82a92fbfe7..1f45c2825a 100644
--- a/linkerd/service-profiles/Cargo.toml
+++ b/linkerd/service-profiles/Cargo.toml
@@ -21,10 +21,11 @@ indexmap = "1.7"
 linkerd-addr = { path = "../addr" }
 linkerd-dns-name = { path = "../dns/name" }
 linkerd-error = { path = "../error" }
-linkerd2-proxy-api = { version = "0.2", features = ["destination", "client"] }
+linkerd-http-box = { path = "../http-box" }
 linkerd-proxy-api-resolve = { path = "../proxy/api-resolve" }
 linkerd-stack = { path = "../stack" }
 linkerd-tonic-watch = { path = "../tonic-watch" }
+linkerd2-proxy-api = { version = "0.2", features = ["destination", "client"] }
 rand = { version = "0.8", features = ["small_rng"] }
 regex = "1.5.4"
 tokio = { version = "1", features = ["macros", "rt", "sync", "time"] }
diff --git a/linkerd/service-profiles/src/http/route_request.rs b/linkerd/service-profiles/src/http/route_request.rs
index 5225c3a009..b6735f9960 100644
--- a/linkerd/service-profiles/src/http/route_request.rs
+++ b/linkerd/service-profiles/src/http/route_request.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 use super::{RequestMatch, Route};
 use crate::{Profile, Receiver, ReceiverStream};
-use futures::{future::ErrInto, prelude::*, ready};
+use futures::{future, prelude::*, ready};
 use linkerd_error::Error;
+use linkerd_http_box::BoxBody;
 use linkerd_stack::{layer, NewService, Param, Proxy};
 use std::{
     collections::HashMap,
@@ -15,11 +16,9 @@ pub fn layer<M, N: Clone, R>(
 ) -> impl layer::Layer<M, Service = NewRouteRequest<M, N, R>> {
     // This is saved so that the same `Arc`s are used and cloned instead of
     // calling `Route::default()` every time.
-    let default = Route::default();
     layer::mk(move |inner| NewRouteRequest {
         inner,
         new_route: new_route.clone(),
-        default: default.clone(),
         _route: PhantomData,
     })
 }
@@ -27,7 +26,6 @@ pub fn layer<M, N: Clone, R>(
 pub struct NewRouteRequest<M, N, R> {
     inner: M,
     new_route: N,
-    default: Route,
     _route: PhantomData<R>,
 }
 
@@ -38,7 +36,6 @@ pub struct RouteRequest<T, S, N, R> {
     new_route: N,
     http_routes: Vec<(RequestMatch, Route)>,
     proxies: HashMap<Route, R>,
-    default: R,
 }
 
 impl<M: Clone, N: Clone, R> Clone for NewRouteRequest<M, N, R> {
@@ -46,7 +43,6 @@ impl<M: Clone, N: Clone, R> Clone for NewRouteRequest<M, N, R> {
         Self {
             inner: self.inner.clone(),
             new_route: self.new_route.clone(),
-            default: self.default.clone(),
             _route: self._route,
         }
     }
@@ -63,14 +59,10 @@ where
     fn new_service(&mut self, target: T) -> Self::Service {
         let rx = target.param();
         let inner = self.inner.new_service(target.clone());
-        let default = self
-            .new_route
-            .new_service((self.default.clone(), target.clone()));
         RouteRequest {
             rx: rx.into(),
             target,
             inner,
-            default,
             new_route: self.new_route.clone(),
             http_routes: Vec::new(),
             proxies: HashMap::new(),
@@ -78,18 +70,23 @@ where
     }
 }
 
-impl<B, T, N, S, R> tower::Service<http::Request<B>> for RouteRequest<T, S, N, R>
+impl<T, N, S, R> tower::Service<http::Request<BoxBody>> for RouteRequest<T, S, N, R>
 where
-    B: Send + 'static,
     T: Clone,
     N: NewService<(Route, T), Service = R> + Clone,
-    R: Proxy<http::Request<B>, S>,
-    S: tower::Service<R::Request>,
+    R: Proxy<
+        http::Request<BoxBody>,
+        S,
+        Request = http::Request<BoxBody>,
+        Response = http::Response<BoxBody>,
+    >,
+    S: tower::Service<http::Request<BoxBody>, Response = http::Response<BoxBody>>,
     S::Error: Into<Error>,
 {
-    type Response = R::Response;
+    type Response = http::Response<BoxBody>;
     type Error = Error;
-    type Future = ErrInto<R::Future, Error>;
+    type Future =
+        future::Either<future::ErrInto<R::Future, Error>, future::ErrInto<S::Future, Error>>;
 
     fn poll_ready(&mut self, cx: &mut Context<'_>) -> Poll<Result<(), Self::Error>> {
         let mut update = None;
@@ -119,17 +116,19 @@ where
         Poll::Ready(ready!(self.inner.poll_ready(cx)).map_err(Into::into))
     }
 
-    fn call(&mut self, req: http::Request<B>) -> Self::Future {
+    fn call(&mut self, req: http::Request<BoxBody>) -> Self::Future {
         for (ref condition, ref route) in &self.http_routes {
             if condition.is_match(&req) {
                 trace!(?condition, "Using configured route");
-                return self.proxies[route]
-                    .proxy(&mut self.inner, req)
-                    .err_into::<Error>();
+                return future::Either::Left(
+                    self.proxies[route]
+                        .proxy(&mut self.inner, req)
+                        .err_into::<Error>(),
+                );
             }
         }
 
-        trace!("Using default route");
-        self.default.proxy(&mut self.inner, req).err_into::<Error>()
+        trace!("No routes matched");
+        future::Either::Right(self.inner.call(req).err_into::<Error>())
     }
 }