diff --git a/examples/node-api-middleware/server.js b/examples/node-api-middleware/server.js
index 5b9253e886..eaa59584a2 100644
--- a/examples/node-api-middleware/server.js
+++ b/examples/node-api-middleware/server.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const server = new WebpackDevServer(compiler, {
   stats: {
     colors: true
   },
-  setup(app) {
+  before(app) {
     app.use((req, res, next) => {
       console.log(`Using middleware for ${req.url}`);
       next();
diff --git a/lib/Server.js b/lib/Server.js
index 1a31eca021..ac3cd74b37 100644
--- a/lib/Server.js
+++ b/lib/Server.js
@@ -321,11 +321,19 @@ function Server(compiler, options) {
       }
     },
 
+    before: () => {
+      if (typeof options.before === 'function') { options.before(app, this); }
+    },
+
     middleware: () => {
       // include our middleware to ensure it is able to handle '/index.html' request after redirect
       app.use(this.middleware);
     },
 
+    after: () => {
+      if (typeof options.after === 'function') { options.after(app, this); }
+    },
+
     headers: () => {
       app.all('*', this.setContentHeaders.bind(this));
     },
@@ -335,16 +343,18 @@ function Server(compiler, options) {
     },
 
     setup: () => {
+      log('Using "setup" is deprecated and will be removed in the next major version. Please use the "before" and "after" hooks instead.');
+      log('If "setup" was working fine for you until now, simply replace it with "before"');
       if (typeof options.setup === 'function') { options.setup(app, this); }
     }
   };
 
-  const defaultFeatures = ['setup', 'headers', 'middleware'];
-  if (options.proxy) { defaultFeatures.push('proxy', 'middleware'); }
+  const defaultFeatures = ['before', 'setup', 'headers', 'middleware', 'after'];
+  if (options.proxy) { defaultFeatures.push('proxy', 'middleware', 'after'); }
   if (contentBase !== false) { defaultFeatures.push('contentBaseFiles'); }
   if (options.watchContentBase) { defaultFeatures.push('watchContentBase'); }
   if (options.historyApiFallback) {
-    defaultFeatures.push('historyApiFallback', 'middleware');
+    defaultFeatures.push('historyApiFallback', 'middleware', 'after');
     if (contentBase !== false) { defaultFeatures.push('contentBaseFiles'); }
   }
   defaultFeatures.push('magicHtml');
diff --git a/lib/optionsSchema.json b/lib/optionsSchema.json
index 8f9f7706b3..1c8e8765e6 100644
--- a/lib/optionsSchema.json
+++ b/lib/optionsSchema.json
@@ -274,6 +274,14 @@
       "description": "Exposes the Express server to add custom middleware or routes.",
       "instanceof": "Function"
     },
+    "before": {
+      "description": "Exposes the Express server to add custom middleware or routes before webpack-dev-middleware will be added.",
+      "instanceof": "Function"
+    },
+    "after": {
+      "description": "Exposes the Express server to add custom middleware or routes after webpack-dev-middleware got added.",
+      "instanceof": "Function"
+    },
     "stats": {
       "description": "Decides what bundle information is displayed.",
       "anyOf": [
diff --git a/test/Validation.test.js b/test/Validation.test.js
index a04e329111..c4f6933c52 100644
--- a/test/Validation.test.js
+++ b/test/Validation.test.js
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ describe('Validation', () => {
       '   object { hot?, hotOnly?, lazy?, bonjour?, host?, allowedHosts?, filename?, publicPath?, port?, socket?, ' +
       'watchOptions?, headers?, clientLogLevel?, overlay?, progress?, key?, cert?, ca?, pfx?, pfxPassphrase?, requestCert?, ' +
       'inline?, disableHostCheck?, public?, https?, contentBase?, watchContentBase?, open?, useLocalIp?, openPage?, features?, ' +
-      'compress?, proxy?, historyApiFallback?, staticOptions?, setup?, stats?, reporter?, ' +
+      'compress?, proxy?, historyApiFallback?, staticOptions?, setup?, before?, after?, stats?, reporter?, ' +
       'noInfo?, quiet?, serverSideRender?, index?, log?, warn? }'
     ]
   }];