diff --git a/api/server/runner.go b/api/server/runner.go
index 05b894302..2622c8656 100644
--- a/api/server/runner.go
+++ b/api/server/runner.go
@@ -27,16 +27,15 @@ func (s *Server) handleSpecial(c *gin.Context) {
 
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "appName", "")
 	ctx = context.WithValue(ctx, "routePath", c.Request.URL.Path)
-	c.Set("ctx", ctx)
 
-	err := s.UseSpecialHandlers(c)
+	ctx, err := s.UseSpecialHandlers(ctx, c.Request, c.Writer)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.WithError(err).Errorln("Error using special handler!")
 		c.JSON(http.StatusInternalServerError, simpleError(errors.New("Failed to run function")))
 		return
 	}
 
-	ctx = c.MustGet("ctx").(context.Context)
+	c.Set("ctx", ctx)
 	if ctx.Value("appName").(string) == "" {
 		log.WithError(err).Errorln("Specialhandler returned empty app name")
 		c.JSON(http.StatusBadRequest, simpleError(models.ErrRunnerRouteNotFound))
diff --git a/api/server/special_handler.go b/api/server/special_handler.go
index 9a3da827b..c32affd6f 100644
--- a/api/server/special_handler.go
+++ b/api/server/special_handler.go
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 
 	"context"
-	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
-	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/models"
 )
 
 type SpecialHandler interface {
@@ -13,7 +11,6 @@ type SpecialHandler interface {
 }
 
 // Each handler can modify the context here so when it gets passed along, it will use the new info.
-// Not using Gin's Context so we don't lock ourselves into Gin, this is a subset of the Gin context.
 type HandlerContext interface {
 	// Context return the context object
 	Context() context.Context
@@ -21,28 +18,51 @@ type HandlerContext interface {
 	// Request returns the underlying http.Request object
 	Request() *http.Request
 
-	// Datastore returns the models.Datastore object. Not that this has arbitrary key value store methods that can be used to store extra data
-	Datastore() models.Datastore
+	// Response returns the http.ResponseWriter
+	Response() http.ResponseWriter
 
-	// Set and Get values on the context, this can be useful to change behavior for the rest of the request
+	// Overwrite value in the context
 	Set(key string, value interface{})
-	Get(key string) (value interface{}, exists bool)
+}
+
+type SpecialHandlerContext struct {
+	request  *http.Request
+	response http.ResponseWriter
+	ctx      context.Context
+}
+
+func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Context() context.Context {
+	return c.ctx
+}
+
+func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Request() *http.Request {
+	return c.request
+}
+
+func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Response() http.ResponseWriter {
+	return c.response
+}
+
+func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Set(key string, value interface{}) {
+	c.ctx = context.WithValue(c.ctx, key, value)
 }
 
 func (s *Server) AddSpecialHandler(handler SpecialHandler) {
 	s.specialHandlers = append(s.specialHandlers, handler)
 }
 
-func (s *Server) UseSpecialHandlers(ginC *gin.Context) error {
+// UseSpecialHandlers execute all special handlers
+func (s *Server) UseSpecialHandlers(ctx context.Context, req *http.Request, resp http.ResponseWriter) (context.Context, error) {
 	c := &SpecialHandlerContext{
-		server:     s,
-		ginContext: ginC,
+		request:  req,
+		response: resp,
+		ctx:      ctx,
 	}
 	for _, l := range s.specialHandlers {
 		err := l.Handle(c)
 		if err != nil {
-			return err
+			return c.ctx, err
 		}
 	}
-	return nil
+	return c.ctx, nil
 }
diff --git a/api/server/special_handler_context.go b/api/server/special_handler_context.go
deleted file mode 100644
index 1ffd2b06b..000000000
--- a/api/server/special_handler_context.go
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,34 +0,0 @@
-package server
-
-import (
-	"net/http"
-
-	"context"
-	"github.com/gin-gonic/gin"
-	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/models"
-)
-
-type SpecialHandlerContext struct {
-	server     *Server
-	ginContext *gin.Context
-}
-
-func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Context() context.Context {
-	ctx, _ := c.ginContext.Get("ctx")
-	return ctx.(context.Context)
-}
-
-func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Request() *http.Request {
-	return c.ginContext.Request
-}
-
-func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Datastore() models.Datastore {
-	return c.server.Datastore
-}
-
-func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Set(key string, value interface{}) {
-	c.ginContext.Set(key, value)
-}
-func (c *SpecialHandlerContext) Get(key string) (value interface{}, exists bool) {
-	return c.ginContext.Get(key)
-}
diff --git a/api/server/special_handler_test.go b/api/server/special_handler_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d3e0c6b6f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api/server/special_handler_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+package server
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/datastore"
+	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/models"
+	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/mqs"
+	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/runner"
+	"github.com/iron-io/functions/api/runner/task"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type testSpecialHandler struct{}
+
+func (h *testSpecialHandler) Handle(c HandlerContext) error {
+	c.Set("appName", "test")
+	return nil
+}
+
+func TestSpecialHandlerSet(t *testing.T) {
+	ctx := context.Background()
+
+	tasks := make(chan task.Request)
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
+	defer cancel()
+
+	rnr, cancelrnr := testRunner(t)
+	defer cancelrnr()
+
+	go runner.StartWorkers(ctx, rnr, tasks)
+
+	s := New(ctx, &datastore.Mock{
+		Apps: []*models.App{
+			{Name: "test"},
+		},
+		Routes: []*models.Route{
+			{Path: "/test", Image: "iron/hello", AppName: "test"},
+		},
+	}, &mqs.Mock{}, rnr, tasks, DefaultEnqueue)
+	router := s.Router
+	router.Use(prepareMiddleware(ctx))
+	s.bindHandlers()
+	s.AddSpecialHandler(&testSpecialHandler{})
+
+	_, rec := routerRequest(t, router, "GET", "/test", nil)
+	if rec.Code != 200 {
+		t.Fatal("Test SpecialHandler: expected special handler to run functions successfully")
+	}
+}