diff --git a/lib/faraday/middleware.rb b/lib/faraday/middleware.rb
index 5bbe4a0e1..a754df33f 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/middleware.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/middleware.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ class Middleware
     extend MiddlewareRegistry
     extend DependencyLoader
 
+    register_middleware('')
+
     def initialize(app = nil)
       @app = app
     end
diff --git a/lib/faraday/middleware_registry.rb b/lib/faraday/middleware_registry.rb
index 021038fec..0b762911d 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/middleware_registry.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/middleware_registry.rb
@@ -3,9 +3,133 @@
 require 'monitor'
 
 module Faraday
+  # ClassRegistry tracks potential middleware dependencies for a given parent
+  # class. These potential dependencies are lazily required upon first access
+  # during runtime.
+  class ClassRegistry
+    attr_reader :autoload_path
+
+    def initialize(klass, autoload_path, mapping = nil)
+      @klass = klass
+      @autoload_path = autoload_path.to_s.freeze
+      @monitor = Monitor.new
+      @mutex = @monitor.method(:synchronize)
+      @registered = {}
+      register(mapping) if mapping
+    end
+
+    # Register middleware class(es) on the current module.
+    #
+    # @param mapping [Hash{
+    #          Symbol => Module,
+    #          Symbol => Array<Module, Symbol, String>,
+    #        }] Middleware mapping from a lookup symbol to a reference to the
+    #        middleware.
+    #        Classes can be expressed as:
+    #          - a fully qualified constant
+    #          - a Symbol
+    #          - a Proc that will be lazily called to return the former
+    #          - an array is given, its first element is the constant or symbol,
+    #            and its second is a file to `require`.
+    # @return [void]
+    #
+    # @example
+    #
+    #   # builds a registry for Faraday::Adapter, lazily loading from
+    #   # 'path/to/adapters/*.rb'
+    #   cr = ClassRegistry.new(Faraday::Adapter, 'path/to/adapters')
+    #   cr.register(
+    #     # Lookup constant
+    #     some_adapter: SomeAdapter,
+    #
+    #     # Lookup symbol constant name
+    #     # Same as Faraday::Adapter.const_get(:SomeAdapter2)
+    #     some_adapter_2: :SomeAdapter2,
+    #
+    #     # Require lib and then lookup class
+    #     # require('some-adapter-3')
+    #     # Returns Faraday::Adapter::SomeAdapter3
+    #     some_adapter_3: [:SomeAdapter3, 'some-adapter-3']
+    #   )
+    #
+    def register(mapping)
+      @mutex.call { @registered.update(mapping) }
+    end
+
+    # Unregister a previously registered middleware class.
+    #
+    # @param key [Symbol] key for the registered middleware.
+    def unregister(key)
+      @mutex.call { @registered.delete(key) }
+    end
+
+    # Lookup middleware class with a registered Symbol shortcut.
+    #
+    # @param key [Symbol] key for the registered middleware.
+    # @return [Class] a middleware Class.
+    # @raise [Faraday::Error] if given key is not registered
+    #
+    # @example
+    #
+    #   cr = ClassRegistry.new(Faraday::Adapter, .path/to/adapters.)
+    #   cr.register(some_adapter: SomeAdapter)
+    #
+    #   cr.lookup(:some_adapter)
+    #   # => SomeAdapter
+    #
+    def lookup(key)
+      load_class(key) ||
+        raise(Faraday::Error,
+              "#{key.inspect} is not registered on #{@klass}")
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    # Expands the registered value for key until it comes back as a Module,
+    # Class, or nil.
+    def load_class(key)
+      @mutex.call do
+        loop do
+          klass, register = expand_entry(key)
+          return klass unless register
+
+          @registered.update(key => klass)
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    def expand_entry(key)
+      case value = @registered[key]
+      when Module, NilClass
+        value
+      when Symbol, String
+        [@klass.const_get(value), true]
+      when Proc
+        [value.call, true]
+      when Array
+        const, path = value
+        if (root = @autoload_path) && !root.empty?
+          path = "#{root}/#{path}"
+        end
+        require(path)
+        [const, true]
+      else
+        msg = "unexpected #{@klass} value for #{key.inspect}: #{value.inspect}"
+        raise ArgumentError, msg
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   # Adds the ability for other modules to register and lookup
   # middleware classes.
   module MiddlewareRegistry
+    def self.extended(klass)
+      class << klass
+        attr_accessor :class_registry
+      end
+      super
+    end
+
     # Register middleware class(es) on the current module.
     #
     # @param autoload_path [String] Middleware autoload path
@@ -22,51 +146,40 @@ module MiddlewareRegistry
     #            and its second is a file to `require`.
     # @return [void]
     #
-    # @example Lookup by a constant
+    # @example
     #
     #   module Faraday
-    #     class Whatever
-    #       # Middleware looked up by :foo returns Faraday::Whatever::Foo.
-    #       register_middleware foo: Foo
-    #     end
-    #   end
+    #     class Adapter
+    #       extend MiddlewareRegistry
     #
-    # @example Lookup by a symbol
-    #
-    #   module Faraday
-    #     class Whatever
-    #       # Middleware looked up by :bar returns
-    #       # Faraday::Whatever.const_get(:Bar)
-    #       register_middleware bar: :Bar
-    #     end
-    #   end
+    #       register_middleware 'path/to/adapters',
+    #         # Lookup constant
+    #         some_adapter: SomeAdapter,
     #
-    # @example Lookup by a symbol and string in an array
+    #         # Lookup symbol constant name
+    #         # Same as Faraday::Adapter.const_get(:SomeAdapter2)
+    #         some_adapter_2: :SomeAdapter2,
     #
-    #   module Faraday
-    #     class Whatever
-    #       # Middleware looked up by :baz requires 'baz' and returns
-    #       # Faraday::Whatever.const_get(:Baz)
-    #       register_middleware baz: [:Baz, 'baz']
+    #         # Require lib and then lookup class
+    #         # require('some-adapter-3')
+    #         # Returns Faraday::Adapter::SomeAdapter3
+    #         some_adapter_3: [:SomeAdapter3, 'some-adapter-3']
     #     end
     #   end
     #
     def register_middleware(autoload_path = nil, mapping = nil)
-      if mapping.nil?
-        mapping = autoload_path
-        autoload_path = nil
-      end
-      middleware_mutex do
-        @middleware_autoload_path = autoload_path if autoload_path
-        (@registered_middleware ||= {}).update(mapping)
+      if class_registry.nil?
+        return initialize_class_registry(autoload_path, mapping)
       end
+
+      update_class_registry(autoload_path, mapping)
     end
 
     # Unregister a previously registered middleware class.
     #
     # @param key [Symbol] key for the registered middleware.
     def unregister_middleware(key)
-      @registered_middleware.delete(key)
+      class_registry.unregister(key)
     end
 
     # Lookup middleware class with a registered Symbol shortcut.
@@ -78,52 +191,55 @@ def unregister_middleware(key)
     # @example
     #
     #   module Faraday
-    #     class Whatever
-    #       register_middleware foo: Foo
+    #     extend MiddlewareRegistry
+    #     class Adapter
+    #       register_middleware('path/to/adapters',
+    #         some_adapter: SomeAdapter,
+    #       )
     #     end
     #   end
     #
-    #   Faraday::Whatever.lookup_middleware(:foo)
-    #   # => Faraday::Whatever::Foo
+    #   Faraday::Adapter.lookup_middleware(:some_adapter)
+    #   # => SomeAdapter
     #
     def lookup_middleware(key)
-      load_middleware(key) ||
-        raise(Faraday::Error, "#{key.inspect} is not registered on #{self}")
+      class_registry.lookup(key)
     end
 
-    def middleware_mutex(&block)
-      @middleware_mutex ||= Monitor.new
-      @middleware_mutex.synchronize(&block)
+    def load_middleware(key)
+      warn "Deprecated, use #{self}.lookup_middleware"
+      lookup_middleware(key)
     end
 
-    def fetch_middleware(key)
-      defined?(@registered_middleware) && @registered_middleware[key]
+    def middleware_mutex
+      warn "Deprecated, see #{self}.class_registry"
     end
 
-    def load_middleware(key)
-      value = fetch_middleware(key)
-      case value
-      when Module
-        value
-      when Symbol, String
-        middleware_mutex do
-          @registered_middleware[key] = const_get(value)
-        end
-      when Proc
-        middleware_mutex do
-          @registered_middleware[key] = value.call
-        end
-      when Array
-        middleware_mutex do
-          const, path = value
-          if (root = @middleware_autoload_path)
-            path = "#{root}/#{path}"
-          end
-          require(path)
-          @registered_middleware[key] = const
-        end
-        load_middleware(key)
+    def fetch_middleware(_)
+      warn "Deprecated, see #{self}.class_registry"
+    end
+
+    private
+
+    def initialize_class_registry(autoload_path = nil, mapping = nil)
+      if autoload_path.nil?
+        raise ArgumentError, 'needs autoload_path to initialize ClassRegistry'
       end
+
+      self.class_registry = ClassRegistry.new(self, autoload_path, mapping)
+    end
+
+    def update_class_registry(autoload_path = nil, mapping = nil)
+      if mapping.nil?
+        mapping = autoload_path
+        autoload_path = nil
+      end
+
+      unless autoload_path.nil? || autoload_path.to_s == @autoload_path
+        warn "Cannot change autoload_path of existing #{self}.class_registry"
+      end
+
+      class_registry.register(mapping)
     end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/faraday/request/basic_authentication.rb b/lib/faraday/request/basic_authentication.rb
index 61c9a5bc3..aa76a123c 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/request/basic_authentication.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/request/basic_authentication.rb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 module Faraday
   class Request
     # Authorization middleware for Basic Authentication.
-    class BasicAuthentication < load_middleware(:authorization)
+    class BasicAuthentication < lookup_middleware(:authorization)
       # @param login [String]
       # @param pass [String]
       #
diff --git a/lib/faraday/request/token_authentication.rb b/lib/faraday/request/token_authentication.rb
index f28264b1c..c483916a1 100644
--- a/lib/faraday/request/token_authentication.rb
+++ b/lib/faraday/request/token_authentication.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ module Faraday
   class Request
     # TokenAuthentication is a middleware that adds a 'Token' header to a
     # Faraday request.
-    class TokenAuthentication < load_middleware(:authorization)
+    class TokenAuthentication < lookup_middleware(:authorization)
       # Public
       def self.header(token, options = nil)
         options ||= {}