diff --git a/cmd/lingo/main.go b/cmd/lingo/main.go
index 06b1e0a6..b561b0d9 100644
--- a/cmd/lingo/main.go
+++ b/cmd/lingo/main.go
@@ -155,8 +155,7 @@ func run() error {
 	go autoscaler.Start()
 
 	proxy.MustRegister(metricsRegistry)
-	var proxyHandler http.Handler = proxy.NewHandler(deploymentManager, endpointManager, queueManager)
-	proxyHandler = proxy.NewRetryMiddleware(maxRetriesOnErr, proxyHandler)
+	var proxyHandler http.Handler = proxy.NewHandler(deploymentManager, endpointManager, queueManager, maxRetriesOnErr)
 	proxyServer := &http.Server{Addr: ":8080", Handler: proxyHandler}
 
 	statsHandler := &stats.Handler{
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/handler.go b/pkg/proxy/handler.go
index 4acfb57e..cec4b1f6 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/handler.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/handler.go
@@ -28,13 +28,19 @@ type deploymentSource interface {
 // Handler serves http requests for end-clients.
 // It is also responsible for triggering scale-from-zero.
 type Handler struct {
-	Deployments deploymentSource
-	Endpoints   *endpoints.Manager
-	Queues      *queue.Manager
+	Deployments  deploymentSource
+	Endpoints    *endpoints.Manager
+	Queues       *queue.Manager
+	retriesOnErr int
 }
 
-func NewHandler(deployments deploymentSource, endpoints *endpoints.Manager, queues *queue.Manager) *Handler {
-	return &Handler{Deployments: deployments, Endpoints: endpoints, Queues: queues}
+func NewHandler(deployments deploymentSource, endpoints *endpoints.Manager, queues *queue.Manager, retriesOnErr int) *Handler {
+	return &Handler{
+		Deployments:  deployments,
+		Endpoints:    endpoints,
+		Queues:       queues,
+		retriesOnErr: retriesOnErr,
+	}
 }
 
 func (h *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
@@ -120,7 +126,8 @@ func (h *Handler) ServeHTTP(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	log.Printf("Proxying request to host %v: %v\n", host, id)
 	// TODO: Avoid creating new reverse proxies for each request.
 	// TODO: Consider implementing a round robin scheme.
-	newReverseProxy(host).ServeHTTP(w, proxyRequest)
+	proxy := newReverseProxy(host)
+	NewRetryMiddleware(h.retriesOnErr, proxy).ServeHTTP(w, proxyRequest)
 }
 
 // parseModel parses the model name from the request
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/handler_test.go b/pkg/proxy/handler_test.go
index 36fbf08b..0442bc96 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/handler_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/handler_test.go
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ func TestProxy(t *testing.T) {
 			em, err := endpoints.NewManager(&fakeManager{}, func(deploymentName string, replicas int) {})
 			require.NoError(t, err)
 			em.SetEndpoints("my-deployment", map[string]struct{}{"my-ip": {}}, map[string]int32{"my-port": 8080})
-			h := NewHandler(deplMgr, em, queue.NewManager(10))
+			h := NewHandler(deplMgr, em, queue.NewManager(10), 1)
 
 			svr := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 				em.SetEndpoints("my-deployment", map[string]struct{}{"my-other-ip": {}}, map[string]int32{"my-other-port": 8080})
diff --git a/pkg/proxy/metrics_test.go b/pkg/proxy/metrics_test.go
index a3c1a7ea..79bc68ff 100644
--- a/pkg/proxy/metrics_test.go
+++ b/pkg/proxy/metrics_test.go
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ func TestMetrics(t *testing.T) {
 
 			deplMgr, err := deployments.NewManager(&fakeManager{})
 			require.NoError(t, err)
-			h := NewHandler(deplMgr, nil, nil)
+			h := NewHandler(deplMgr, nil, nil, 2)
 			recorder := httptest.NewRecorder()
 
 			// when
diff --git a/tests/integration/main_test.go b/tests/integration/main_test.go
index 36d8987c..e7f41684 100644
--- a/tests/integration/main_test.go
+++ b/tests/integration/main_test.go
@@ -104,12 +104,8 @@ func TestMain(m *testing.M) {
 	autoscaler.Endpoints = endpointManager
 	go autoscaler.Start()
 
-	handler := &proxy.Handler{
-		Deployments: deploymentManager,
-		Endpoints:   endpointManager,
-		Queues:      queueManager,
-	}
-	testServer = httptest.NewServer(proxy.NewRetryMiddleware(3, handler))
+	handler := proxy.NewHandler(deploymentManager, endpointManager, queueManager, 3)
+	testServer = httptest.NewServer(handler)
 	defer testServer.Close()
 
 	go func() {