diff --git a/packages/nitro/package.json b/packages/nitro/package.json
index 8a27bef2e3..fe96317a86 100644
--- a/packages/nitro/package.json
+++ b/packages/nitro/package.json
@@ -85,8 +85,10 @@
     "vue-server-renderer": "^2.6.12"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
+    "@types/chokidar": "^2.1.3",
     "@types/debounce": "^1.2.0",
     "@types/fs-extra": "^9.0.10",
+    "@types/globby": "^9.1.0",
     "@types/http-proxy": "^1.17.5",
     "@types/node-fetch": "^2.5.9",
     "@types/serve-static": "^1.13.9"
diff --git a/packages/nitro/src/server/dev.ts b/packages/nitro/src/server/dev.ts
index 053102f253..3f7a8aeb19 100644
--- a/packages/nitro/src/server/dev.ts
+++ b/packages/nitro/src/server/dev.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import servePlaceholder from 'serve-placeholder'
 import serveStatic from 'serve-static'
 import { resolve } from 'upath'
 import type { NitroContext } from '../context'
-import type { ServerMiddleware } from './middleware'
 
 export function createDevServer (nitroContext: NitroContext) {
   // Worker
@@ -119,6 +118,7 @@ export function createDevServer (nitroContext: NitroContext) {
   return {
     reload,
     listen: _listen,
+    app,
     close,
     watch,
     setLegacyMiddleware: legacyMiddleware.set,
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ export function createDevServer (nitroContext: NitroContext) {
 }
 
 interface DynamicMiddleware {
-  set: (input: Middleware | ServerMiddleware[]) => void
+  set: (input: Middleware) => void
   middleware: Middleware
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/nitro/src/server/middleware.ts b/packages/nitro/src/server/middleware.ts
index 18adec1fc3..dcf70c93ec 100644
--- a/packages/nitro/src/server/middleware.ts
+++ b/packages/nitro/src/server/middleware.ts
@@ -12,11 +12,11 @@ export interface ServerMiddleware {
    */
   path?: string
 
-  handle?: Middleware
+  handle?: Middleware | string
   /**
    * @deprecated use handle
    */
-  handler?: Middleware
+  handler?: Middleware | string
 
   lazy?: boolean // Default is true
   promisify?: boolean // Default is true
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 21724552c4..47ef121292 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1788,8 +1788,10 @@ __metadata:
     "@rollup/plugin-replace": ^2.4.2
     "@rollup/plugin-virtual": ^2.0.3
     "@rollup/pluginutils": ^4.1.0
+    "@types/chokidar": ^2.1.3
     "@types/debounce": ^1.2.0
     "@types/fs-extra": ^9.0.10
+    "@types/globby": ^9.1.0
     "@types/http-proxy": ^1.17.5
     "@types/node-fetch": ^2.5.9
     "@types/serve-static": ^1.13.9
@@ -2274,6 +2276,15 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@types/chokidar@npm:^2.1.3":
+  version: 2.1.3
+  resolution: "@types/chokidar@npm:2.1.3"
+  dependencies:
+    chokidar: "*"
+  checksum: efefdf7b57586234d4a1583ebd725a2ad4ec9d8be3b4c29ad581e2dccbfee08922dbbc9516aca55d6242390ff9b174f3e0333253094693317132a96a3cb2e2b6
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@types/connect@npm:*":
   version: 3.4.34
   resolution: "@types/connect@npm:3.4.34"
@@ -2343,6 +2354,15 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"@types/globby@npm:^9.1.0":
+  version: 9.1.0
+  resolution: "@types/globby@npm:9.1.0"
+  dependencies:
+    globby: "*"
+  checksum: 9dd2abb72f7fe61a84e322f7d5a25640862ccd776a38f770b58e4a07040d9d8123ddfd2f28672bda6d137b66ec26ac41d9ec739bf41cc85a3e662218609cd363
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "@types/graceful-fs@npm:^4.1.2":
   version: 4.1.5
   resolution: "@types/graceful-fs@npm:4.1.5"
@@ -4302,7 +4322,7 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"chokidar@npm:^3.5.1":
+"chokidar@npm:*, chokidar@npm:^3.5.1":
   version: 3.5.1
   resolution: "chokidar@npm:3.5.1"
   dependencies:
@@ -7139,6 +7159,20 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
+"globby@npm:*, globby@npm:^11.0.3":
+  version: 11.0.3
+  resolution: "globby@npm:11.0.3"
+  dependencies:
+    array-union: ^2.1.0
+    dir-glob: ^3.0.1
+    fast-glob: ^3.1.1
+    ignore: ^5.1.4
+    merge2: ^1.3.0
+    slash: ^3.0.0
+  checksum: f17da0f869918656ec8c16c15ad100f025fbd13e4c157286cf340811eb1355a7d06dde77be1685a7a051970ec6abeff96a9b2a1a97525f84bc94fbd518c1d1db
+  languageName: node
+  linkType: hard
+
 "globby@npm:^11.0.1, globby@npm:^11.0.2":
   version: 11.0.2
   resolution: "globby@npm:11.0.2"
@@ -7153,20 +7187,6 @@ __metadata:
   languageName: node
   linkType: hard
 
-"globby@npm:^11.0.3":
-  version: 11.0.3
-  resolution: "globby@npm:11.0.3"
-  dependencies:
-    array-union: ^2.1.0
-    dir-glob: ^3.0.1
-    fast-glob: ^3.1.1
-    ignore: ^5.1.4
-    merge2: ^1.3.0
-    slash: ^3.0.0
-  checksum: f17da0f869918656ec8c16c15ad100f025fbd13e4c157286cf340811eb1355a7d06dde77be1685a7a051970ec6abeff96a9b2a1a97525f84bc94fbd518c1d1db
-  languageName: node
-  linkType: hard
-
 "graceful-fs@npm:^4.1.11, graceful-fs@npm:^4.1.15, graceful-fs@npm:^4.1.2, graceful-fs@npm:^4.1.6, graceful-fs@npm:^4.2.0, graceful-fs@npm:^4.2.2, graceful-fs@npm:^4.2.3, graceful-fs@npm:^4.2.4, graceful-fs@npm:^4.2.6":
   version: 4.2.6
   resolution: "graceful-fs@npm:4.2.6"