diff --git a/integration/hello-world/e2e/middleware-strict-routing.spec.ts b/integration/hello-world/e2e/middleware-strict-routing.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2d9e71281
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration/hello-world/e2e/middleware-strict-routing.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import {
+  Controller,
+  Get,
+  INestApplication,
+  MiddlewareConsumer,
+  Module,
+  NestModule,
+  RequestMethod,
+} from '@nestjs/common';
+import { NestFactory } from '@nestjs/core';
+import { ExpressAdapter } from '@nestjs/platform-express';
+import express from 'express';
+import request from 'supertest';
+import { listenOnLoopback } from '../../_support/listen-on-loopback.js';
+
+let middlewareCalls = 0;
+
+@Controller('health')
+class HealthController {
+  @Get()
+  root() {
+    return 'root';
+  }
+
+  @Get('deep/')
+  deep() {
+    return 'deep';
+  }
+}
+
+@Controller('open')
+class OpenController {
+  @Get()
+  root() {
+    return 'open';
+  }
+}
+
+@Module({ controllers: [HealthController, OpenController] })
+class AppModule implements NestModule {
+  configure(consumer: MiddlewareConsumer) {
+    consumer
+      .apply((req, res, next) => {
+        middlewareCalls++;
+        res.statusCode = 403;
+        res.end('blocked');
+      })
+      .exclude({ path: 'open', method: RequestMethod.GET })
+      .forRoutes(HealthController, OpenController);
+  }
+}
+
+describe.each([[''], ['api']])(
+  'Middleware with strict routing (global prefix "%s")',
+  prefix => {
+    let app: INestApplication;
+    const base = prefix ? `/${prefix}` : '';
+
+    beforeAll(async () => {
+      const server = express();
+      server.set('strict routing', true);
+      app = await NestFactory.create(AppModule, new ExpressAdapter(server), {
+        logger: false,
+      });
+      if (prefix) {
+        app.setGlobalPrefix(prefix);
+      }
+      await listenOnLoopback(app);
+    });
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      middlewareCalls = 0;
+    });
+
+    afterAll(async () => {
+      await app.close();
+    });
+
+    it('should run the middleware for the root route of a controller', async () => {
+      await request(app.getHttpServer())
+        .get(`${base}/health`)
+        .expect(403, 'blocked');
+      expect(middlewareCalls).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    it('should run the middleware for a route declared with a trailing slash', async () => {
+      await request(app.getHttpServer())
+        .get(`${base}/health/deep`)
+        .expect(403, 'blocked');
+      expect(middlewareCalls).toBe(1);
+    });
+
+    it('should still skip the middleware for an excluded root route', async () => {
+      await request(app.getHttpServer())
+        .get(`${base}/open`)
+        .expect(200, 'open');
+      expect(middlewareCalls).toBe(0);
+    });
+  },
+);
diff --git a/packages/platform-express/adapters/express-adapter.ts b/packages/platform-express/adapters/express-adapter.ts
index 359b0607ba..ec5dc416f8 100644
--- a/packages/platform-express/adapters/express-adapter.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-express/adapters/express-adapter.ts
@@ -425,10 +425,20 @@ export class ExpressAdapter extends AbstractHttpAdapter<
         if (isExactPath && router === this.instance.use) {
           router = this.instance.all;
         }
-        // Express routes are not strict, so "/api" also matches "/api/", which
-        // the wildcard path registered next to it may match too ("/api/{*path}"
-        // does, "/api/*path" does not). The core runs the middleware for the
-        // first of its paths that matches a request only.
+        // Express routes are not strict by default, so "/api" also matches
+        // "/api/", which the wildcard path registered next to it may match too
+        // ("/api/{*path}" does, "/api/*path" does not). The core runs the
+        // middleware for the first of its paths that matches a request only.
+        // With "strict routing", the router serves a route the core passes
+        // with a trailing slash (the root route of a controller, "/users/")
+        // without it ("/users"), so the path is registered without it too.
+        if (
+          this.instance.router?.strict &&
+          convertedPath.length > 1 &&
+          convertedPath.endsWith('/')
+        ) {
+          router.call(this.instance, stripEndSlash(convertedPath), callback);
+        }
         return router.call(this.instance, convertedPath, callback);
       } catch (e) {
         if (e instanceof TypeError) {