diff --git a/axum/src/routing/method_routing.rs b/axum/src/routing/method_routing.rs
index c379d194..ae1b2fdc 100644
--- a/axum/src/routing/method_routing.rs
+++ b/axum/src/routing/method_routing.rs
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ mod tests {
     use axum_core::response::IntoResponse;
     use http::{header::ALLOW, HeaderMap};
     use std::time::Duration;
-    use tower::{timeout::TimeoutLayer, Service, ServiceBuilder, ServiceExt};
+    use tower::{timeout::TimeoutLayer, Service, ServiceExt};
     use tower_http::{services::fs::ServeDir, validate_request::ValidateRequestHeaderLayer};
 
     #[crate::test]
@@ -1354,13 +1354,10 @@ mod tests {
                 .merge(delete_service(ServeDir::new(".")))
                 .fallback(|| async { StatusCode::NOT_FOUND })
                 .put(ok)
-                .layer(
-                    ServiceBuilder::new()
-                        .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_| async {
-                            StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                        }))
-                        .layer(TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::from_secs(10))),
-                ),
+                .layer((
+                    HandleErrorLayer::new(|_| async { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+                    TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::from_secs(10)),
+                )),
         );
 
         let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("0.0.0.0:0").await.unwrap();
diff --git a/axum/src/routing/route.rs b/axum/src/routing/route.rs
index 0a2713a8..fd63d0e8 100644
--- a/axum/src/routing/route.rs
+++ b/axum/src/routing/route.rs
@@ -17,8 +17,8 @@ use std::{
     task::{Context, Poll},
 };
 use tower::{
-    util::{BoxCloneService, MapResponseLayer, Oneshot},
-    ServiceBuilder, ServiceExt,
+    util::{BoxCloneService, MapErrLayer, MapRequestLayer, MapResponseLayer, Oneshot},
+    ServiceExt,
 };
 use tower_layer::Layer;
 use tower_service::Service;
@@ -57,12 +57,12 @@ impl<E> Route<E> {
         <L::Service as Service<Request>>::Future: Send + 'static,
         NewError: 'static,
     {
-        let layer = ServiceBuilder::new()
-            .map_request(|req: Request<_>| req.map(Body::new))
-            .map_err(Into::into)
-            .layer(MapResponseLayer::new(IntoResponse::into_response))
-            .layer(layer)
-            .into_inner();
+        let layer = (
+            MapRequestLayer::new(|req: Request<_>| req.map(Body::new)),
+            MapErrLayer::new(Into::into),
+            MapResponseLayer::new(IntoResponse::into_response),
+            layer,
+        );
 
         Route::new(layer.layer(self))
     }
diff --git a/axum/src/routing/tests/handle_error.rs b/axum/src/routing/tests/handle_error.rs
index 3781677d..a1af97af 100644
--- a/axum/src/routing/tests/handle_error.rs
+++ b/axum/src/routing/tests/handle_error.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use super::*;
 use std::future::{pending, ready};
-use tower::{timeout::TimeoutLayer, ServiceBuilder};
+use tower::timeout::TimeoutLayer;
 
 async fn unit() {}
 
@@ -33,13 +33,10 @@ impl<R> Service<R> for Svc {
 async fn handler() {
     let app = Router::new().route(
         "/",
-        get(forever.layer(
-            ServiceBuilder::new()
-                .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async {
-                    StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                }))
-                .layer(timeout()),
-        )),
+        get(forever.layer((
+            HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+            timeout(),
+        ))),
     );
 
     let client = TestClient::new(app);
@@ -52,13 +49,10 @@ async fn handler() {
 async fn handler_multiple_methods_first() {
     let app = Router::new().route(
         "/",
-        get(forever.layer(
-            ServiceBuilder::new()
-                .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async {
-                    StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                }))
-                .layer(timeout()),
-        ))
+        get(forever.layer((
+            HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+            timeout(),
+        )))
         .post(unit),
     );
 
@@ -73,15 +67,10 @@ async fn handler_multiple_methods_middle() {
     let app = Router::new().route(
         "/",
         delete(unit)
-            .get(
-                forever.layer(
-                    ServiceBuilder::new()
-                        .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async {
-                            StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                        }))
-                        .layer(timeout()),
-                ),
-            )
+            .get(forever.layer((
+                HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+                timeout(),
+            )))
             .post(unit),
     );
 
@@ -95,15 +84,10 @@ async fn handler_multiple_methods_middle() {
 async fn handler_multiple_methods_last() {
     let app = Router::new().route(
         "/",
-        delete(unit).get(
-            forever.layer(
-                ServiceBuilder::new()
-                    .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async {
-                        StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                    }))
-                    .layer(timeout()),
-            ),
-        ),
+        delete(unit).get(forever.layer((
+            HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+            timeout(),
+        ))),
     );
 
     let client = TestClient::new(app);
diff --git a/axum/src/routing/tests/merge.rs b/axum/src/routing/tests/merge.rs
index 31b42d83..74eb24be 100644
--- a/axum/src/routing/tests/merge.rs
+++ b/axum/src/routing/tests/merge.rs
@@ -127,13 +127,10 @@ async fn layer_and_handle_error() {
     let one = Router::new().route("/foo", get(|| async {}));
     let two = Router::new()
         .route("/timeout", get(std::future::pending::<()>))
-        .layer(
-            ServiceBuilder::new()
-                .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_| async {
-                    StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                }))
-                .layer(TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::from_millis(10))),
-        );
+        .layer((
+            HandleErrorLayer::new(|_| async { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+            TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::from_millis(10)),
+        ));
     let app = one.merge(two);
 
     let client = TestClient::new(app);
diff --git a/axum/src/routing/tests/mod.rs b/axum/src/routing/tests/mod.rs
index 59047644..ab7c825b 100644
--- a/axum/src/routing/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/axum/src/routing/tests/mod.rs
@@ -30,9 +30,7 @@ use std::{
     task::{Context, Poll},
     time::Duration,
 };
-use tower::{
-    service_fn, timeout::TimeoutLayer, util::MapResponseLayer, ServiceBuilder, ServiceExt,
-};
+use tower::{service_fn, timeout::TimeoutLayer, util::MapResponseLayer, ServiceExt};
 use tower_http::{limit::RequestBodyLimitLayer, validate_request::ValidateRequestHeaderLayer};
 use tower_service::Service;
 
@@ -179,7 +177,6 @@ async fn routing_between_services() {
 
 #[crate::test]
 async fn middleware_on_single_route() {
-    use tower::ServiceBuilder;
     use tower_http::{compression::CompressionLayer, trace::TraceLayer};
 
     async fn handle(_: Request) -> &'static str {
@@ -188,12 +185,7 @@ async fn middleware_on_single_route() {
 
     let app = Router::new().route(
         "/",
-        get(handle.layer(
-            ServiceBuilder::new()
-                .layer(TraceLayer::new_for_http())
-                .layer(CompressionLayer::new())
-                .into_inner(),
-        )),
+        get(handle.layer((TraceLayer::new_for_http(), CompressionLayer::new()))),
     );
 
     let client = TestClient::new(app);
@@ -309,13 +301,10 @@ async fn wildcard_sees_whole_url() {
 async fn middleware_applies_to_routes_above() {
     let app = Router::new()
         .route("/one", get(std::future::pending::<()>))
-        .layer(
-            ServiceBuilder::new()
-                .layer(HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async move {
-                    StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT
-                }))
-                .layer(TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::new(0, 0))),
-        )
+        .layer((
+            HandleErrorLayer::new(|_: BoxError| async move { StatusCode::REQUEST_TIMEOUT }),
+            TimeoutLayer::new(Duration::new(0, 0)),
+        ))
         .route("/two", get(|| async {}));
 
     let client = TestClient::new(app);
diff --git a/examples/consume-body-in-extractor-or-middleware/src/main.rs b/examples/consume-body-in-extractor-or-middleware/src/main.rs
index fd63fcb1..5c93bf23 100644
--- a/examples/consume-body-in-extractor-or-middleware/src/main.rs
+++ b/examples/consume-body-in-extractor-or-middleware/src/main.rs
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ use axum::{
     routing::post,
     Router,
 };
-use tower::ServiceBuilder;
 use tracing_subscriber::{layer::SubscriberExt, util::SubscriberInitExt};
 
 #[tokio::main]
@@ -29,7 +28,7 @@ async fn main() {
 
     let app = Router::new()
         .route("/", post(handler))
-        .layer(ServiceBuilder::new().layer(middleware::from_fn(print_request_body)));
+        .layer(middleware::from_fn(print_request_body));
 
     let listener = tokio::net::TcpListener::bind("127.0.0.1:3000")
         .await