diff --git a/docs/topics/downloader-middleware.rst b/docs/topics/downloader-middleware.rst
index 73cc67423..4603c555b 100644
--- a/docs/topics/downloader-middleware.rst
+++ b/docs/topics/downloader-middleware.rst
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ more of the following methods:
 
 .. class:: DownloaderMiddleware
 
+   .. note::  Any of the downloader middleware methods may also return a deferred.
+
    .. method:: process_request(request, spider)
 
       This method is called for each request that goes through the download
diff --git a/scrapy/core/downloader/middleware.py b/scrapy/core/downloader/middleware.py
index 413a05dd1..9cd30c144 100644
--- a/scrapy/core/downloader/middleware.py
+++ b/scrapy/core/downloader/middleware.py
@@ -4,11 +4,15 @@ Downloader Middleware manager
 See documentation in docs/topics/downloader-middleware.rst
 """
 import six
+
+from twisted.internet import defer
+
 from scrapy.http import Request, Response
 from scrapy.middleware import MiddlewareManager
 from scrapy.utils.defer import mustbe_deferred
 from scrapy.utils.conf import build_component_list
 
+
 class DownloaderMiddlewareManager(MiddlewareManager):
 
     component_name = 'downloader middleware'
@@ -27,40 +31,45 @@ class DownloaderMiddlewareManager(MiddlewareManager):
             self.methods['process_exception'].insert(0, mw.process_exception)
 
     def download(self, download_func, request, spider):
+        @defer.inlineCallbacks
         def process_request(request):
             for method in self.methods['process_request']:
-                response = method(request=request, spider=spider)
+                response = yield method(request=request, spider=spider)
                 assert response is None or isinstance(response, (Response, Request)), \
                         'Middleware %s.process_request must return None, Response or Request, got %s' % \
                         (six.get_method_self(method).__class__.__name__, response.__class__.__name__)
                 if response:
-                    return response
-            return download_func(request=request, spider=spider)
+                    defer.returnValue(response)
+            defer.returnValue((yield download_func(request=request,spider=spider)))
 
+        @defer.inlineCallbacks
         def process_response(response):
             assert response is not None, 'Received None in process_response'
             if isinstance(response, Request):
-                return response
+                defer.returnValue(response)
 
             for method in self.methods['process_response']:
-                response = method(request=request, response=response, spider=spider)
+                response = yield method(request=request, response=response,
+                                        spider=spider)
                 assert isinstance(response, (Response, Request)), \
                     'Middleware %s.process_response must return Response or Request, got %s' % \
                     (six.get_method_self(method).__class__.__name__, type(response))
                 if isinstance(response, Request):
-                    return response
-            return response
+                    defer.returnValue(response)
+            defer.returnValue(response)
 
+        @defer.inlineCallbacks
         def process_exception(_failure):
             exception = _failure.value
             for method in self.methods['process_exception']:
-                response = method(request=request, exception=exception, spider=spider)
+                response = yield method(request=request, exception=exception,
+                                        spider=spider)
                 assert response is None or isinstance(response, (Response, Request)), \
                     'Middleware %s.process_exception must return None, Response or Request, got %s' % \
                     (six.get_method_self(method).__class__.__name__, type(response))
                 if response:
-                    return response
-            return _failure
+                    defer.returnValue(response)
+            defer.returnValue(_failure)
 
         deferred = mustbe_deferred(process_request, request)
         deferred.addErrback(process_exception)