diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.AspNetCore.Middleware/HttpDelegatingHandler/WireMockDelegationHandler.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.AspNetCore.Middleware/HttpDelegatingHandler/WireMockDelegationHandler.cs
index 546cab2a..8b6a4c43 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.AspNetCore.Middleware/HttpDelegatingHandler/WireMockDelegationHandler.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.AspNetCore.Middleware/HttpDelegatingHandler/WireMockDelegationHandler.cs
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ internal class WireMockDelegationHandler : DelegatingHandler
     protected override async Task<HttpResponseMessage> SendAsync(HttpRequestMessage request, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
     {
         Guard.NotNull(request);
-        Guard.NotNull(_httpContextAccessor.HttpContext);
 
         if (_settings.AlwaysRedirect || IsWireMockRedirectHeaderSetToTrue())
         {
@@ -57,16 +56,30 @@ internal class WireMockDelegationHandler : DelegatingHandler
 
     private bool IsWireMockRedirectHeaderSetToTrue()
     {
+        var httpContext = _httpContextAccessor.HttpContext;
+        if (httpContext is null)
+        {
+            _logger.LogDebug("HttpContext is not available in current runtime environment");
+            return false;
+        }
+
         return
-            _httpContextAccessor.HttpContext!.Request.Headers.TryGetValue(AppConstants.HEADER_REDIRECT, out var values) &&
+            httpContext.Request.Headers.TryGetValue(AppConstants.HEADER_REDIRECT, out var values) &&
             bool.TryParse(values.ToString(), out var shouldRedirectToWireMock) && shouldRedirectToWireMock;
     }
 
     private bool TryGetDelayHeaderValue(out int delayInMs)
     {
         delayInMs = 0;
+        var httpContext = _httpContextAccessor.HttpContext;
+        if (httpContext is null)
+        {
+            _logger.LogDebug("HttpContext is not available in current runtime environment");
+            return false;
+        }
+
         return
-            _httpContextAccessor.HttpContext!.Request.Headers.TryGetValue(AppConstants.HEADER_RESPONSE_DELAY, out var values) &&
+            httpContext.Request.Headers.TryGetValue(AppConstants.HEADER_RESPONSE_DELAY, out var values) &&
             int.TryParse(values.ToString(), out delayInMs);
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs
index 00d420e0..8cac376e 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/IntegrationTests.cs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ public class IntegrationTests
     [Theory]
     [InlineData("/real1", "Hello 1 from WireMock.Net !")]
     [InlineData("/real2", "Hello 2 from WireMock.Net !")]
+    [InlineData("/real3", "Hello 3 from WireMock.Net !")]
     public async Task CallingRealApi_WithAlwaysRedirectToWireMockIsTrue(string requestUri, string expectedResponse)
     {
         // Arrange
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/Program.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/Program.cs
index 63320a13..875e9292 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/Program.cs
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/Program.cs
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ public class Program
 
         var builder = WebApplication.CreateBuilder(args);
 
+        builder.Services.AddSingleton<TaskQueue>();
+        builder.Services.AddHostedService<TestBackgroundService>();
+
         builder.Services.AddWireMockService(server =>
         {
             server.Given(Request.Create()
@@ -28,6 +31,13 @@ public class Program
             ).RespondWith(Response.Create()
                 .WithBody("Hello 2 from WireMock.Net !")
             );
+
+            server.Given(Request.Create()
+                .WithPath("/test3")
+                .UsingAnyMethod()
+            ).RespondWith(Response.Create()
+                .WithBody("Hello 3 from WireMock.Net !")
+            );
         }, alwaysRedirectToWireMock);
 
         var app = builder.Build();
@@ -44,6 +54,11 @@ public class Program
             return await client.GetStringAsync("https://real-api:12345/test2");
         });
 
+        app.MapGet("/real3", async (TaskQueue taskQueue, CancellationToken cancellationToken) =>
+        {
+            return await taskQueue.Enqueue("https://real-api:12345/test3", cancellationToken);
+        });
+
         await app.RunAsync();
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/TaskQueue.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/TaskQueue.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7576621e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/TaskQueue.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+// Copyright © WireMock.Net
+
+using System.Threading.Channels;
+
+namespace WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication;
+
+public class TaskQueue
+{
+    private enum Status
+    {
+        Success,
+        Error
+    }
+
+    private readonly Channel<string> _taskChannel = Channel.CreateUnbounded<string>();
+    private readonly Channel<(Status, string)> _responseChannel = Channel.CreateUnbounded<(Status, string)>();
+
+    public async Task<string> Enqueue(string taskId, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+    {
+        await _taskChannel.Writer.WriteAsync(taskId, cancellationToken);
+        var (status, result) = await _responseChannel.Reader.ReadAsync(cancellationToken);
+        if (status == Status.Error)
+        {
+            throw new InvalidOperationException($"Received an error response from the task processor: ${result}");
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
+    public IAsyncEnumerable<string> ReadTasks(CancellationToken stoppingToken) =>
+        _taskChannel.Reader.ReadAllAsync(stoppingToken);
+
+    public async Task WriteResponse(string result, CancellationToken stoppingToken) =>
+        await _responseChannel.Writer.WriteAsync((Status.Success, result), stoppingToken);
+
+    public async Task WriteErrorResponse(string result, CancellationToken stoppingToken) =>
+        await _responseChannel.Writer.WriteAsync((Status.Error, result), stoppingToken);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/TestBackgroundService.cs b/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/TestBackgroundService.cs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..05923efc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication/TestBackgroundService.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+// Copyright © WireMock.Net
+
+namespace WireMock.Net.TestWebApplication;
+
+public class TestBackgroundService(HttpClient client, TaskQueue taskQueue, ILogger<TestBackgroundService> logger)
+    : BackgroundService
+{
+    protected override async Task ExecuteAsync(CancellationToken stoppingToken)
+    {
+        await foreach (var item in taskQueue.ReadTasks(stoppingToken))
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                var result = await client.GetStringAsync(item, stoppingToken);
+                await taskQueue.WriteResponse(result, stoppingToken);
+            }
+            catch (ArgumentNullException argNullEx)
+            {
+                logger.LogError(argNullEx, "Null exception");
+                await taskQueue.WriteErrorResponse(argNullEx.Message, stoppingToken);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file