diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ca1807b..4703e98 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,4 +4,10 @@
 
 Middleware for the [Fiber web server](https://github.com/gofiber/fiber) for use with [deepmap/oapi-codegen](https://github.com/deepmap/oapi-codegen).
 
+## Validated request body
+
+The middleware enables kin-openapi's `openapi3filter.Options.KeepValidatedValue` by default. Fiber does not run on `net/http`, so the validator works on a converted copy of the request; after a request body passes validation, the middleware stores the decoded value that was validated in the Fiber context under `ValidatedBodyLocalsKey` (`x-oapi-codegen-validated-body`), readable with `ValidatedBody(c)`. The body bytes seen by the handler (`c.Body()`) are unchanged. oapi-codegen strict servers that support it bind that value instead of decoding the body a second time, so the handler sees exactly what was validated (for example, `encoding/json`'s case-insensitive member matching can no longer make a request validate as one value but bind as another).
+
+To opt out, for instance to limit memory retention for very large request bodies, set `Options.DiscardValidatedValue = true`. This setting overrides `Options.Options.KeepValidatedValue`.
+
 Licensed under the Apache-2.0.
diff --git a/oapi_validate.go b/oapi_validate.go
index f2ef893..cd779d2 100644
--- a/oapi_validate.go
+++ b/oapi_validate.go
@@ -60,6 +60,34 @@ type Options struct {
 	ParamDecoder      openapi3filter.ContentParameterDecoder
 	UserData          interface{}
 	MultiErrorHandler MultiErrorHandler
+	// DiscardValidatedValue turns off openapi3filter.Options.KeepValidatedValue,
+	// which this middleware enables by default. With it enabled, the decoded
+	// request body value that passed validation is stored in the Fiber context
+	// under ValidatedBodyLocalsKey, so a handler (for example an oapi-codegen
+	// strict server) can bind that value instead of decoding the body a second
+	// time. Set this to drop the decoded value after validation, for instance to
+	// limit memory retention for very large request bodies.
+	//
+	// Options.Options.KeepValidatedValue is overridden by this setting.
+	DiscardValidatedValue bool
+}
+
+// ValidatedBodyLocalsKey is the c.Locals key under which the middleware stores
+// the decoded request body value that passed validation (see
+// Options.DiscardValidatedValue). The value is what kin-openapi validated:
+// nil, bool, string, json.Number, []any or map[string]any.
+//
+// Strict servers generated by oapi-codegen look the value up under this same
+// key, where it is defined independently so generated code does not import
+// this module. Keep the two in sync.
+const ValidatedBodyLocalsKey = "x-oapi-codegen-validated-body"
+
+// ValidatedBody returns the request body value that passed validation, as
+// stored by the middleware under ValidatedBodyLocalsKey, and whether one was
+// stored for this request.
+func ValidatedBody(c *fiber.Ctx) (any, bool) {
+	v := c.Locals(ValidatedBodyLocalsKey)
+	return v, v != nil
 }
 
 // OapiRequestValidatorWithOptions creates a validator from a swagger object, with validation options
@@ -124,9 +152,15 @@ func ValidateRequestFromContext(c *fiber.Ctx, router routers.Router, options *Op
 	requestContext := context.WithValue(context.Background(), ctxKeyFiberContext{}, c) //nolint:staticcheck
 
 	if options != nil {
-		requestValidationInput.Options = &options.Options
+		// Copy the openapi3filter options so the caller's struct is not
+		// mutated when applying our KeepValidatedValue default.
+		filterOptions := options.Options
+		filterOptions.KeepValidatedValue = !options.DiscardValidatedValue
+		requestValidationInput.Options = &filterOptions
 		requestValidationInput.ParamDecoder = options.ParamDecoder
 		requestContext = context.WithValue(requestContext, ctxKeyUserData{}, options.UserData) //nolint:staticcheck
+	} else {
+		requestValidationInput.Options = &openapi3filter.Options{KeepValidatedValue: true}
 	}
 
 	err = openapi3filter.ValidateRequest(requestContext, requestValidationInput)
@@ -152,6 +186,13 @@ func ValidateRequestFromContext(c *fiber.Ctx, router routers.Router, options *Op
 			return fmt.Errorf("error validating request: %w", err)
 		}
 	}
+
+	// The validator ran on a net/http copy of the request, so the validated
+	// value it left on that copy's body has to be carried over to the Fiber
+	// context by hand for handlers to reach it.
+	if vb, ok := r.Body.(interface{ ValidatedValue() any }); ok {
+		c.Locals(ValidatedBodyLocalsKey, vb.ValidatedValue())
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/oapi_validate_test.go b/oapi_validate_test.go
index e19a893..7b3d256 100644
--- a/oapi_validate_test.go
+++ b/oapi_validate_test.go
@@ -432,3 +432,77 @@ func TestOapiRequestValidatorWithOptionsMultiErrorAndCustomHandler(t *testing.T)
 		called = false
 	}
 }
+
+func TestOapiRequestValidatorKeepValidatedValue(t *testing.T) {
+	swagger, err := openapi3.NewLoader().LoadFromData(testSchema)
+	require.NoError(t, err, "Error initializing swagger")
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name          string
+		options       *Options
+		wantValidated bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "nil options keep the validated value",
+			options:       nil,
+			wantValidated: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "empty options keep the validated value",
+			options:       &Options{},
+			wantValidated: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "DiscardValidatedValue drops the validated value",
+			options: &Options{
+				DiscardValidatedValue: true,
+				// DiscardValidatedValue overrides the openapi3filter setting.
+				Options: openapi3filter.Options{KeepValidatedValue: true},
+			},
+			wantValidated: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "ExcludeRequestBody skips body validation",
+			options: &Options{
+				Options: openapi3filter.Options{ExcludeRequestBody: true},
+			},
+			wantValidated: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			app := fiber.New()
+			if tt.options == nil {
+				app.Use(OapiRequestValidator(swagger))
+			} else {
+				app.Use(OapiRequestValidatorWithOptions(swagger, tt.options))
+			}
+
+			var got any
+			var found bool
+			var rawBody string
+			app.Post("/resource", func(c *fiber.Ctx) error {
+				got, found = ValidatedBody(c)
+				rawBody = string(c.Body())
+				return c.SendStatus(http.StatusNoContent)
+			})
+
+			body := struct {
+				Name string `json:"name"`
+			}{Name: "Marcin"}
+			res := doPost(t, app, "https://deepmap.ai/resource", body)
+			require.Equal(t, http.StatusNoContent, res.StatusCode)
+			// The original body is untouched for the handler either way.
+			assert.JSONEq(t, `{"name":"Marcin"}`, rawBody)
+
+			if !tt.wantValidated {
+				assert.False(t, found)
+				assert.Nil(t, got)
+				return
+			}
+			require.True(t, found, "validated value should be stored under ValidatedBodyLocalsKey")
+			assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"name": "Marcin"}, got)
+		})
+	}
+}