diff --git a/.changeset/smart-pandas-leave.md b/.changeset/smart-pandas-leave.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..11a84f47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/smart-pandas-leave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@ladle/react": patch
+---
+
+refactor: replace koa-connect with custom middleware adapter
diff --git a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js
index baad1941..8380bdfa 100644
--- a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js
+++ b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-dev.js
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ import koa from "koa";
 import http from "http";
 import http2 from "http2";
 import https from "https";
-import c2k from "koa-connect";
 import path from "path";
 import getPort from "get-port";
 import { globby } from "globby";
@@ -14,6 +13,7 @@ import debug from "./debug.js";
 import getBaseViteConfig from "./vite-base.js";
 import { getMetaJsonObject } from "./vite-plugin/generate/get-meta-json.js";
 import { getEntryData } from "./vite-plugin/parse/get-entry-data.js";
+import { connectToKoa } from "./vite-plugin/connect-to-koa.js";
 
 /**
  * @param config {import("../shared/types").Config}
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ const bundler = async (config, configFolder) => {
       }
       await next();
     });
-    app.use(c2k(vite.middlewares));
+    app.use(connectToKoa(vite.middlewares));
 
     // activate https if key and cert are provided
     const useHttps =
diff --git a/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/connect-to-koa.js b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/connect-to-koa.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1ece79c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/ladle/lib/cli/vite-plugin/connect-to-koa.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+/**
+ * @typedef {import('koa').Context} KoaContext
+ * @typedef {import('koa').Next} KoaNext
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Converts Connect/Express-style middleware to Koa middleware.
+ *
+ * This adapter bridges the gap between Vite's Connect-based middleware system
+ * and Ladle's Koa-based server architecture.
+ *
+ * @param {import('vite').Connect.Server} connectMiddleware - Connect/Express middleware function with signature (req, res, next)
+ * @returns {(ctx: KoaContext, next: KoaNext) => Promise<void>} Koa middleware function with signature (ctx, next)
+ *
+ * @description
+ * Vite uses Connect middleware internally (similar to Express), which expects
+ * (req, res, next) function signatures. Koa uses a different pattern with a context
+ * object (ctx) and async/await. This adapter wraps Connect middleware to work with Koa.
+ *
+ * **Supported Vite Versions:**
+ * - Vite 7.x
+ * - Vite 6.x
+ * - Vite 5.x
+ * - Vite 4.x
+ *
+ * **How it works:**
+ * 1. Receives a Connect middleware that expects Node.js req/res objects
+ * 2. Extracts req and res from the Koa context (ctx.req, ctx.res)
+ * 3. Wraps the Connect middleware call in a Promise
+ * 4. Handles errors from the Connect middleware by rejecting the Promise
+ * 5. Continues the Koa middleware chain by calling next()
+ *
+ * @example
+ * import { connectToKoa } from './connect-to-koa.js';
+ * import vite from 'vite';
+ *
+ * const viteServer = await vite.createServer();
+ * app.use(connectToKoa(viteServer.middlewares));
+ */
+export const connectToKoa = (connectMiddleware) => {
+  return async (/** @type {KoaContext} */ ctx, /** @type {KoaNext} */ next) => {
+    await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+      connectMiddleware(ctx.req, ctx.res, (/** @type {any} */ err) => {
+        if (err) reject(err);
+        else resolve(undefined);
+      });
+    });
+    await next();
+  };
+};
diff --git a/packages/ladle/package.json b/packages/ladle/package.json
index f0312237..debd300f 100644
--- a/packages/ladle/package.json
+++ b/packages/ladle/package.json
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@
     "globby": "^14.0.2",
     "history": "^5.3.0",
     "koa": "^2.15.4",
-    "koa-connect": "^2.1.0",
     "lodash.merge": "^4.6.2",
     "msw": "^2.7.0",
     "open": "^10.1.0",
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 45e5ecaf..a2f8bdd1 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -449,9 +449,6 @@ importers:
       koa:
         specifier: ^2.15.4
         version: 2.15.4
-      koa-connect:
-        specifier: ^2.1.0
-        version: 2.1.0
       lodash.merge:
         specifier: ^4.6.2
         version: 4.6.2
@@ -5644,9 +5641,6 @@ packages:
   koa-compose@4.1.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-8ODW8TrDuMYvXRwra/Kh7/rJo9BtOfPc6qO8eAfC80CnCvSjSl0bkRM24X6/XBBEyj0v1nRUQ1LyOy3dbqOWXw==}
 
-  koa-connect@2.1.0:
-    resolution: {integrity: sha512-O9pcFafHk0oQsBevlbTBlB9co+2RUQJ4zCzu3qJPmGlGoeEZkne+7gWDkecqDPSbCtED6LmhlQladxs6NjOnMQ==}
-
   koa-convert@2.0.0:
     resolution: {integrity: sha512-asOvN6bFlSnxewce2e/DK3p4tltyfC4VM7ZwuTuepI7dEQVcvpyFuBcEARu1+Hxg8DIwytce2n7jrZtRlPrARA==}
     engines: {node: '>= 10'}
@@ -15135,8 +15129,6 @@ snapshots:
 
   koa-compose@4.1.0: {}
 
-  koa-connect@2.1.0: {}
-
   koa-convert@2.0.0:
     dependencies:
       co: 4.6.0