diff --git a/internal/test/nethttp/oapi_validate_prefix_test.go b/internal/test/nethttp/oapi_validate_prefix_test.go
index b9b47af..057644f 100644
--- a/internal/test/nethttp/oapi_validate_prefix_test.go
+++ b/internal/test/nethttp/oapi_validate_prefix_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package gorilla
 import (
 	"context"
 	_ "embed"
+	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http"
 	"testing"
 
@@ -284,3 +285,122 @@ components:
 	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusOK, rec.Code)
 	assert.True(t, called, "handler should have been called when auth passes")
 }
+
+// bodyReadableSpec defines a POST /resource with a required JSON body,
+// used to test that the handler can still read the body after validation.
+const bodyReadableSpec = `
+openapi: "3.0.0"
+info:
+  version: 1.0.0
+  title: TestServer
+paths:
+  /resource:
+    post:
+      operationId: createResource
+      requestBody:
+        required: true
+        content:
+          application/json:
+            schema:
+              type: object
+              required:
+                - name
+              properties:
+                name:
+                  type: string
+              additionalProperties: false
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: No content
+`
+
+// TestPrefix_RequestBodyReadableByHandler_WithAndWithoutPrefix is a regression
+// test for https://github.com/oapi-codegen/nethttp-middleware/issues/69.
+//
+// When Prefix is set, makeRequestForValidation used to clone the request via
+// r.Clone(), which shallow-copies the Body. Validation then consumed the body
+// on the clone, leaving the original body empty for the downstream handler.
+func TestPrefix_RequestBodyReadableByHandler_WithAndWithoutPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	spec, err := openapi3.NewLoader().LoadFromData([]byte(bodyReadableSpec))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	spec.Servers = nil
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		prefix      string
+		routePath   string
+		requestPath string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:        "without prefix",
+			prefix:      "",
+			routePath:   "/resource",
+			requestPath: "http://example.com/resource",
+		},
+		{
+			name:        "with prefix",
+			prefix:      "/api",
+			routePath:   "/api/resource",
+			requestPath: "http://example.com/api/resource",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range tests {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			mux := http.NewServeMux()
+			mux.HandleFunc(tc.routePath, func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+				var payload struct {
+					Name string `json:"name"`
+				}
+				if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&payload); err != nil {
+					http.Error(w, "handler failed to decode body: "+err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
+					return
+				}
+				assert.Equal(t, "Jamie", payload.Name)
+				w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+			})
+
+			mw := middleware.OapiRequestValidatorWithOptions(spec, &middleware.Options{
+				Prefix: tc.prefix,
+			})
+			server := mw(mux)
+
+			body := map[string]string{"name": "Jamie"}
+			rec := doPost(t, server, tc.requestPath, body)
+			assert.Equal(t, http.StatusNoContent, rec.Code, "body: %s", rec.Body.String())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
+// TestPrefix_RequestBodyReadableByHandler_ErrorHandlerWithOpts is the same
+// regression test but exercising the ErrorHandlerWithOpts code path.
+func TestPrefix_RequestBodyReadableByHandler_ErrorHandlerWithOpts(t *testing.T) {
+	spec, err := openapi3.NewLoader().LoadFromData([]byte(bodyReadableSpec))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	spec.Servers = nil
+
+	mux := http.NewServeMux()
+	mux.HandleFunc("/api/resource", func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		var payload struct {
+			Name string `json:"name"`
+		}
+		if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&payload); err != nil {
+			http.Error(w, "handler failed to decode body: "+err.Error(), http.StatusBadRequest)
+			return
+		}
+		assert.Equal(t, "Jamie", payload.Name)
+		w.WriteHeader(http.StatusNoContent)
+	})
+
+	mw := middleware.OapiRequestValidatorWithOptions(spec, &middleware.Options{
+		Prefix: "/api",
+		ErrorHandlerWithOpts: func(ctx context.Context, err error, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, opts middleware.ErrorHandlerOpts) {
+			http.Error(w, err.Error(), opts.StatusCode)
+		},
+	})
+	server := mw(mux)
+
+	body := map[string]string{"name": "Jamie"}
+	rec := doPost(t, server, "http://example.com/api/resource", body)
+	assert.Equal(t, http.StatusNoContent, rec.Code, "body: %s", rec.Body.String())
+}
diff --git a/oapi_validate.go b/oapi_validate.go
index 026bd87..82d3cd7 100644
--- a/oapi_validate.go
+++ b/oapi_validate.go
@@ -169,19 +169,28 @@ func performRequestValidationForErrorHandler(next http.Handler, w http.ResponseW
 	errorHandler(w, err.Error(), statusCode)
 }
 
-func makeRequestForValidation(r *http.Request, options *Options) *http.Request {
+// withPrefixStripped temporarily strips the configured prefix from the
+// request's path fields, calls fn, then restores the original values.
+// This avoids cloning the request (which shallow-copies the Body and
+// causes it to be consumed during validation, leaving the handler with
+// an empty body — see https://github.com/oapi-codegen/nethttp-middleware/issues/69).
+func withPrefixStripped(r *http.Request, options *Options, fn func()) {
 	if options == nil || options.Prefix == "" {
-		return r
+		fn()
+		return
 	}
 
 	// Only strip the prefix when it matches on a path segment boundary:
 	// the path must equal the prefix exactly, or the character immediately
 	// after the prefix must be '/'.
 	if !hasPathPrefix(r.URL.Path, options.Prefix) {
-		return r
+		fn()
+		return
 	}
 
-	r = r.Clone(r.Context())
+	origRequestURI := r.RequestURI
+	origPath := r.URL.Path
+	origRawPath := r.URL.RawPath
 
 	r.RequestURI = stripPrefix(r.RequestURI, options.Prefix)
 	r.URL.Path = stripPrefix(r.URL.Path, options.Prefix)
@@ -189,7 +198,11 @@ func makeRequestForValidation(r *http.Request, options *Options) *http.Request {
 		r.URL.RawPath = stripPrefix(r.URL.RawPath, options.Prefix)
 	}
 
-	return r
+	fn()
+
+	r.RequestURI = origRequestURI
+	r.URL.Path = origPath
+	r.URL.RawPath = origRawPath
 }
 
 // hasPathPrefix reports whether path starts with prefix on a segment boundary.
@@ -210,19 +223,39 @@ func stripPrefix(s, prefix string) string {
 
 // Note that this is an inline-and-modified version of `validateRequest`, with a simplified control flow and providing full access to the `error` for the `ErrorHandlerWithOpts` function.
 func performRequestValidationForErrorHandlerWithOpts(next http.Handler, w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request, router routers.Router, options *Options) {
-	// Build a (possibly prefix-stripped) request for validation, but keep
-	// the original so the downstream handler sees the un-modified path.
-	validationReq := makeRequestForValidation(r, options)
+	var route *routers.Route
+	var pathParams map[string]string
+	var validationErr error
+
+	// Temporarily strip the prefix for route finding and validation,
+	// then restore it so the handler and error handler see the original path.
+	withPrefixStripped(r, options, func() {
+		var err error
+		route, pathParams, err = router.FindRoute(r)
+		if err != nil {
+			validationErr = err
+			return
+		}
 
-	// Find route
-	route, pathParams, err := router.FindRoute(validationReq)
-	if err != nil {
+		requestValidationInput := &openapi3filter.RequestValidationInput{
+			Request:    r,
+			PathParams: pathParams,
+			Route:      route,
+		}
+
+		if options != nil {
+			requestValidationInput.Options = &options.Options
+		}
+
+		validationErr = openapi3filter.ValidateRequest(r.Context(), requestValidationInput)
+	})
+
+	// Route not found
+	if route == nil && validationErr != nil {
 		errOpts := ErrorHandlerOpts{
-			// MatchedRoute will be nil, as we've not matched a route we know about
 			StatusCode: http.StatusNotFound,
 		}
-
-		options.ErrorHandlerWithOpts(r.Context(), err, w, r, errOpts)
+		options.ErrorHandlerWithOpts(r.Context(), validationErr, w, r, errOpts)
 		return
 	}
 
@@ -231,44 +264,26 @@ func performRequestValidationForErrorHandlerWithOpts(next http.Handler, w http.R
 			Route:      route,
 			PathParams: pathParams,
 		},
-		// other options will be added before executing
 	}
 
-	// Validate request
-	requestValidationInput := &openapi3filter.RequestValidationInput{
-		Request:    validationReq,
-		PathParams: pathParams,
-		Route:      route,
-	}
-
-	if options != nil {
-		requestValidationInput.Options = &options.Options
-	}
-
-	err = openapi3filter.ValidateRequest(validationReq.Context(), requestValidationInput)
-	if err == nil {
-		// it's a valid request, so serve it with the original request
+	if validationErr == nil {
 		next.ServeHTTP(w, r)
 		return
 	}
 
 	var theErr error
 
-	switch e := err.(type) {
+	switch e := validationErr.(type) {
 	case openapi3.MultiError:
 		theErr = e
 		errOpts.StatusCode = determineStatusCodeForMultiError(e)
 	case *openapi3filter.RequestError:
-		// We've got a bad request
 		theErr = e
 		errOpts.StatusCode = http.StatusBadRequest
 	case *openapi3filter.SecurityRequirementsError:
 		theErr = e
 		errOpts.StatusCode = http.StatusUnauthorized
 	default:
-		// This should never happen today, but if our upstream code changes,
-		// we don't want to crash the server, so handle the unexpected error.
-		// return http.StatusInternalServerError,
 		theErr = fmt.Errorf("error validating route: %w", e)
 		errOpts.StatusCode = http.StatusInternalServerError
 	}
@@ -279,8 +294,19 @@ func performRequestValidationForErrorHandlerWithOpts(next http.Handler, w http.R
 // validateRequest is called from the middleware above and actually does the work
 // of validating a request.
 func validateRequest(r *http.Request, router routers.Router, options *Options) (int, error) {
-	r = makeRequestForValidation(r, options)
+	var statusCode int
+	var validationErr error
+
+	withPrefixStripped(r, options, func() {
+		statusCode, validationErr = doValidateRequest(r, router, options)
+	})
+
+	return statusCode, validationErr
+}
 
+// doValidateRequest performs the actual validation, called within
+// withPrefixStripped so the prefix is already removed from r's path.
+func doValidateRequest(r *http.Request, router routers.Router, options *Options) (int, error) {
 	// Find route
 	route, pathParams, err := router.FindRoute(r)
 	if err != nil {