diff --git a/packages/apps/src/app.plugin.spec.ts b/packages/apps/src/app.plugin.spec.ts
index bc85963a9..bc468725e 100644
--- a/packages/apps/src/app.plugin.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/apps/src/app.plugin.spec.ts
@@ -1,181 +1,243 @@
+import { MessageActivity } from '@microsoft/teams.api';
 import { ConsoleLogger } from '@microsoft/teams.common/logging';
 
 import { App } from './app';
 import { IErrorEvent } from './events';
 import { HttpPlugin } from './plugins';
-import { EmitPluginEvent, IPlugin, IPluginStartEvent } from './types';
+import { EmitPluginEvent, IPlugin, IPluginActivityEvent, IPluginStartEvent } from './types';
 import { Event, Plugin } from './types/plugin/decorators';
 
 interface ITestEvents {
-    test: {
-        message: string;
-        bar: number;
-    }
+  test: {
+    message: string;
+    bar: number;
+  }
 }
 
 class TestHttpPlugin extends HttpPlugin {
-    async onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent) {
-        // No-op for tests
-    }
+  async onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent) {
+    // No-op for tests
+  }
 
-    async onStop() {
-        // No-op for tests
-    }
+  async onStop() {
+    // No-op for tests
+  }
 }
 
 @Plugin({
-    name: 'testPlugin',
-    version: '0.0.1',
-    description: 'test-plugin',
+  name: 'testPlugin',
+  version: '0.0.1',
+  description: 'test-plugin',
 })
 class TestPlugin implements IPlugin<ITestEvents> {
 
-    @Event('custom')
-    private emit!: EmitPluginEvent<ITestEvents>;
+  @Event('custom')
+  private emit!: EmitPluginEvent<ITestEvents>;
 
-    __eventType!: ITestEvents;
+  __eventType!: ITestEvents;
 
-    testEmit() {
-        this.emit('test', { message: 'hello', bar: 1 });
-    }
+  testEmit() {
+    this.emit('test', { message: 'hello', bar: 1 });
+  }
 
-    onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void | Promise<void> {
-        // Do nothing
-    }
+  onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void | Promise<void> {
+    // Do nothing
+  }
 }
 
 describe('app.plugin', () => {
-    it('plugins should be able to emit events that reach the app', async () => {
-        // Create an App with our test plugin
-        const testPlugin = new TestPlugin();
-        const app = new App({
-            logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
-            plugins: [testPlugin, new TestHttpPlugin()]
-        });
-
-        let receivedEventMessage: string = '';
-        app.event('test', event => {
-            // Make sure message is typed correctly
-            receivedEventMessage = event.message;
-            // @ts-expect-error - event should be correctly typed to ITestEvents
-            event.nonExistentProperty = 'bar';
-        });
-
-        await app.start();
-
-        testPlugin.testEmit();
-        expect(receivedEventMessage).toEqual('hello');
+  it('plugins should be able to emit events that reach the app', async () => {
+    // Create an App with our test plugin
+    const testPlugin = new TestPlugin();
+    const app = new App({
+      logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
+      plugins: [testPlugin, new TestHttpPlugin()]
+    });
+
+    let receivedEventMessage: string = '';
+    app.event('test', event => {
+      // Make sure message is typed correctly
+      receivedEventMessage = event.message;
+      // @ts-expect-error - event should be correctly typed to ITestEvents
+      event.nonExistentProperty = 'bar';
+    });
+
+    await app.start();
+
+    testPlugin.testEmit();
+    expect(receivedEventMessage).toEqual('hello');
+  });
+
+  it('should throw error when registering duplicate plugin names', () => {
+    const plugin1 = new TestPlugin();
+    const plugin2 = new TestPlugin();
+    const app = new App({
+      logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
+      plugins: [plugin1]
     });
 
-    it('should throw error when registering duplicate plugin names', () => {
-        const plugin1 = new TestPlugin();
-        const plugin2 = new TestPlugin();
-        const app = new App({
-            logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
-            plugins: [plugin1]
-        });
-
-        expect(() => {
-            app.plugin(plugin2);
-        }).toThrow('duplicate plugin "testPlugin" found');
+    expect(() => {
+      app.plugin(plugin2);
+    }).toThrow('duplicate plugin "testPlugin" found');
+  });
+
+  it('should prevent plugins from using reserved event names', async () => {
+    @Plugin({
+      name: 'reservedPlugin',
+      version: '0.0.1',
+      description: 'test-plugin',
+    })
+    class ReservedEventPlugin implements IPlugin<{ 'activity': { foo: string } }> {
+
+      @Event('custom')
+      emit!: <Name extends 'activity'>(name: Name, arg: { foo: string }) => void;
+
+      __eventType!: { 'activity': { foo: string } };
+
+      onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void | Promise<void> {
+        // No-op for tests
+      }
+
+      testEmit() {
+        this.emit('activity', { foo: 'bar' });
+      }
+    }
+
+    const app = new App({
+      logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
+      plugins: [new ReservedEventPlugin()]
     });
 
-    it('should prevent plugins from using reserved event names', async () => {
-        @Plugin({
-            name: 'reservedPlugin',
-            version: '0.0.1',
-            description: 'test-plugin',
-        })
-        class ReservedEventPlugin implements IPlugin<{ 'activity': { foo: string } }> {
+    const eventFn = jest.fn();
+    app.event('activity', eventFn);
 
-            @Event('custom')
-            emit!: <Name extends 'activity'>(name: Name, arg: { foo: string }) => void;
+    await app.start();
+    const plugin = app.getPlugin('reservedPlugin') as ReservedEventPlugin;
 
-            __eventType!: { 'activity': { foo: string } };
+    plugin.testEmit();
+    expect(eventFn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
 
-            onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void | Promise<void> {
-                // No-op for tests
-            }
+  it('should call plugin lifecycle methods in correct order', async () => {
+    const lifecycleOrder: string[] = [];
 
-            testEmit() {
-                this.emit('activity', { foo: 'bar' });
-            }
-        }
+    @Plugin({
+      name: 'lifecyclePlugin',
+      version: '0.0.1',
+      description: 'test-plugin',
+    })
+    class LifecyclePlugin implements IPlugin {
 
-        const app = new App({
-            logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
-            plugins: [new ReservedEventPlugin()]
-        });
+      onInit(): void {
+        lifecycleOrder.push('onInit');
+      }
 
-        const eventFn = jest.fn();
-        app.event('activity', eventFn);
+      onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void {
+        lifecycleOrder.push('onStart');
+      }
 
-        await app.start();
-        const plugin = app.getPlugin('reservedPlugin') as ReservedEventPlugin;
+      onStop(): void {
+        lifecycleOrder.push('onStop');
+      }
+    }
 
-        plugin.testEmit();
-        expect(eventFn).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const app = new App({
+      logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
+      plugins: [new LifecyclePlugin(), new TestHttpPlugin()]
     });
 
-    it('should call plugin lifecycle methods in correct order', async () => {
-        const lifecycleOrder: string[] = [];
+    await app.start();
+    await app.stop();
+
+    expect(lifecycleOrder).toEqual(['onInit', 'onStart', 'onStop']);
+  });
+
+  it('should propagate plugin errors to app error handler', async () => {
+    @Plugin({
+      name: 'errorPlugin',
+      version: '0.0.1',
+      description: 'test-plugin',
+    })
+    class ErrorPlugin implements IPlugin {
+      onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void {
+        throw new Error('test error');
+      }
+    }
+
+    const app = new App({
+      logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
+      plugins: [new ErrorPlugin(), new TestHttpPlugin()]
+    });
 
-        @Plugin({
-            name: 'lifecyclePlugin',
-            version: '0.0.1',
-            description: 'test-plugin',
-        })
-        class LifecyclePlugin implements IPlugin {
+    let errorReceived = null as Error | null;
+    app.event('error', (event: IErrorEvent) => {
+      errorReceived = event.error;
+    });
 
-            onInit(): void {
-                lifecycleOrder.push('onInit');
-            }
+    await app.start();
 
-            onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void {
-                lifecycleOrder.push('onStart');
-            }
+    expect(errorReceived).toBeDefined();
+    expect(errorReceived?.message).toBe('test error');
+  });
+  it('should be able to include additional context', async () => {
+    interface IMyContext {
+      foo: number;
+      bar: string;
+    }
 
-            onStop(): void {
-                lifecycleOrder.push('onStop');
-            }
-        }
+    @Plugin({
+      name: 'myPlugin',
+      version: '0.0.1',
+      description: 'test-plugin',
+    })
+    class MyPlugin implements IPlugin<IMyContext> {
+      onActivity(_event: IPluginActivityEvent): IMyContext {
+        return {
+          foo: 4,
+          bar: 'str',
+        };
+      }
+
+      onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void | Promise<void> {
+        // No-op for tests
+      }
+    }
 
-        const app = new App({
-            logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
-            plugins: [new LifecyclePlugin(), new TestHttpPlugin()]
-        });
+    const app = new App({
+      logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
+      plugins: [new MyPlugin(), new TestHttpPlugin()]
+    });
 
-        await app.start();
-        await app.stop();
 
-        expect(lifecycleOrder).toEqual(['onInit', 'onStart', 'onStop']);
+    let receivedFoo: number = -1;
+    let receivedBar: string = '';
+    app.on('message', (context) => {
+      receivedFoo = context.foo;
+      receivedBar = context.bar;
     });
 
-    it('should propagate plugin errors to app error handler', async () => {
-        @Plugin({
-            name: 'errorPlugin',
-            version: '0.0.1',
-            description: 'test-plugin',
-        })
-        class ErrorPlugin implements IPlugin {
-            onStart(_event: IPluginStartEvent): void {
-                throw new Error('test error');
-            }
-        }
-
-        const app = new App({
-            logger: new ConsoleLogger('test', { level: 'debug' }),
-            plugins: [new ErrorPlugin(), new TestHttpPlugin()]
-        });
-
-        let errorReceived = null as Error | null;
-        app.event('error', (event: IErrorEvent) => {
-            errorReceived = event.error;
-        });
-
-        await app.start();
-
-        expect(errorReceived).toBeDefined();
-        expect(errorReceived?.message).toBe('test error');
+    await app.start();
+
+    // Trigger a message activity by directly calling onActivity (internal API for testing)
+    const httpPlugin = app.getPlugin('http') as TestHttpPlugin;
+    const activity = new MessageActivity('test message');
+
+    // @ts-expect-error - accessing internal method for testing
+    await app.onActivity(httpPlugin, {
+      activity: activity.toInterface(),
+      token: {
+        appId: 'test-app-id',
+        serviceUrl: 'https://test.botframework.com',
+        from: 'bot' as const,
+        fromId: 'test-from-id',
+        toString: () => 'test-token',
+        isExpired: () => false,
+      }
     });
+
+    expect(receivedFoo).toEqual(4);
+    expect(receivedBar).toEqual('str');
+
+    await app.stop();
+  });
 });
diff --git a/packages/apps/src/app.process.ts b/packages/apps/src/app.process.ts
index 0c92a605d..17706953f 100644
--- a/packages/apps/src/app.process.ts
+++ b/packages/apps/src/app.process.ts
@@ -57,33 +57,30 @@ export async function $process<TPlugin extends IPlugin>(
 
   const routes = this.router.select(activity);
 
+  // Collect plugin contexts BEFORE creating the activity context
   let pluginContexts: {} = {};
   for (let i = this.plugins.length - 1; i > -1; i--) {
     const plugin = this.plugins[i];
 
     if (plugin.onActivity) {
-      routes.unshift(async ({ next }) => {
-        const additionalPluginContext = await plugin.onActivity!({
-          ...ref,
-          sender: sender,
-          activity,
-          token,
-        });
-
-        if (additionalPluginContext) {
-          for (const key in additionalPluginContext) {
-            if (key in pluginContexts) {
-              this.log.warn(`Plugin context key "${key}" already exists. Overriding.`);
-            }
+      const additionalPluginContext = await plugin.onActivity({
+        ...ref,
+        sender: sender,
+        activity,
+        token,
+      });
+
+      if (additionalPluginContext) {
+        for (const key in additionalPluginContext) {
+          if (key in pluginContexts) {
+            this.log.warn(`Plugin context key "${key}" already exists. Overriding.`);
           }
-          pluginContexts = {
-            ...pluginContexts,
-            ...additionalPluginContext,
-          };
         }
-
-        return next();
-      });
+        pluginContexts = {
+          ...pluginContexts,
+          ...additionalPluginContext,
+        };
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -94,7 +91,11 @@ export async function $process<TPlugin extends IPlugin>(
     if (i === routes.length - 1) return data;
     i++;
 
-    const res = await routes[i](ctx || context.toInterface());
+    const mergedContext = ctx || {
+      ...context.toInterface(),
+      ...pluginContexts,
+    };
+    const res = await routes[i](mergedContext);
 
     if (res) {
       data = res;
@@ -116,7 +117,6 @@ export async function $process<TPlugin extends IPlugin>(
     storage: this.storage,
     isSignedIn: !!userToken,
     connectionName: this.oauth.defaultConnectionName,
-    ...pluginContexts
   });
 
   if (routes.length === 0) {