diff --git a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectExecutor.swift b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectExecutor.swift
index 8aed9a1b..cfa17c39 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectExecutor.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectExecutor.swift
@@ -4,7 +4,13 @@
 import Foundation
 
 final class EffectExecutor<Effect, Event>: Connectable {
-    private let handleEffect: (Effect, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable
+    enum Operation {
+        case eventEmitting((Effect, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable)
+        case eventReturning((Effect) -> Event?)
+        case sideEffecting((Effect) -> Void)
+    }
+
+    private let operation: Operation
     private var output: Consumer<Event>?
 
     private let lock = Lock()
@@ -12,11 +18,15 @@ final class EffectExecutor<Effect, Event>: Connectable {
     // Keep track of each received effect's state.
     // When an effect has completed, it should be removed from this dictionary.
     // When disposing this effect handler, all entries must be removed.
-    private var handlingEffects: [Int64: EffectHandlingState<Event>] = [:]
+    private var ongoingEffects: [Int64: EffectHandlingState<Event>] = [:]
     private var nextID = Int64(0)
 
-    init(handleInput: @escaping (Effect, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable) {
-        self.handleEffect = handleInput
+    init(operation: Operation) {
+        self.operation = operation
+    }
+
+    deinit {
+        dispose()
     }
 
     func connect(_ consumer: @escaping Consumer<Event>) -> Connection<Effect> {
@@ -38,7 +48,31 @@ final class EffectExecutor<Effect, Event>: Connectable {
         }
     }
 
-    func handle(_ effect: Effect) {
+    private func handle(_ effect: Effect) {
+        switch operation {
+        case .eventEmitting(let handler): handleOngoing(effect, handler: handler)
+        case .eventReturning(let handler): handler(effect).map { event in output?(event) }
+        case .sideEffecting(let handler): handler(effect)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func dispose() {
+        lock.synchronized {
+            // Dispose any effects currently being handled. We also need to `end` their callbacks to remove the
+            // references we are keeping to them.
+            ongoingEffects.values
+                .forEach {
+                    $0.disposable.dispose()
+                    $0.callback.end()
+                }
+
+            // Restore the state of this `Connectable` to its pre-connected state.
+            ongoingEffects = [:]
+            output = nil
+        }
+    }
+
+    private func handleOngoing(_ effect: Effect, handler: @escaping (Effect, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable) {
         let id: Int64 = lock.synchronized {
             nextID += 1
             return nextID
@@ -52,9 +86,9 @@ final class EffectExecutor<Effect, Event>: Connectable {
             onEnd: { [weak self] in self?.delete(id: id) }
         )
 
-        let disposable = handleEffect(effect, callback)
-
+        let disposable = handler(effect, callback)
         store(id: id, callback: callback, disposable: disposable)
+
         // We cannot know if `callback.end()` was called before `self.store(..)`. This check ensures that if
         // the callback was ended early, the reference to it will be deleted.
         if callback.ended {
@@ -62,37 +96,17 @@ final class EffectExecutor<Effect, Event>: Connectable {
         }
     }
 
-    func dispose() {
-        lock.synchronized {
-            // Dispose any effects currently being handled. We also need to `end` their callbacks to remove the
-            // references we are keeping to them.
-            handlingEffects.values
-                .forEach {
-                    $0.disposable.dispose()
-                    $0.callback.end()
-                }
-
-            // Restore the state of this `Connectable` to its pre-connected state.
-            handlingEffects = [:]
-            output = nil
-        }
-    }
-
     private func store(id: Int64, callback: EffectCallback<Event>, disposable: Disposable) {
         lock.synchronized {
-            handlingEffects[id] = EffectHandlingState(callback: callback, disposable: disposable)
+            ongoingEffects[id] = EffectHandlingState(callback: callback, disposable: disposable)
         }
     }
 
     private func delete(id: Int64) {
         lock.synchronized {
-            handlingEffects[id] = nil
+            ongoingEffects[id] = nil
         }
     }
-
-    deinit {
-        dispose()
-    }
 }
 
 private struct EffectHandlingState<Event> {
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectHandler.swift b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectHandler.swift
index 0bd642ee..3aa19a6b 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectHandler.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectHandler.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 /// call `callback.end()`.
 ///
 /// Note: `EffectHandler` should be used in conjunction with an `EffectRouter`.
+@available(*, deprecated)
 public protocol EffectHandler {
     associatedtype EffectParameters
     associatedtype Event
@@ -33,6 +34,7 @@ public protocol EffectHandler {
 }
 
 /// A type-erased wrapper of the `EffectHandler` protocol.
+@available(*, deprecated)
 public struct AnyEffectHandler<EffectParameters, Event>: EffectHandler {
     private let handleClosure: (EffectParameters, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable
 
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouter.swift b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouter.swift
index c22aa960..193972d4 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouter.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouter.swift
@@ -67,15 +67,21 @@ public struct _PartialEffectRouter<Effect, EffectParameters, Event> {
     fileprivate let path: (Effect) -> EffectParameters?
     fileprivate let queue: DispatchQueue?
 
+    func routed<C: Connectable>(
+        _ connectable: C
+    ) -> EffectRouter<Effect, Event> where C.Input == EffectParameters, C.Output == Event {
+        let route = Route(extractParameters: path, connectable: connectable, queue: queue)
+        return EffectRouter(routes: routes + [route])
+    }
+
     /// Route to an `EffectHandler`.
     ///
     /// - Parameter effectHandler: the `EffectHandler` for the route in question.
+    @available(*, deprecated, message: "prefer routing directly to the handling closure, eg: .to(myEffectHandler.handle)")
     public func to<Handler: EffectHandler>(
         _ effectHandler: Handler
     ) -> EffectRouter<Effect, Event> where Handler.EffectParameters == EffectParameters, Handler.Event == Event {
-        let connectable = EffectExecutor(handleInput: effectHandler.handle)
-        let route = Route<Effect, Event>(extractParameters: path, connectable: connectable, queue: queue)
-        return EffectRouter(routes: routes + [route])
+        return routed(EffectExecutor(operation: .eventEmitting(effectHandler.handle)))
     }
 
     /// Route to a Connectable.
@@ -84,9 +90,7 @@ public struct _PartialEffectRouter<Effect, EffectParameters, Event> {
     public func to<C: Connectable>(
         _ connectable: C
     ) -> EffectRouter<Effect, Event> where C.Input == EffectParameters, C.Output == Event {
-        let connectable = ThreadSafeConnectable(connectable: connectable)
-        let route = Route(extractParameters: path, connectable: connectable, queue: queue)
-        return EffectRouter(routes: routes + [route])
+        return routed(ThreadSafeConnectable(connectable: connectable))
     }
 
     /// Handle an the current `Effect` asynchronously on the provided `DispatchQueue`
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterDSL.swift b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterDSL.swift
index 1e682d77..e903e73d 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterDSL.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Source/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterDSL.swift
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ public extension _PartialEffectRouter {
     func to(
         _ handle: @escaping (EffectParameters, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable
     ) -> EffectRouter<Effect, Event> {
-        return to(AnyEffectHandler(handle: handle))
+        return routed(EffectExecutor(operation: .eventEmitting(handle)))
     }
 
     /// Route to a side-effecting closure.
@@ -28,11 +28,7 @@ public extension _PartialEffectRouter {
     func to(
         _ fireAndForget: @escaping (EffectParameters) -> Void
     ) -> EffectRouter<Effect, Event> {
-        return to { parameters, callback in
-            fireAndForget(parameters)
-            callback.end()
-            return EmptyDisposable()
-        }
+        return routed(EffectExecutor(operation: .sideEffecting(fireAndForget)))
     }
 
     /// Route to a closure which returns an optional event when given the parameters as input.
@@ -42,12 +38,6 @@ public extension _PartialEffectRouter {
     func toEvent(
         _ eventClosure: @escaping (EffectParameters) -> Event?
     ) -> EffectRouter<Effect, Event> {
-        return to { parameters, callback in
-            if let event = eventClosure(parameters) {
-                callback.send(event)
-            }
-            callback.end()
-            return EmptyDisposable()
-        }
+        return routed(EffectExecutor(operation: .eventReturning(eventClosure)))
     }
 }
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/AnyEffectHandlerTests.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/AnyEffectHandlerTests.swift
index c14f2bbf..2d1044fc 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/AnyEffectHandlerTests.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/AnyEffectHandlerTests.swift
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import Quick
 private typealias Effect = String
 private typealias Event = String
 
+@available(*, deprecated)
 class AnyEffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
     // swiftlint:disable:next function_body_length
     override class func spec() {
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ class AnyEffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
 
             context("when initialized with wrapped effect handler") {
                 beforeEach {
-                    let wrapped = TestEffectHandler()
+                    let wrapped = WrappedEffectHandler()
                     effectHandler = AnyEffectHandler(handler: wrapped)
                 }
 
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ class AnyEffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
 
             context("when initialized with doubly wrapped effect handler") {
                 beforeEach {
-                    let wrapped = TestEffectHandler()
+                    let wrapped = WrappedEffectHandler()
                     let inner = AnyEffectHandler(handler: wrapped)
                     effectHandler = AnyEffectHandler(handler: inner)
                 }
@@ -68,7 +69,8 @@ class AnyEffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
     }
 }
 
-private struct TestEffectHandler: EffectHandler {
+@available(*, deprecated)
+private struct WrappedEffectHandler: EffectHandler {
     func handle(_ effect: Effect, _ callback: EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable {
         callback.send(effect)
         return AnonymousDisposable {
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectHandlerTests.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectHandlerTests.swift
index 750549a6..417a64e5 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectHandlerTests.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectHandlerTests.swift
@@ -19,12 +19,12 @@ private enum Event {
 class EffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
     override class func spec() {
         describe("Handling effects with EffectHandler") {
-            var effectHandler: AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event>!
+            var effectHandler: TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event>!
             var executeEffect: ((Effect) -> Void)!
             var receivedEvents: [Event]!
 
             beforeEach {
-                effectHandler = AnyEffectHandler(handle: handleEffect)
+                effectHandler = handleEffect
                 receivedEvents = []
                 let callback = EffectCallback(
                     onSend: { event in
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ class EffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
                     onEnd: {}
                 )
                 executeEffect = { effect in
-                    _ = effectHandler.handle(effect, callback)
+                    _ = effectHandler(effect, callback)
                 }
             }
 
@@ -53,13 +53,13 @@ class EffectHandlerTests: QuickSpec {
         describe("Disposing EffectHandler") {
             it("calls the returned disposable when disposing") {
                 var disposed = false
-                let effectHandler = AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> { _, _ in
+                let effectHandler: TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event> = { _, _ in
                     AnonymousDisposable {
                         disposed = true
                     }
                 }
                 let callback = EffectCallback<Event>(onSend: { _ in }, onEnd: {})
-                effectHandler.handle(.effect1, callback).dispose()
+                effectHandler(.effect1, callback).dispose()
 
                 expect(disposed).to(beTrue())
             }
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterTests.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterTests.swift
index 366b0203..305a6a4b 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterTests.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/EffectHandlers/EffectRouterTests.swift
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ class EffectRouterTests: QuickSpec {
                 receivedEvents = []
                 disposed1 = false
                 disposed2 = false
-                let effectHandler1 = AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> { _, callback in
+                let effectHandler1: TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event> = { _, callback in
                     callback.send(.eventForEffect1)
                     return AnonymousDisposable {
                         disposed1 = true
                     }
                 }
-                let effectHandler2 = AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> { _, callback in
+                let effectHandler2: TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event> = { _, callback in
                     callback.send(.eventForEffect2)
                     return AnonymousDisposable {
                         disposed2 = true
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ class EffectRouterTests: QuickSpec {
             var dispose: (() -> Void)!
 
             beforeEach {
-                let handler = AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> { _, _ in
+                let handler: TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event> = { _, _ in
                     EmptyDisposable()
                 }
                 let invalidRouter = EffectRouter<Effect, Event>()
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/EventRouterDisposalLogicalRaceRegressionTest.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/EventRouterDisposalLogicalRaceRegressionTest.swift
index 640593a1..af38ebe6 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/EventRouterDisposalLogicalRaceRegressionTest.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/EventRouterDisposalLogicalRaceRegressionTest.swift
@@ -88,8 +88,8 @@ private class EffectCollaborator {
 }
 
 extension EffectCollaborator {
-    func makeEffectHandler<Effect, Event>(replyEvent: Event) -> AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> {
-        return AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> { _, callback in
+    func makeEffectHandler<Effect, Event>(replyEvent: Event) -> TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event> {
+        return { _, callback in
             let cancellationToken = self.asyncDoStuff {
                 callback.send(replyEvent)
                 callback.end()
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/MobiusLoopTests.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/MobiusLoopTests.swift
index fcdab10e..92f0ac60 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/MobiusLoopTests.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/MobiusLoopTests.swift
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ class MobiusLoopTests: QuickSpec {
             beforeEach {
                 disposed.value = false
                 didReceiveEffect.value = false
-                let effectHandler = AnyEffectHandler<Int, Int> { _, _ in
+                let effectHandler: TestEffectHandler<Int, Int> = { _, _ in
                     didReceiveEffect.value = true
                     return AnonymousDisposable {
                         disposed.value = true
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/NonReentrancyTests.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/NonReentrancyTests.swift
index 1ff1b0d4..d506a28e 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/NonReentrancyTests.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/NonReentrancyTests.swift
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ class NonReentrancyTests: QuickSpec {
                     }
                 }
 
-                let testEffectHandler = AnyEffectHandler<Effect, Event> {
+                let testEffectHandler: TestEffectHandler<Effect, Event> = {
                     handleEffect($0, $1)
                     return EmptyDisposable()
                 }
diff --git a/MobiusCore/Test/TestingUtil.swift b/MobiusCore/Test/TestingUtil.swift
index afc58ccc..c3eb0761 100644
--- a/MobiusCore/Test/TestingUtil.swift
+++ b/MobiusCore/Test/TestingUtil.swift
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@ import Foundation
 @testable import MobiusCore
 import Nimble
 
+typealias TestEffectHandler<EffectParameters, Event> = (EffectParameters, EffectCallback<Event>) -> Disposable
+
 class SimpleTestConnectable: Connectable {
     var disposed = false