diff --git a/src/response.ts b/src/response.ts
index 0eec6ec..330f016 100644
--- a/src/response.ts
+++ b/src/response.ts
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ import createStream from "./stream";
 
 export interface ServerlessResponse {
   buffer?: string; // Raw http body base64 encoded
-  status: number;
-  statusMessage: string;
-  headers: Record<string, string | string[]>;
+  body?: string; // Response body returned as string. Either this or `buffer` is used.
+  status?: number;
+  statusMessage?: string;
+  headers?: Record<string, string | string[]>;
 }
 
 class Response extends ServerResponse {
diff --git a/src/utils/callback.spec.ts b/src/utils/callback.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5abaa48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/callback.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import * as http from "node:http";
+import { handleApi } from "./callbacks";
+
+jest.mock("./filesys", () => ({
+  walkTree: () => {
+    return [];
+  },
+  matchPath: () => {
+    return { path: "/path/to/", name: "api-file.ts" };
+  },
+}));
+
+describe("utils/callback.ts", () => {
+  describe("handleApi", () => {
+    const exampleRequest = {
+      method: "GET",
+      url: "/",
+      path: "/",
+      body: "",
+      headers: {},
+    };
+
+    afterEach(() => {
+      jest.resetModules();
+    });
+
+    describe("with returned object", () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        jest.mock(
+          "/path/to/api-file.ts",
+          () => ({
+            default: () => {
+              return {
+                body: "Hello world",
+                status: 201,
+                headers: {
+                  "X-Custom-Header": "Sample Project",
+                },
+              };
+            },
+          }),
+          { virtual: true }
+        );
+      });
+
+      test("should handle returning a response body", async () => {
+        const response = await handleApi(exampleRequest, "/");
+
+        expect(response).toEqual({
+          body: "Hello world",
+          status: 201,
+          headers: {
+            "X-Custom-Header": "Sample Project",
+          },
+        });
+      });
+    });
+
+    describe("with response.end", () => {
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        jest.mock(
+          "/path/to/api-file.ts",
+          () => ({
+            default: (_: http.IncomingMessage, res: http.ServerResponse) => {
+              res.setHeader("X-Custom-Header", "Sample Project");
+              res.write("Hi world");
+              res.end();
+            },
+          }),
+          { virtual: true }
+        );
+      });
+
+      test("should handle returning a response body", async () => {
+        const response = await handleApi(exampleRequest, "/");
+
+        expect(response).toEqual({
+          buffer: "SGkgd29ybGQ=",
+          status: 200,
+          statusMessage: "OK",
+          headers: {
+            connection: "close",
+            date: expect.any(String),
+            "x-custom-header": "Sample Project",
+          },
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/utils/callbacks.ts b/src/utils/callbacks.ts
index a91815c..1a96afb 100644
--- a/src/utils/callbacks.ts
+++ b/src/utils/callbacks.ts
@@ -32,6 +32,13 @@ export const handleError = (callback: AwsCallback) => (e: Error) => {
 
 let cachedFiles: WalkFile[];
 
+interface AlternativeSyntax {
+  body?: string;
+  headers?: Record<string, string>;
+  statusCode?: number;
+  status?: number; // Alias for statusCode
+}
+
 export const handleApi = (
   event: RequestEvent,
   apiDir: string
@@ -54,7 +61,20 @@ export const handleApi = (
     if (file) {
       try {
         const mod = require(path.join(file.path, file.name));
-        return mod.default ? mod.default(req, res) : mod(req, res);
+        const ret = mod.default ? mod.default(req, res) : mod(req, res);
+
+        // Allow function to return a value instead of using `response.end`
+        Promise.resolve(ret).then((r: AlternativeSyntax) => {
+          if (typeof r !== "undefined" && typeof r === "object") {
+            resolve({
+              body: r.body,
+              headers: r.headers,
+              status: r.statusCode || r.status,
+            });
+          }
+        });
+
+        return;
       } catch (e) {
         console.error(e);
       }
diff --git a/tests/unit/app-express.spec.ts b/tests/unit/app-express.spec.ts
index 5c2f15a..74c90f9 100644
--- a/tests/unit/app-express.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/app-express.spec.ts
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ describe("express", () => {
         {},
         (e: Error | null, parsed: ServerlessResponse) => {
           expect(e).toBe(null);
-          expect(parsed.headers["x-custom-proxy-header"]).toBe("1");
+          expect(parsed.headers?.["x-custom-proxy-header"]).toBe("1");
           expect(JSON.parse(decodeString(parsed.buffer))).toEqual({
             user: "robin",
             email: "robin@stormkit.io",
diff --git a/tests/unit/handlers/stormkit.spec.ts b/tests/unit/handlers/stormkit.spec.ts
index af152be..086ad19 100644
--- a/tests/unit/handlers/stormkit.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/unit/handlers/stormkit.spec.ts
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ describe("handlers/stormkit.ts", () => {
       expect(decodeString(parsed.buffer)).toEqual(
         "Written a text\r\n\r\nWrite something elsemy-data"
       );
-      expect(parsed.headers["transfer-encoding"]).toBeUndefined();
+      expect(parsed.headers?.["transfer-encoding"]).toBeUndefined();
       expect(parsed).toEqual(
         expect.objectContaining({
           status: 200,