diff --git a/blurb_it/middleware.py b/blurb_it/middleware.py
index e79d543..e04dea2 100644
--- a/blurb_it/middleware.py
+++ b/blurb_it/middleware.py
@@ -4,16 +4,24 @@
 
 @web.middleware
 async def error_middleware(request, handler):
-    """Middleware to render error message using the template renderer."""
+    """Middleware to render error message using the template renderer.
+
+    Only client and server errors are rendered. Redirects and other
+    non-error responses raised as exceptions pass through untouched.
+    The rendered page keeps the original status code, so monitoring,
+    health probes and Sentry see the real error instead of a 200.
+    """
     try:
         response = await handler(request)
     except web.HTTPException as ex:
+        if ex.status < 400:
+            raise
         if ex.text:
             message = ex.text
         else:
             message = ex.reason
         context = {"error_message": message, "status": ex.status}
         response = aiohttp_jinja2.render_template(
-            "error.html", request, context=context
+            "error.html", request, context=context, status=ex.status
         )
     return response
diff --git a/tests/test_middleware.py b/tests/test_middleware.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20e16cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_middleware.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import pathlib
+
+import aiohttp_jinja2
+import jinja2
+from aiohttp import web
+
+from blurb_it import middleware
+
+
+def create_app() -> web.Application:
+    app = web.Application(middlewares=[middleware.error_middleware])
+    aiohttp_jinja2.setup(
+        app, loader=jinja2.FileSystemLoader(pathlib.Path.cwd() / "templates")
+    )
+    return app
+
+
+async def test_not_found_keeps_status_code(aiohttp_client) -> None:
+    app = create_app()
+    client = await aiohttp_client(app)
+
+    response = await client.get("/does-not-exist")
+
+    assert response.status == 404
+    text = await response.text()
+    assert "<h1>404</h1>" in text
+    assert "Not Found" in text
+
+
+async def test_handler_error_renders_text_with_status(aiohttp_client) -> None:
+    async def forbidden(request):
+        raise web.HTTPForbidden(reason="Invalid CSRF token. Please retry.")
+
+    app = create_app()
+    app.router.add_get("/forbidden", forbidden)
+    client = await aiohttp_client(app)
+
+    response = await client.get("/forbidden")
+
+    assert response.status == 403
+    text = await response.text()
+    assert "<h1>403</h1>" in text
+    assert "Invalid CSRF token. Please retry." in text
+
+
+async def test_redirect_passes_through(aiohttp_client) -> None:
+    async def redirect(request):
+        raise web.HTTPFound(location="/elsewhere")
+
+    app = create_app()
+    app.router.add_get("/redirect", redirect)
+    client = await aiohttp_client(app)
+
+    response = await client.get("/redirect", allow_redirects=False)
+
+    assert response.status == 302
+    assert response.headers["Location"] == "/elsewhere"