diff --git a/express/express.d.ts b/express/express.d.ts
index 96cda8e8b..786ef57a4 100644
--- a/express/express.d.ts
+++ b/express/express.d.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@
 
 /// <reference path="../node/node.d.ts" />
 
+
+declare module Express {
+
+    // These open interfaces may be extended in an application-specific manner via declaration merging.
+    // See for example passport.d.ts (https://github.com/borisyankov/DefinitelyTyped/blob/master/passport/passport.d.ts)
+    export interface Request { }
+    export interface Response { }
+    export interface Application { }
+}
+
+
 declare module "express" {
     import http = require('http');
 
@@ -229,7 +240,7 @@ declare module "express" {
             count: number;
         }
 
-        interface Request {
+        interface Request extends Express.Request {
 
             session: Session;
 
@@ -545,7 +556,7 @@ declare module "express" {
             (body: any): Response;
         }
 
-        interface Response extends http.ServerResponse {
+        interface Response extends http.ServerResponse, Express.Response {
             /**
              * Set status `code`.
              *
@@ -893,7 +904,7 @@ declare module "express" {
             (req: Request, res: Response, next: Function): any;
         }
 
-        interface Application extends IRouter<Application> {
+        interface Application extends IRouter<Application>, Express.Application {
             /**
              * Initialize the server.
              *
diff --git a/passport/passport-test.ts b/passport/passport-test.ts
index f102b306e..e3ee9d4f2 100644
--- a/passport/passport-test.ts
+++ b/passport/passport-test.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import passport = require('passport');
 class TestStrategy implements passport.Strategy {
   public name: string = 'test';
   constructor() {}
-  authenticate(req: passport.Request) {}
+  authenticate(req: express.Request) {}
 }
 
 passport.use(new TestStrategy());
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ app.post('/login',
     res.redirect('/');
   });
 
-app.post('/login', function(req: passport.Request, res: passport.Response, next: (err?: any) => void) {
+app.post('/login', function(req, res, next) {
   passport.authenticate('local', function(err, user, info) {
     if (err) { return next(err) }
     if (!user) {
@@ -47,12 +47,12 @@ app.post('/login', function(req: passport.Request, res: passport.Response, next:
   })(req, res, next);
 });
 
-app.get('/logout', function(req: passport.Request, res: passport.Response) {
+app.get('/logout', function(req, res) {
   req.logout();
   res.redirect('/');
 });
 
-function ensureAuthenticated(req: passport.Request, res: passport.Response, next: (err?: any) => void) {
+function ensureAuthenticated(req: express.Request, res: express.Response, next: (err?: any) => void) {
   if (req.isAuthenticated()) { return next(); }
   if (req.isUnauthenticated()) {
     res.redirect('/login');
diff --git a/passport/passport.d.ts b/passport/passport.d.ts
index ae401b252..cd86228f6 100644
--- a/passport/passport.d.ts
+++ b/passport/passport.d.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,16 @@ declare module 'passport' {
         transformAuthInfo(fn: (info: any, done: (err: any, info: any) => void) => void): void;
     }
 
-    interface Request extends express.Request {
+    interface Strategy {
+        name?: string;
+        authenticate(req: express.Request, options?: Object): void;
+    }
+}
+
+declare module Express {
+    export interface Request {
+
+        // These declarations are merged into express's Request type
         login(user: any, done: (err: any) => void): void;
         login(user: any, options: Object, done: (err: any) => void): void;
         logIn(user: any, done: (err: any) => void): void;
@@ -50,11 +59,4 @@ declare module 'passport' {
         isAuthenticated(): boolean;
         isUnauthenticated(): boolean;
     }
-    interface Response extends express.Response {}
-
-    interface Strategy {
-        name?: string;
-        authenticate(req: Request, options?: Object): void;
-    }
 }
-