diff --git a/src/App/src/Middleware/DeprecationMiddleware.php b/src/App/src/Middleware/DeprecationMiddleware.php
index 1f47851a..5791fc2c 100644
--- a/src/App/src/Middleware/DeprecationMiddleware.php
+++ b/src/App/src/Middleware/DeprecationMiddleware.php
@@ -5,9 +5,10 @@
 namespace Api\App\Middleware;
 
 use Api\App\Attribute\ResourceDeprecation;
-use Api\App\Exception\ConflictException;
+use Api\App\Exception\ExpiredException;
 use Api\App\Exception\RuntimeException;
 use Api\App\Service\HandlerService;
+use DateTimeImmutable;
 use Dot\DependencyInjection\Attribute\Inject;
 use Psr\Http\Message\ResponseInterface;
 use Psr\Http\Message\ServerRequestInterface;
@@ -20,7 +21,6 @@
 use function array_merge;
 use function array_values;
 use function implode;
-use function is_string;
 use function sprintf;
 
 class DeprecationMiddleware implements MiddlewareInterface
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ class DeprecationMiddleware implements MiddlewareInterface
     public const string RESOURCE_DEPRECATION_ATTRIBUTE = ResourceDeprecation::class;
 
     /**
-     * @param array<non-empty-string, mixed> $config
+     * @param array{documentation_url?: non-empty-string} $config
      */
     #[Inject(
         'config.application.versioning',
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ public function __construct(
     }
 
     /**
-     * @throws ConflictException
+     * @throws ExpiredException
      * @throws ReflectionException
      * @throws RuntimeException
      */
@@ -47,36 +47,61 @@ public function process(
         ServerRequestInterface $request,
         RequestHandlerInterface $handler
     ): ResponseInterface {
-        $response = $handler->handle($request);
-
         $reflectionHandler = HandlerService::getReflectionHandler($request);
         if (! $reflectionHandler instanceof ReflectionClass) {
-            return $response;
+            return $handler->handle($request);
         }
 
         $attributes = $this->getReflectionAttributes($reflectionHandler);
         if (empty($attributes)) {
-            return $response;
+            return $handler->handle($request);
         }
 
         $attribute = $this->getAttribute($attributes);
         if (null === $attribute) {
-            return $response;
+            return $handler->handle($request);
+        }
+
+        $documentationUrl = $this->getDocumentationUrl($attribute);
+
+        if ($this->isSunsetReached($attribute['sunset'])) {
+            throw ExpiredException::create(
+                detail: sprintf('This resource is no longer available (sunset on %s).', $attribute['sunset']),
+                type: $documentationUrl ?? '',
+            );
         }
 
+        $response = $handler->handle($request);
+
         if (! empty($attribute['sunset'])) {
             $response = $response->withHeader('sunset', $attribute['sunset']);
         }
 
-        /** @var non-empty-string $baseUrl */
-        $baseUrl = $attribute['link'] ?? $this->config['documentation_url'] ?? null;
-        if (is_string($baseUrl)) {
-            $response = $response->withHeader('link', $this->formatLink($baseUrl, $attribute));
+        if (null !== $documentationUrl) {
+            $response = $response->withHeader('link', $this->formatLink($documentationUrl, $attribute));
         }
 
         return $response;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @param array<non-empty-string, mixed> $attribute
+     * @return non-empty-string|null
+     */
+    private function getDocumentationUrl(array $attribute): ?string
+    {
+        return $attribute['link'] ?? $this->config['documentation_url'] ?? null;
+    }
+
+    private function isSunsetReached(?string $sunset): bool
+    {
+        if (empty($sunset)) {
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        return new DateTimeImmutable() >= new DateTimeImmutable($sunset);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param array<int, mixed> $attributes
      * @return array<non-empty-string, mixed>|null
diff --git a/test/Unit/App/Middleware/DeprecationMiddlewareTest.php b/test/Unit/App/Middleware/DeprecationMiddlewareTest.php
index bcc47255..f60d0306 100644
--- a/test/Unit/App/Middleware/DeprecationMiddlewareTest.php
+++ b/test/Unit/App/Middleware/DeprecationMiddlewareTest.php
@@ -6,8 +6,10 @@
 
 use Api\App\Attribute\ResourceDeprecation;
 use Api\App\Exception\ConflictException;
+use Api\App\Exception\ExpiredException;
 use Api\App\Middleware\DeprecationMiddleware;
 use Fig\Http\Message\RequestMethodInterface;
+use Fig\Http\Message\StatusCodeInterface;
 use Laminas\Diactoros\Response\EmptyResponse;
 use Laminas\Stratigility\MiddlewarePipe;
 use Mezzio\Middleware\LazyLoadingMiddleware;
@@ -272,6 +274,100 @@ public function handle(ServerRequestInterface $request): ResponseInterface
         $this->assertSame('2038-01-01', $response->getHeader('sunset')[0]);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @throws Exception
+     * @throws ReflectionException
+     */
+    public function testPastSunsetThrowsExpiredExceptionWithoutRunningHandler(): void
+    {
+        $deprecated = new #[ResourceDeprecation(sunset: '2000-01-01', link: 'test-link')]
+        class implements RequestHandlerInterface {
+            public function handle(ServerRequestInterface $request): ResponseInterface
+            {
+                return new EmptyResponse();
+            }
+        };
+
+        $this->routeRequestTo($deprecated);
+
+        $handler = $this->createMock(RequestHandlerInterface::class);
+        $handler->expects($this->never())->method('handle');
+
+        $this->expectException(ExpiredException::class);
+
+        $this->deprecationMiddleware->process($this->request, $handler);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @throws Exception
+     * @throws ReflectionException
+     */
+    public function testExpiredExceptionCarriesStatusMessageAndLink(): void
+    {
+        $deprecated = new #[ResourceDeprecation(sunset: '2000-01-01', link: 'test-link')]
+        class implements RequestHandlerInterface {
+            public function handle(ServerRequestInterface $request): ResponseInterface
+            {
+                return new EmptyResponse();
+            }
+        };
+
+        $this->routeRequestTo($deprecated);
+
+        try {
+            $this->deprecationMiddleware->process($this->request, $this->handler);
+            $this->fail('ExpiredException was not thrown');
+        } catch (ExpiredException $exception) {
+            $this->assertSame(StatusCodeInterface::STATUS_GONE, $exception->getStatus());
+            $this->assertSame('This resource is no longer available (sunset on 2000-01-01).', $exception->getDetail());
+            $this->assertSame('test-link', $exception->getType());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @throws Exception
+     * @throws ReflectionException
+     */
+    public function testExpiredExceptionFallsBackToConfiguredDocumentationUrl(): void
+    {
+        $deprecated = new #[ResourceDeprecation(sunset: '2000-01-01')]
+        class implements RequestHandlerInterface {
+            public function handle(ServerRequestInterface $request): ResponseInterface
+            {
+                return new EmptyResponse();
+            }
+        };
+
+        $this->routeRequestTo($deprecated);
+
+        try {
+            $this->deprecationMiddleware->process($this->request, $this->handler);
+            $this->fail('ExpiredException was not thrown');
+        } catch (ExpiredException $exception) {
+            $this->assertSame(self::VERSIONING_CONFIG['documentation_url'], $exception->getType());
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @throws Exception
+     */
+    private function routeRequestTo(RequestHandlerInterface $deprecated): void
+    {
+        $routeResult           = $this->createStub(RouteResult::class);
+        $route                 = $this->createStub(Route::class);
+        $lazyLoadingMiddleware = new LazyLoadingMiddleware(
+            $this->createStub(MiddlewareContainer::class),
+            $deprecated::class,
+        );
+
+        $route->method('getMiddleware')->willReturn($lazyLoadingMiddleware);
+        $routeResult->method('isFailure')->willReturn(false);
+        $routeResult->method('getMatchedRoute')->willReturn($route);
+        $this->request->method('getAttribute')->willReturn($routeResult);
+        $this->request->method('getMethod')->willReturn(RequestMethodInterface::METHOD_GET);
+        $this->handler->method('handle')->willReturn($this->response);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param non-empty-string $baseLink
      * @param array<non-empty-string, mixed> $attribute