diff --git a/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler.rb b/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler.rb
index 0708522b..8917d0f7 100644
--- a/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler.rb
+++ b/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler.rb
@@ -42,14 +42,24 @@ module Helpers
       #
       module MessageHandler
         module ClassMethods
-          def on(*args, **opts, &block)
+          def on(*args, **opts, &handler)
             OnArgumentsValidator.validate_arguments!(*args)
 
             message_matchers = args.map { |arg| MessageMatchers::ArgumentCoercer.coerce_argument(arg) }
 
+            unbound_method = begin
+              handler_method_name = :"__sequent_handler_#{handler.object_id}"
+              fail "duplicate method name #{handler_method_name}" if method_defined?(handler_method_name)
+
+              define_method(handler_method_name, &handler)
+              instance_method(handler_method_name)
+            ensure
+              undef_method(handler_method_name)
+            end
+
             message_router.register_matchers(
               *message_matchers,
-              block,
+              unbound_method,
             )
 
             opts.each do |name, value|
@@ -113,7 +123,9 @@ def dispatch_message(message, handlers)
             if Sequent.logger.debug?
               Sequent.logger.debug("[MessageHandler] Handler #{self.class} handling #{message.class}")
             end
-            instance_exec(message, &handler)
+
+            args = handler.arity == 0 ? [] : [message]
+            handler.bind_call(self, *args)
           end
         end
       end
diff --git a/spec/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler_spec.rb b/spec/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler_spec.rb
index b4289f16..f75b6af4 100644
--- a/spec/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/lib/sequent/core/helpers/message_handler_spec.rb
@@ -153,11 +153,15 @@ class UnrelatedHandlerWithOption
   describe '.message_mapping' do
     subject { MyHandler.message_mapping }
 
-    it 'returns a mapping of message classes to handlers' do
-      expect(subject).to eq(
-        MessageHandlerEvent => Set[MyHandler::FIRST_HANDLER, MyHandler::LAST_HANDLER],
-        MessageHandlerEventOtherEvent => Set[MyHandler::FIRST_HANDLER],
+    it 'returns a mapping of message classes to unbound methods' do
+      expect(subject.keys).to eq(
+        [
+          MessageHandlerEvent,
+          MessageHandlerEventOtherEvent,
+        ],
       )
+      expect(subject[MessageHandlerEvent].size).to eq(2)
+      expect(subject[MessageHandlerEventOtherEvent].size).to eq(1)
     end
 
     context 'given a non-class/module argument' do
@@ -211,4 +215,36 @@ class OtherHandler
       end
     end
   end
+
+  describe 'handlers that use `return`' do
+    class HandlerWithReturn
+      include Sequent::Core::Helpers::MessageHandler
+
+      attr_reader :first_block_called, :second_block_called, :last_block_called
+
+      on MessageHandlerEvent do
+        @first_block_called = true
+        return
+      end
+
+      on MessageHandlerEvent do |_event|
+        @second_block_called = true
+        next
+      end
+
+      on MessageHandlerEvent do
+        @last_block_called = true
+      end
+    end
+
+    let(:handler) { HandlerWithReturn.new }
+
+    it 'should call subsequent handlers when a handler uses `return` or `next`' do
+      handler.handle_message(MessageHandlerEvent.new)
+
+      expect(handler.first_block_called).to be_truthy
+      expect(handler.second_block_called).to be_truthy
+      expect(handler.last_block_called).to be_truthy
+    end
+  end
 end