diff --git a/.changeset/tidy-wasps-shave.md b/.changeset/tidy-wasps-shave.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c05e2d48eab1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/tidy-wasps-shave.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@sveltejs/kit': patch
+---
+
+Remove getContext in favour of request.locals
diff --git a/documentation/docs/01-routing.md b/documentation/docs/01-routing.md
index 9849b19ae86e..89d06ece62fd 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/01-routing.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/01-routing.md
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ type Request<Context = any> = {
 	query: URLSearchParams;
 	rawBody: string | ArrayBuffer;
 	body: string | ArrayBuffer | ReadOnlyFormData | any;
-	context: Context; // see getContext, below
+	locals: Record<string, any>; // see below
 };
 
 type Response = {
diff --git a/documentation/docs/04-hooks.md b/documentation/docs/04-hooks.md
index f225c3167a8e..d780e0305183 100644
--- a/documentation/docs/04-hooks.md
+++ b/documentation/docs/04-hooks.md
@@ -2,117 +2,86 @@
 title: Hooks
 ---
 
-An optional `src/hooks.js` (or `src/hooks.ts`, or `src/hooks/index.js`) file exports three functions, all optional, that run on the server — **getContext**, **getSession** and **handle**.
+An optional `src/hooks.js` (or `src/hooks.ts`, or `src/hooks/index.js`) file exports two functions, both optional, that run on the server — **handle** and **getSession**.
 
 > The location of this file can be [configured](#configuration) as `config.kit.files.hooks`
 
-### getContext
+### handle
+
+This function runs on every request, and determines the response. It receives the `request` object and `render` method, which calls SvelteKit's default renderer. This allows you to modify response headers or bodies, or bypass SvelteKit entirely (for implementing endpoints programmatically, for example).
 
-This function runs on every incoming request. It generates the `context` object that is available to [endpoint handlers](#routing-endpoints) as `request.context` and that is used to derive the [`session`](#hooks-getsession) object available in the browser.
+If unimplemented, defaults to `({ request, render }) => render(request)`.
 
-If unimplemented, context is `{}`.
+To add custom data to the request, which is passed to endpoints, populate the `request.locals` object, as shown below.
 
 ```ts
-type Incoming = {
+type Request<Locals = Record<string, any>> = {
 	method: string;
 	host: string;
 	headers: Headers;
 	path: string;
+	params: Record<string, string>;
 	query: URLSearchParams;
-	body: string | Buffer | ReadOnlyFormData;
+	rawBody: string | ArrayBuffer;
+	body: string | ArrayBuffer | ReadOnlyFormData | any;
+	locals: Locals;
 };
 
-type GetContext<Context = any> = {
-	(incoming: Incoming): Context;
+type Response = {
+	status?: number;
+	headers?: Headers;
+	body?: any;
 };
+
+type Handle<Locals = Record<string, any>> = ({
+	request: Request<Locals>,
+	render: (request: Request<Locals>) => Promise<Response>
+}) => Response | Promise<Response>;
 ```
 
 ```js
-import * as cookie from 'cookie';
-import db from '$lib/db';
+/** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').Handle} */
+export async function handle({ request, render }) {
+	request.locals.user = await getUserInformation(request.headers.cookie);
 
-/** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').GetContext} */
-export async function getContext({ headers }) {
-	const cookies = cookie.parse(headers.cookie || '');
+	const response = await render(request);
 
 	return {
-		user: (await db.get_user(cookies.session_id)) || { guest: true }
+		...response,
+		headers: {
+			...response.headers,
+			'x-custom-header': 'potato'
+		}
 	};
 }
 ```
 
 ### getSession
 
-This function takes the [`context`](#hooks-getcontext) object and returns a `session` object that is [accessible on the client](#modules-$app-stores) and therefore must be safe to expose to users. It runs whenever SvelteKit server-renders a page.
+This function takes the `request` object and returns a `session` object that is [accessible on the client](#modules-$app-stores) and therefore must be safe to expose to users. It runs whenever SvelteKit server-renders a page.
 
 If unimplemented, session is `{}`.
 
 ```ts
-type GetSession<Context = any, Session = any> = {
-	({ context }: { context: Context }): Session | Promise<Session>;
+type GetSession<Locals = Record<string, any>, Session = any> = {
+	(request: Request<Locals>): Session | Promise<Session>;
 };
 ```
 
 ```js
 /** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').GetSession} */
-export function getSession({ context }) {
+export function getSession(request) {
 	return {
 		user: {
 			// only include properties needed client-side —
 			// exclude anything else attached to the user
 			// like access tokens etc
-			name: context.user?.name,
-			email: context.user?.email,
-			avatar: context.user?.avatar
+			name: request.locals.user?.name,
+			email: request.locals.user?.email,
+			avatar: request.locals.user?.avatar
 		}
 	};
 }
 ```
 
 > `session` must be serializable, which means it must not contain things like functions or custom classes, just built-in JavaScript data types
-
-### handle
-
-This function runs on every request, and determines the response. It receives the `request` object and `render` method, which calls SvelteKit's default renderer. This allows you to modify response headers or bodies, or bypass SvelteKit entirely (for implementing endpoints programmatically, for example).
-
-If unimplemented, defaults to `({ request, render }) => render(request)`.
-
-```ts
-type Request<Context = any> = {
-	method: string;
-	host: string;
-	headers: Headers;
-	path: string;
-	params: Record<string, string>;
-	query: URLSearchParams;
-	rawBody: string | ArrayBuffer;
-	body: string | ArrayBuffer | ReadOnlyFormData | any;
-	context: Context;
-};
-
-type Response = {
-	status?: number;
-	headers?: Headers;
-	body?: any;
-};
-
-type Handle<Context = any> = ({
-	request: Request<Context>,
-	render: (request: Request<Context>) => Promise<Response>
-}) => Response | Promise<Response>;
-```
-
-```js
-/** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').Handle} */
-export async function handle({ request, render }) {
-	const response = await render(request);
-
-	return {
-		...response,
-		headers: {
-			...response.headers,
-			'x-custom-header': 'potato'
-		}
-	};
-}
-```
diff --git a/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/netlify.toml b/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/netlify.toml
index cf3422d8da01..de95fe2fb619 100644
--- a/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/netlify.toml
+++ b/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/netlify.toml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 [build]
   command = "npm run build"
   publish = ".netlify/build/"
-  functions = ".netlify/functions/"
\ No newline at end of file
+  functions = ".netlify/functions/"
diff --git a/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/src/hooks.ts b/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/src/hooks.ts
index c0d316d87cdd..6fc783eb225d 100644
--- a/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/src/hooks.ts
+++ b/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/src/hooks.ts
@@ -1,35 +1,22 @@
 import cookie from 'cookie';
 import { v4 as uuid } from '@lukeed/uuid';
-import type { GetContext, Handle } from '@sveltejs/kit';
+import type { Handle } from '@sveltejs/kit';
 
-export const getContext: GetContext = (request) => {
+export const handle: Handle = async ({ request, render }) => {
 	const cookies = cookie.parse(request.headers.cookie || '');
+	request.locals.userid = cookies.userid || uuid();
 
-	return {
-		is_new: !cookies.userid,
-		userid: cookies.userid || uuid()
-	};
-};
-
-export const handle: Handle = async ({ request, render }) => {
 	// TODO https://github.com/sveltejs/kit/issues/1046
-	const response = await render({
-		...request,
-		method: (request.query.get('_method') || request.method).toUpperCase()
-	});
+	if (request.query.has('_method')) {
+		request.method = request.query.get('_method').toUpperCase();
+	}
 
-	const { is_new, userid } = request.context;
+	const response = await render(request);
 
-	if (is_new) {
+	if (!cookies.userid) {
 		// if this is the first time the user has visited this app,
 		// set a cookie so that we recognise them when they return
-		return {
-			...response,
-			headers: {
-				...response.headers,
-				'set-cookie': `userid=${userid}; Path=/; HttpOnly`
-			}
-		};
+		response.headers['set-cookie'] = `userid=${request.locals.userid}; Path=/; HttpOnly`;
 	}
 
 	return response;
diff --git a/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/svelte.config.js b/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/svelte.config.js
index 6cb2528d152c..3315cb538d64 100644
--- a/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/svelte.config.js
+++ b/packages/create-svelte/templates/default/svelte.config.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ const config = {
 };
 
 if (adapter) {
-	config.kit.adapter = require(adapter)(options);
+	config.kit.adapter = (await import(adapter)).default(options);
 }
 
 export default config;
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/build/index.js b/packages/kit/src/core/build/index.js
index 8ffe3e740b84..0bfb2fb8e605 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/build/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/build/index.js
@@ -360,7 +360,6 @@ async function build_server(
 			// this looks redundant, but the indirection allows us to access
 			// named imports without triggering Rollup's missing import detection
 			const get_hooks = hooks => ({
-				getContext: hooks.getContext || (() => ({})),
 				getSession: hooks.getSession || (() => ({})),
 				handle: hooks.handle || (({ request, render }) => render(request))
 			});
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/core/dev/index.js b/packages/kit/src/core/dev/index.js
index 5223cfa654dc..64112bd659a5 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/core/dev/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/core/dev/index.js
@@ -142,6 +142,13 @@ class Watcher extends EventEmitter {
 						? await this.vite.ssrLoadModule(`/${this.config.kit.files.hooks}`)
 						: {};
 
+					if (/** @type {any} */ (hooks).getContext) {
+						// TODO remove this for 1.0
+						throw new Error(
+							'The getContext hook has been removed. See https://kit.svelte.dev/docs#hooks'
+						);
+					}
+
 					const root = (await this.vite.ssrLoadModule(`/${this.dir}/generated/root.svelte`))
 						.default;
 
@@ -178,7 +185,6 @@ class Watcher extends EventEmitter {
 								console.error(colors.gray(error.stack));
 							},
 							hooks: {
-								getContext: hooks.getContext || (() => ({})),
 								getSession: hooks.getSession || (() => ({})),
 								handle: hooks.handle || (({ request, render }) => render(request))
 							},
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/index.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/index.js
index 2fac5d9a446e..2f887e72b0b4 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/index.js
@@ -21,26 +21,20 @@ export async function respond(incoming, options, state = {}) {
 		};
 	}
 
-	const incoming_with_body = {
-		...incoming,
-		headers: lowercase_keys(incoming.headers),
-		body: parse_body(incoming)
-	};
-
-	const context = (await options.hooks.getContext(incoming_with_body)) || {};
-
 	try {
 		return await options.hooks.handle({
 			request: {
-				...incoming_with_body,
+				...incoming,
+				headers: lowercase_keys(incoming.headers),
+				body: parse_body(incoming),
 				params: null,
-				context
+				locals: {}
 			},
 			render: async (request) => {
 				if (state.prerender && state.prerender.fallback) {
 					return await render_response({
 						options,
-						$session: await options.hooks.getSession({ context }),
+						$session: await options.hooks.getSession(request),
 						page_config: { ssr: false, router: true, hydrate: true },
 						status: 200,
 						error: null,
diff --git a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/index.js b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/index.js
index 850e5dc17cff..8356f8b96c1d 100644
--- a/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/index.js
+++ b/packages/kit/src/runtime/server/page/index.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export default async function render_page(request, route, options, state) {
 		};
 	}
 
-	const $session = await options.hooks.getSession({ context: request.context });
+	const $session = await options.hooks.getSession(request);
 
 	if (route) {
 		const response = await respond({
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/hooks.js b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/hooks.js
index 03a3189dc2b6..ca5af57cf86f 100644
--- a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/hooks.js
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/hooks.js
@@ -1,22 +1,17 @@
 import cookie from 'cookie';
 
-/** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').GetContext} */
-export function getContext(request) {
-	const cookies = cookie.parse(request.headers.cookie || '');
-
-	return {
-		answer: 42,
-		name: cookies.name
-	};
-}
-
 /** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').GetSession} */
-export function getSession({ context }) {
-	return context;
+export function getSession(request) {
+	return request.locals;
 }
 
 /** @type {import('@sveltejs/kit').Handle} */
 export async function handle({ request, render }) {
+	const cookies = cookie.parse(request.headers.cookie || '');
+
+	request.locals.answer = 42;
+	request.locals.name = cookies.name;
+
 	const response = await render(request);
 
 	if (response) {
diff --git a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/load/fetch-credentialed.json.js b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/load/fetch-credentialed.json.js
index f818833852d2..6f763610eb52 100644
--- a/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/load/fetch-credentialed.json.js
+++ b/packages/kit/test/apps/basics/src/routes/load/fetch-credentialed.json.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 export function get(request) {
 	return {
 		body: {
-			name: request.context.name
+			name: request.locals.name
 		}
 	};
 }
diff --git a/packages/kit/types/endpoint.d.ts b/packages/kit/types/endpoint.d.ts
index 6b80bedd0fa8..68260e08ed90 100644
--- a/packages/kit/types/endpoint.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/types/endpoint.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { Headers, ParameterizedBody } from './helper';
 
-export type ServerRequest<Context = any, Body = unknown> = {
+export type ServerRequest<Locals = Record<string, any>, Body = unknown> = {
 	method: string;
 	host: string;
 	headers: Headers;
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ export type ServerRequest<Context = any, Body = unknown> = {
 	query: URLSearchParams;
 	rawBody: string | ArrayBuffer;
 	body: ParameterizedBody<Body>;
-	context: Context;
+	locals: Locals;
 };
 
 export type ServerResponse = {
@@ -18,6 +18,6 @@ export type ServerResponse = {
 	body?: any;
 };
 
-export type RequestHandler<Context = any, Body = unknown> = (
-	request: ServerRequest<Context, Body>
+export type RequestHandler<Locals = Record<string, any>, Body = unknown> = (
+	request: ServerRequest<Locals, Body>
 ) => void | ServerResponse | Promise<ServerResponse>;
diff --git a/packages/kit/types/hooks.d.ts b/packages/kit/types/hooks.d.ts
index a6ceb1d425db..23f776c81904 100644
--- a/packages/kit/types/hooks.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/types/hooks.d.ts
@@ -11,13 +11,11 @@ export type Incoming = {
 	body?: BaseBody;
 };
 
-export type GetContext<Context = any> = (incoming: Incoming) => Context;
-
-export type GetSession<Context = any, Session = any> = {
-	({ context }: { context: Context }): Session | Promise<Session>;
+export type GetSession<Locals = Record<string, any>, Session = any> = {
+	(request: ServerRequest<Locals>): Session | Promise<Session>;
 };
 
-export type Handle<Context = any> = (input: {
-	request: ServerRequest<Context>;
-	render: (request: ServerRequest<Context>) => ServerResponse | Promise<ServerResponse>;
+export type Handle<Locals = Record<string, any>> = (input: {
+	request: ServerRequest<Locals>;
+	render: (request: ServerRequest<Locals>) => ServerResponse | Promise<ServerResponse>;
 }) => ServerResponse | Promise<ServerResponse>;
diff --git a/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts b/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts
index bfda352efdf2..64a276229c7c 100644
--- a/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/types/index.d.ts
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@ import './ambient-modules';
 
 export { Adapter, AdapterUtils, Config } from './config';
 export { ErrorLoad, Load, Page } from './page';
-export { Incoming, GetContext, GetSession, Handle } from './hooks';
+export { Incoming, GetSession, Handle } from './hooks';
 export { ServerRequest as Request, ServerResponse as Response, RequestHandler } from './endpoint';
diff --git a/packages/kit/types/internal.d.ts b/packages/kit/types/internal.d.ts
index a8daba8699c3..e20616ef9463 100644
--- a/packages/kit/types/internal.d.ts
+++ b/packages/kit/types/internal.d.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { Load } from './page';
-import { Incoming, GetContext, GetSession, Handle } from './hooks';
+import { Incoming, GetSession, Handle } from './hooks';
 import { RequestHandler, ServerResponse } from './endpoint';
 
 declare global {
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ export type SSRManifest = {
 };
 
 export type Hooks = {
-	getContext?: GetContext;
 	getSession?: GetSession;
 	handle?: Handle;
 };