diff --git a/django/core/handlers/base.py b/django/core/handlers/base.py
index e6ef6e2f9e..a6519d6167 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/base.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/base.py
@@ -63,6 +63,26 @@ class BaseHandler(object):
         # as a flag for initialization being complete.
         self._request_middleware = request_middleware
 
+ 	def process_request(self, request_env): 
+ 	    signals.request_started.send(sender=self.__class__) 
+ 	    try: 
+ 	        try: 
+ 	            request = self.request_class(request_env) 
+ 	        except UnicodeDecodeError: 
+ 	            response = http.HttpResponseBadRequest() 
+ 	        else: 
+ 	            response = self.get_response(request) 
+
+ 	            # Apply response middleware 
+ 	            if not isinstance(response, http.HttpResponseSendFile): 
+ 	                for middleware_method in self._response_middleware: 
+ 	                    response = middleware_method(request, response) 
+ 	                response = self.apply_response_fixes(request, response) 
+ 	    finally: 
+ 	        signals.request_finished.send(sender=self.__class__) 
+
+ 	    return response 
+
     def get_response(self, request):
         "Returns an HttpResponse object for the given HttpRequest"
         from django.core import exceptions, urlresolvers
diff --git a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
index c6dcf23e9a..95a99e89bc 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/modpython.py
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ import os
 from pprint import pformat
 
 from django import http
-from django.core import signals
 from django.core.handlers.base import BaseHandler
 from django.core.urlresolvers import set_script_prefix
 from django.utils import datastructures
@@ -191,21 +190,7 @@ class ModPythonHandler(BaseHandler):
             self.load_middleware()
 
         set_script_prefix(req.get_options().get('django.root', ''))
-        signals.request_started.send(sender=self.__class__)
-        try:
-            try:
-                request = self.request_class(req)
-            except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                response = http.HttpResponseBadRequest()
-            else:
-                response = self.get_response(request)
-
-                # Apply response middleware
-                for middleware_method in self._response_middleware:
-                    response = middleware_method(request, response)
-                response = self.apply_response_fixes(request, response)
-        finally:
-            signals.request_finished.send(sender=self.__class__)
+        response = self.process_request(req)
 
         # Convert our custom HttpResponse object back into the mod_python req.
         req.content_type = response['Content-Type']
diff --git a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
index 927b098815..10a5af7ab0 100644
--- a/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
+++ b/django/core/handlers/wsgi.py
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ except ImportError:
     from StringIO import StringIO
 
 from django import http
-from django.core import signals
 from django.core.handlers import base
 from django.core.urlresolvers import set_script_prefix
 from django.utils import datastructures
@@ -231,21 +230,7 @@ class WSGIHandler(base.BaseHandler):
             self.initLock.release()
 
         set_script_prefix(base.get_script_name(environ))
-        signals.request_started.send(sender=self.__class__)
-        try:
-            try:
-                request = self.request_class(environ)
-            except UnicodeDecodeError:
-                response = http.HttpResponseBadRequest()
-            else:
-                response = self.get_response(request)
-
-                # Apply response middleware
-                for middleware_method in self._response_middleware:
-                    response = middleware_method(request, response)
-                response = self.apply_response_fixes(request, response)
-        finally:
-            signals.request_finished.send(sender=self.__class__)
+        response = self.process_request(environ)
 
         try:
             status_text = STATUS_CODE_TEXT[response.status_code]