diff --git a/oapi_validate.go b/oapi_validate.go
index 614065b..b44fbec 100644
--- a/oapi_validate.go
+++ b/oapi_validate.go
@@ -132,10 +132,19 @@ func ValidateRequestFromContext(ctx *echo.Context, router routers.Router, option
 	req := ctx.Request()
 
 	if options != nil && options.Prefix != "" {
-		// Clone the request so downstream handlers still see the original path.
-		clone := req.Clone(req.Context())
-		clone.URL.Path = strings.TrimPrefix(clone.URL.Path, options.Prefix)
-		req = clone
+		// Trim the prefix in place rather than on a clone: Request.Clone copies
+		// the Body reference, so openapi3filter's security validation would read
+		// the original request's body and restore a fresh reader onto the clone
+		// only, leaving the handler a drained body. The deferred restore runs
+		// before the handler, which therefore still sees the original path.
+		path, rawPath := req.URL.Path, req.URL.RawPath
+		req.URL.Path = strings.TrimPrefix(path, options.Prefix)
+		if rawPath != "" {
+			req.URL.RawPath = strings.TrimPrefix(rawPath, options.Prefix)
+		}
+		defer func() {
+			req.URL.Path, req.URL.RawPath = path, rawPath
+		}()
 	}
 
 	route, pathParams, err := router.FindRoute(req)
diff --git a/prefix_body_test.go b/prefix_body_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..54b0edf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/prefix_body_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package echomiddleware
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"net/http"
+	"net/http/httptest"
+	"strings"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/getkin/kin-openapi/openapi3"
+	"github.com/getkin/kin-openapi/openapi3filter"
+	"github.com/labstack/echo/v5"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestPrefixKeepsTheRequestBody(t *testing.T) {
+	const specYAML = `
+openapi: "3.0.0"
+info:
+  title: t
+  version: 1.0.0
+paths:
+  /thing:
+    post:
+      operationId: createThing
+      security:
+        - BearerAuth: []
+      requestBody:
+        required: true
+        content:
+          application/json:
+            schema:
+              type: object
+      responses:
+        '204':
+          description: ok
+components:
+  securitySchemes:
+    BearerAuth:
+      type: http
+      scheme: bearer
+`
+	spec, err := openapi3.NewLoader().LoadFromData([]byte(specYAML))
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	e := echo.New()
+	e.Use(OapiRequestValidatorWithOptions(spec, &Options{
+		Prefix:                "/api",
+		SilenceServersWarning: true,
+		Options: openapi3filter.Options{
+			ExcludeRequestBody: true,
+			AuthenticationFunc: func(context.Context, *openapi3filter.AuthenticationInput) error {
+				return nil
+			},
+		},
+	}))
+
+	var got []byte
+	e.POST("/api/thing", func(c *echo.Context) error {
+		got, _ = io.ReadAll(c.Request().Body)
+		return c.NoContent(http.StatusNoContent)
+	})
+
+	r := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodPost, "/api/thing", strings.NewReader(`{"name":"x"}`))
+	r.Header.Set("content-type", "application/json")
+	r.Header.Set("authorization", "Bearer token")
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	e.ServeHTTP(rec, r)
+
+	require.Equal(t, http.StatusNoContent, rec.Code)
+	require.NotEmpty(t, got, "the handler received a drained body")
+}