diff --git a/core/src/main/java/feign/AsyncFeign.java b/core/src/main/java/feign/AsyncFeign.java
index 08cfcc96c..38830b423 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/feign/AsyncFeign.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/feign/AsyncFeign.java
@@ -56,23 +56,28 @@ public static <C> AsyncBuilder<C> asyncBuilder() {
     return builder();
   }
 
-  private static class LazyInitializedExecutorService {
-
-    private static final ExecutorService instance =
-        Executors.newCachedThreadPool(
-            r -> {
-              final Thread result = new Thread(r);
-              result.setDaemon(true);
-              return result;
-            });
+  /**
+   * Creates the default {@link ExecutorService} used when neither a custom {@link AsyncClient} nor
+   * a custom executor is provided. The executor is created per built client (instance scoped)
+   * rather than being held in a static singleton, so that it - together with its daemon threads -
+   * becomes eligible for garbage collection once the owning client is discarded. This avoids the
+   * {@code ClassLoader} leak that a static singleton causes on application redeployments inside
+   * servlet containers (see gh-3178).
+   */
+  private static ExecutorService defaultExecutorService() {
+    return Executors.newCachedThreadPool(
+        r -> {
+          final Thread result = new Thread(r);
+          result.setDaemon(true);
+          return result;
+        });
   }
 
   public static class AsyncBuilder<C> extends BaseBuilder<AsyncBuilder<C>, AsyncFeign<C>> {
 
     private AsyncContextSupplier<C> defaultContextSupplier = () -> null;
-    private AsyncClient<C> client =
-        new DefaultAsyncClient<>(
-            new DefaultClient(null, null), LazyInitializedExecutorService.instance);
+    private AsyncClient<C> client;
+    private ExecutorService executorService;
     private MethodInfoResolver methodInfoResolver = MethodInfo::new;
 
     @Deprecated
@@ -86,6 +91,28 @@ public AsyncBuilder<C> client(AsyncClient<C> client) {
       return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the {@link ExecutorService} used by the default {@link AsyncClient} to run the
+     * (blocking) underlying client calls. When provided, the caller owns the executor's lifecycle
+     * and is responsible for shutting it down. This is the recommended way to avoid the {@code
+     * ClassLoader} leak described in gh-3178: supply a managed, shut-downable executor instead of
+     * relying on the built-in default. Ignored when a custom {@link #client(AsyncClient)} is
+     * supplied.
+     */
+    public AsyncBuilder<C> executorService(ExecutorService executorService) {
+      this.executorService = executorService;
+      return this;
+    }
+
+    private AsyncClient<C> resolveClient() {
+      if (client != null) {
+        return client;
+      }
+      final ExecutorService executor =
+          executorService != null ? executorService : defaultExecutorService();
+      return new DefaultAsyncClient<>(new DefaultClient(null, null), executor);
+    }
+
     public AsyncBuilder<C> methodInfoResolver(MethodInfoResolver methodInfoResolver) {
       this.methodInfoResolver = methodInfoResolver;
       return this;
@@ -206,6 +233,7 @@ public AsyncBuilder<C> invocationHandlerFactory(
 
     @Override
     public AsyncFeign<C> internalBuild() {
+      final AsyncClient<C> client = resolveClient();
       AsyncResponseHandler responseHandler =
           (AsyncResponseHandler)
               Capability.enrich(
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/feign/BaseBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/feign/BaseBuilder.java
index 05608dc2e..d279ed764 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/feign/BaseBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/feign/BaseBuilder.java
@@ -362,6 +362,8 @@ List<Field> getFieldsToEnrich() {
         .filter(field -> !Objects.equals(field.getName(), "requestInterceptors"))
         .filter(field -> !Objects.equals(field.getName(), "responseInterceptors"))
         .filter(field -> !Objects.equals(field.getName(), "methodInterceptors"))
+        // caller-owned lifecycle resources are not capability-enriched
+        .filter(field -> !Objects.equals(field.getName(), "executorService"))
         // skip primitive types
         .filter(field -> !field.getType().isPrimitive())
         // skip enumerations
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/feign/AsyncFeignTest.java b/core/src/test/java/feign/AsyncFeignTest.java
index efd965632..300385be6 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/feign/AsyncFeignTest.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/feign/AsyncFeignTest.java
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
 import static org.assertj.core.data.MapEntry.entry;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertThrows;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.atLeastOnce;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.spy;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 
 import com.google.gson.Gson;
 import com.google.gson.reflect.TypeToken;
@@ -104,6 +108,39 @@ void postTemplateParamsResolve() throws Exception {
                 + " \"password\"}");
   }
 
+  @Test
+  void usesProvidedExecutorService() throws Exception {
+    server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setBody("foo"));
+
+    ExecutorService executorService = spy(Executors.newCachedThreadPool());
+    try {
+      TestInterfaceAsync api =
+          AsyncFeign.<Void>builder()
+              .decoder(new DefaultDecoder())
+              .executorService(executorService)
+              .target(TestInterfaceAsync.class, "http://localhost:" + server.getPort());
+
+      String result = api.post().join();
+
+      assertThat(result).isEqualTo("foo");
+      verify(executorService, atLeastOnce()).submit(any(Runnable.class));
+    } finally {
+      executorService.shutdownNow();
+    }
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  void defaultExecutorServiceStillExecutesRequests() throws Exception {
+    server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setBody("foo"));
+
+    TestInterfaceAsync api =
+        AsyncFeign.<Void>builder()
+            .decoder(new DefaultDecoder())
+            .target(TestInterfaceAsync.class, "http://localhost:" + server.getPort());
+
+    assertThat(api.post().join()).isEqualTo("foo");
+  }
+
   @Test
   void postFormParams() throws Exception {
     server.enqueue(new MockResponse().setBody("foo"));