diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 01649f2..38e64ad 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,12 @@
 
 All notable changes to `svg-avatar-generator` will be documented in this file.
 
+## 1.3.0
+
+- Support for rounded corners.
+- Support for route middleware.
+- New keys `corner_radius` and `middleware` in config.
+
 ## 1.2.0
 
 - Support for custom extractor.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 2fdd5a4..ea94126 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 [![GitHub Tests Action Status](https://img.shields.io/github/actions/workflow/status/sowrensen/svg-avatar-generator/run-tests.yml?branch=main&label=Tests)](https://github.com/sowrensen/svg-avatar-generator/actions?query=workflow%3ATests+branch%3Amain)
 [![Total Downloads](https://img.shields.io/packagist/dt/sowrensen/svg-avatar-generator.svg)](https://packagist.org/packages/sowrensen/svg-avatar-generator)
 
+> If you find this package useful, please consider to ⭐ it. That would be lit!
+
 Generating SVG avatars on the fly is nothing new. There are tons of free/paid services and packages available to do that. So, why
 another package for same task?
 
@@ -15,6 +17,7 @@ Well, this one has some subtle but nifty advantages over available packages, her
 - [x] Doesn't have any binary dependency, so nothing needs to be installed on server. 🗃️
 - [x] Supports gradient background. 🦜
 - [x] Supports random gradients based on defined presets in config. 🦚
+- [x] Multiple shapes: rectangular, rounded-rectangular, or circular. 💎
 - [x] Ability to customize initials and extractor. ✍🏼
 
 ## Requirements
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Facades\Svg;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Enums\FontWeight;
 
 Svg::for('John Doe')
-    ->asCircle() // or, asRectangle()
+    ->asCircle() // or, asRectangle() along with optional setCornerRadius($radius) method
     ->setSize(64)
     ->setFontSize(40)
     ->setFontWeight(FontWeight::SEMIBOLD)
@@ -135,8 +138,7 @@ After doing that, set the class as default extractor in config.
 
 ## Sample Output
 
-<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/13097375/221879852-b8283a4a-f3ff-42a9-b37a-07cbc9bd0afe.png" height="128"/>
-
+<img src="https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/13097375/227495887-99a0430f-925f-4f1f-acac-0dca21686bfd.png" height="128"/>
 
 ## Testing
 
diff --git a/config/svg-avatar.php b/config/svg-avatar.php
index 68d23fc..4b3b56e 100644
--- a/config/svg-avatar.php
+++ b/config/svg-avatar.php
@@ -31,7 +31,23 @@
     | Allowed: Shape::CIRCLE or Shape::RECTANGLE
     |
     */
-    'shape' => \Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Enums\Shape::CIRCLE,
+    'shape' => \Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Enums\Shape::RECTANGLE,
+
+    /*
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    | Corner Radius
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    |
+    | You can define the corner radius of the Rectangle shape to achieve a
+    | nice rounder corner. This setting only has effect when Shape is
+    | set to Rectangle.
+    |
+    | Type: int
+    | Default: 0
+    | Allowed: 0 to 25
+    |
+    */
+    'corner_radius' => 0,
 
     /*
     |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -182,4 +198,18 @@
     |
     */
     'url' => 'svg-avatar',
+
+    /*
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    | Middleware
+    |--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+    |
+    | The route is public by default. To prevent unwanted and unauthenticated
+    | usage, you can set a middleware (e.g., 'auth', or ['auth']) here.
+    |
+    | Type: array<string>|string
+    | Default: null
+    |
+    */
+    'middleware' => null,
 ];
diff --git a/resources/views/elements/rectangle.blade.php b/resources/views/elements/rectangle.blade.php
index 5fe0755..735626a 100644
--- a/resources/views/elements/rectangle.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/elements/rectangle.blade.php
@@ -1 +1,7 @@
-<rect width='100%' height='100%' fill='url(#{{ $gradientId }})'/>
+@php
+    /**
+    * @var Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\SvgAvatarGenerator $generator;
+    */
+@endphp
+
+<rect width='100%' height='100%' fill='url(#{{ $gradientId }})' rx="{{ $generator->getCornerRadius() }}"/>
diff --git a/resources/views/elements/svg.blade.php b/resources/views/elements/svg.blade.php
index 1dcaa14..e612893 100644
--- a/resources/views/elements/svg.blade.php
+++ b/resources/views/elements/svg.blade.php
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@
     </defs>
     @include($generator->getShape()->render())
     <text
-        x="50%" y="50%" style="line-height: 1;
-        font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Roboto', 'Oxygen', 'Ubuntu', 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif;"
+        x="50%" y="50%" style="line-height: 1;"
+        font-family="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, 'Segoe UI', 'Roboto', 'Oxygen', 'Ubuntu', 'Fira Sans', 'Droid Sans', 'Helvetica Neue', sans-serif"
         alignment-baseline="middle" text-anchor="middle"
         font-size="{{ $generator->getFontSize() }}"
         font-weight="{{ $generator->getFontWeight()->value }}"
diff --git a/src/Exceptions/InvalidCornerRadius.php b/src/Exceptions/InvalidCornerRadius.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..065df0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Exceptions/InvalidCornerRadius.php
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions;
+
+class InvalidCornerRadius extends \Exception
+{
+    public static function create(int $radius): InvalidCornerRadius
+    {
+        return new self("Invalid corner radius {$radius} is provided. Corner radius should be between 0 to 25.");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/Http/Controllers/SvgController.php b/src/Http/Controllers/SvgController.php
index 5f1d52d..4594d3d 100644
--- a/src/Http/Controllers/SvgController.php
+++ b/src/Http/Controllers/SvgController.php
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 use Illuminate\Http\Request;
 use Illuminate\Http\Response;
+use Illuminate\Routing\Controller;
+use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidCornerRadius;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidFontSizeException;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidGradientRotationException;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidGradientStopException;
@@ -11,11 +13,17 @@
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\MissingTextException;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\SvgAvatarGenerator;
 
-class SvgController
+class SvgController extends Controller
 {
+    public function __construct()
+    {
+        $this->middleware(config('svg-avatar.middleware'));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Generate an SVG and send it as an HTTP response.
      *
+     * @throws InvalidCornerRadius
      * @throws MissingTextException
      * @throws InvalidSvgSizeException
      * @throws InvalidFontSizeException
diff --git a/src/SvgAvatarGenerator.php b/src/SvgAvatarGenerator.php
index dfa9eb3..16c6c91 100755
--- a/src/SvgAvatarGenerator.php
+++ b/src/SvgAvatarGenerator.php
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Concerns\Tool;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Enums\FontWeight;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Enums\Shape;
+use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidCornerRadius;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidFontSizeException;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidGradientRotationException;
 use Sowren\SvgAvatarGenerator\Exceptions\InvalidGradientStopException;
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ class SvgAvatarGenerator
      */
     protected Shape $shape;
 
+    protected int $cornerRadius;
+
     /**
      * Font size of the SVG.
      */
@@ -78,6 +81,7 @@ class SvgAvatarGenerator
     public Extractor $extractor;
 
     /**
+     * @throws InvalidCornerRadius
      * @throws InvalidSvgSizeException
      * @throws InvalidFontSizeException
      * @throws InvalidGradientStopException
@@ -186,6 +190,30 @@ public function asRectangle(): static
         return $this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get corner radius of rectangular shape.
+     */
+    public function getCornerRadius(): int
+    {
+        return $this->cornerRadius;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Set corner radius of rectangular shape.
+     *
+     * @throws InvalidCornerRadius
+     */
+    public function setCornerRadius(int $radius): static
+    {
+        if ($radius < 0 || $radius > 25) {
+            throw InvalidCornerRadius::create($radius);
+        }
+
+        $this->cornerRadius = $radius;
+
+        return $this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Get the font size.
      */
@@ -350,6 +378,7 @@ protected function setGradientSet(): static
     /**
      * Set default values from config.
      *
+     * @throws InvalidCornerRadius
      * @throws InvalidFontSizeException
      * @throws InvalidGradientRotationException
      * @throws InvalidSvgSizeException
@@ -360,6 +389,7 @@ protected function build(): void
         $this
             ->setSize($this->config['size'])
             ->setShape($this->config['shape'])
+            ->setCornerRadius($this->config['corner_radius'])
             ->setFontSize($this->config['font_size'])
             ->setFontWeight($this->config['font_weight'])
             ->setForeground($this->config['foreground'])