diff --git a/packages/apollo-server-core/src/types.ts b/packages/apollo-server-core/src/types.ts
index f461fbc9b02..070f2cebf02 100644
--- a/packages/apollo-server-core/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/apollo-server-core/src/types.ts
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ export { GraphQLSchemaModule };
 
 export { KeyValueCache } from 'apollo-server-caching';
 
-export type ContextFunction<T = any> = (
-  context: Context<T>,
-) => Context<T> | Promise<Context<T>>;
 export type Context<T = object> = T;
+export type ContextFunction<FunctionParams = any, ContextContent = object> = (
+  context: FunctionParams,
+) => Context<ContextContent> | Promise<Context<ContextContent>>;
 
 // A plugin can return an interface that matches `ApolloServerPlugin`, or a
 // factory function that returns `ApolloServerPlugin`.
diff --git a/packages/apollo-server-express/src/ApolloServer.ts b/packages/apollo-server-express/src/ApolloServer.ts
index b432ec45672..c13c7ac0aa6 100644
--- a/packages/apollo-server-express/src/ApolloServer.ts
+++ b/packages/apollo-server-express/src/ApolloServer.ts
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ interface ExpressContext {
 
 export interface ApolloServerExpressConfig extends Config {
   cors?: CorsOptions | boolean;
-  context?: ContextFunction<ExpressContext> | Context<ExpressContext>;
+  context?: ContextFunction<ExpressContext, Context> | Context;
 }
 
 export class ApolloServer extends ApolloServerBase {