diff --git a/src/Commands/Down.php b/src/Commands/Down.php
index 3c82206b..be5ea707 100644
--- a/src/Commands/Down.php
+++ b/src/Commands/Down.php
@@ -5,9 +5,11 @@ declare(strict_types=1);
 namespace Stancl\Tenancy\Commands;
 
 use Illuminate\Console\Command;
+use Illuminate\Foundation\Console\DownCommand;
 use Stancl\Tenancy\Concerns\HasATenantsOption;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Input\InputOption;
 
-class Down extends Command
+class Down extends DownCommand
 {
     use HasATenantsOption;
 
@@ -37,17 +39,34 @@ class Down extends Command
      */
     public function handle()
     {
-        tenancy()->runForMultiple($this->option('tenants'), function ($tenant) {
+        // The base down command is heavily used. Instead of saving the data inside a file,
+        // the data is stored the tenant database, which means some Laravel features
+        // are not available with tenants.
+
+        $payload = $this->getDownDatabasePayload();
+        tenancy()->runForMultiple($this->option('tenants'), function ($tenant) use ($payload){
             $this->line("Tenant: {$tenant['id']}");
-            $tenant->putDownForMaintenance([
-                'redirect' => $this->option('redirect'),
-                'retry' => $this->option('retry'),
-                'refresh' => $this->option('refresh'),
-                'secret' => $this->option('secret'),
-                'status' => $this->option('status'),
-            ]);
+            $tenant->putDownForMaintenance($payload);
         });
 
         $this->comment('Tenants are now in maintenance mode.');
     }
+
+
+    /**
+     * Get the payload to be placed in the "down" file.
+     *
+     * @return array
+     */
+    protected function getDownDatabasePayload()
+    {
+        return [
+            'except' => $this->excludedPaths(),
+            'redirect' => $this->redirectPath(),
+            'retry' => $this->getRetryTime(),
+            'refresh' => $this->option('refresh'),
+            'secret' => $this->option('secret'),
+            'status' => (int) $this->option('status', 503),
+        ];
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/Database/Concerns/MaintenanceMode.php b/src/Database/Concerns/MaintenanceMode.php
index 3f0df4fb..a4e5c465 100644
--- a/src/Database/Concerns/MaintenanceMode.php
+++ b/src/Database/Concerns/MaintenanceMode.php
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ trait MaintenanceMode
     {
         $this->update([
             'maintenance_mode' => [
+                'except' => $data['except'] ?? null,
                 'redirect' => $data['redirect'] ?? null,
                 'retry' => $data['retry'] ?? null,
                 'refresh' => $data['refresh'] ?? null,
diff --git a/src/Middleware/CheckTenantForMaintenanceMode.php b/src/Middleware/CheckTenantForMaintenanceMode.php
index a27f5c74..bbc29373 100644
--- a/src/Middleware/CheckTenantForMaintenanceMode.php
+++ b/src/Middleware/CheckTenantForMaintenanceMode.php
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ class CheckTenantForMaintenanceMode extends CheckForMaintenanceMode
             if (isset($data['template'])) {
                 return response(
                     $data['template'],
-                    (int) $data['status'] ?? 503,
+                    (int) ($data['status'] ?? 503),
                     $this->getHeaders($data)
                 );
             }
 
             throw new HttpException(
-                (int) $data['status'] ?? 503,
+                (int) ($data['status'] ?? 503),
                 'Service Unavailable',
                 null,
                 $this->getHeaders($data)
diff --git a/tests/MaintenanceModeTest.php b/tests/MaintenanceModeTest.php
index 897dd8a4..4df495e9 100644
--- a/tests/MaintenanceModeTest.php
+++ b/tests/MaintenanceModeTest.php
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@ test('tenant can be in maintenance mode', function () {
 
     $tenant->putDownForMaintenance();
 
-    pest()->expectException(HttpException::class);
-    pest()->withoutExceptionHandling()
-        ->get('http://acme.localhost/foo');
+    pest()->get('http://acme.localhost/foo')->assertStatus(503);
 
     tenancy()->end();
 
@@ -59,9 +57,7 @@ test('tenant can be in maintenance mode from command', function() {
 
     Artisan::call('tenancy:down');
 
-    pest()->expectException(HttpException::class);
-    pest()->withoutExceptionHandling()
-        ->get('http://acme.localhost/foo');
+    pest()->get('http://acme.localhost/foo')->assertStatus(503);
 
     tenancy()->end();