diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Configuration.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Configuration.php
index b6fa3a99e..102ab90df 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Configuration.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/Configuration.php
@@ -462,4 +462,28 @@ class Configuration extends \Doctrine\DBAL\Configuration
     {
         $this->_attributes['customDatetimeFunctions'] = array_change_key_case($functions);
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Get a custom hydrator class name if it exists or return null if it
+     * does not.
+     *
+     * @param string $name
+     * @return string $className
+     */
+    public function getHydrator($name)
+    {
+        return isset($this->_attributes['customHydrators'][$name]) ?
+            $this->_attributes['customHydrators'][$name] : null;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Add a hydrator class associated with a hydration mode name.
+     *
+     * @param string $name The name of the hydration mode.
+     * @param string $class The class name associated with the name.
+     */
+    public function addHydrator($name, $class)
+    {
+        $this->_attributes['customHydrators'][$name] = $class;
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityManager.php b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityManager.php
index 0ff16f640..660e10ba9 100644
--- a/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityManager.php
+++ b/lib/Doctrine/ORM/EntityManager.php
@@ -616,6 +616,10 @@ class EntityManager
                 $hydrator = new Internal\Hydration\SingleScalarHydrator($this);
                 break;
             default:
+                if ($class = $this->_config->getHydrator($hydrationMode)) {
+                    $hydrator = new $class($this);
+                    break;
+                }
                 throw ORMException::invalidHydrationMode($hydrationMode);
         }
 
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/AllTests.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/AllTests.php
index 76a9cbcb1..d2ecafec3 100644
--- a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/AllTests.php
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/AllTests.php
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ class AllTests
         $suite->addTestSuite('Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration\ScalarHydratorTest');
         $suite->addTestSuite('Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration\SingleScalarHydratorTest');
         $suite->addTestSuite('Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration\ResultSetMappingTest');
+        $suite->addTestSuite('Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration\CustomHydratorTest');
 
         return $suite;
     }
diff --git a/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/CustomHydratorTest.php b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/CustomHydratorTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a7ef599ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/Doctrine/Tests/ORM/Hydration/CustomHydratorTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration;
+
+use PDO, Doctrine\ORM\Internal\Hydration\AbstractHydrator;
+
+require_once __DIR__ . '/../../TestInit.php';
+
+class CustomHydratorTest extends HydrationTestCase
+{
+	public function testCustomHydrator()
+	{
+		$em = $this->_getTestEntityManager();
+		$config = $em->getConfiguration();
+		$config->addHydrator('CustomHydrator', 'Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration\CustomHydrator');
+		
+		$hydrator = $em->newHydrator('CustomHydrator');
+		$this->assertTrue($hydrator instanceof \Doctrine\Tests\ORM\Hydration\CustomHydrator);
+	}
+}
+
+class CustomHydrator extends AbstractHydrator
+{
+	protected function _hydrateAll()
+    {
+		return $this->_stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);
+	}
+}
\ No newline at end of file