diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ae8ed8110..485f2117f 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -162,21 +162,24 @@ modifies the outgoing proxy request by adding a special header.
 var http = require('http'),
     httpProxy = require('http-proxy');
 
+// To modify the proxy connection before data is sent, you can supply a
+// 'beforeProxyRequest' handler function in the passed-in config options.
+// Before the request is proxied to the target host, http-proxy will call
+// this handler with the following arguments:
+// (http.IncomingMessage req, Object options, Object requestOutgoingOptions).
+// This mechanism is useful when you need to modify the proxy request before
+// the proxy connection is made to the target.
+//
+function beforeProxyRequest(req, options, outgoingOptions) {
+  outgoingOptions.headers = outgoingOptions.headers || { };
+  outgoingOptions.headers['X-Special-Proxy-Header'] = 'foobar';
+});
+
 //
 // Create a proxy server with custom application logic
 //
-var proxy = httpProxy.createProxyServer({});
-
-// To modify the proxy connection before data is sent, you can listen
-// for the 'proxyReq' event. When the event is fired, you will receive
-// the following arguments:
-// (http.ClientRequest proxyReq, http.IncomingMessage req,
-//  http.ServerResponse res, Object options). This mechanism is useful when
-// you need to modify the proxy request before the proxy connection
-// is made to the target.
-//
-proxy.on('proxyReq', function(proxyReq, req, res, options) {
-  proxyReq.setHeader('X-Special-Proxy-Header', 'foobar');
+var proxy = httpProxy.createProxyServer({
+    beforeProxyRequest: beforeProxyRequest
 });
 
 var server = http.createServer(function(req, res) {
@@ -351,6 +354,10 @@ proxyServer.listen(8015);
      ```
 *  **headers**: object with extra headers to be added to target requests.
 *  **proxyTimeout**: timeout (in millis) when proxy receives no response from target
+*  **beforeProxyRequest**: optional callback function - should be synchronous.  If passed, it will be called with three arguments immediately before sending the request to the target host: 
+    * `req` the incoming `IncomingMessage` object
+    * `options` - the Options Config object passed to the proxy at initialization.  i.e., the subject of this section.
+    * `outgoing` - the `request()` options, so that this handler can modify the outgoing request (e.g., add a header)
 
 **NOTE:**
 `options.ws` and `options.ssl` are optional.
diff --git a/lib/http-proxy/common.js b/lib/http-proxy/common.js
index aa9700234..6a6a01757 100644
--- a/lib/http-proxy/common.js
+++ b/lib/http-proxy/common.js
@@ -47,6 +47,10 @@ common.setupOutgoing = function(outgoing, options, req, forward) {
     extend(outgoing.headers, options.headers);
   }
 
+  if (options.beforeProxyRequest && typeof options.beforeProxyRequest === 'function') {
+      options.beforeProxyRequest(req, options, outgoing);
+  }
+
   if (options.auth) {
     outgoing.auth = options.auth;
   }
diff --git a/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js b/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
index ef99ca109..d39aad326 100644
--- a/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
+++ b/test/lib-http-proxy-common-test.js
@@ -62,6 +62,30 @@ describe('lib/http-proxy/common.js', function () {
       expect(outgoing.headers.connection).to.eql('upgrade');
     });
 
+    it('should run the beforeProxyRequest callback', function () {
+      var outgoing = {};
+      var beforeProxy = function (req, options, outgoingOpts) {
+        outgoingOpts.headers['X-Special-Proxy-Header'] = 'foobar';
+      };
+      common.setupOutgoing(outgoing,
+        {
+          agent: undefined,
+          target: {
+            host      : 'hey',
+            hostname  : 'how',
+            socketPath: 'are',
+            port      : 'you',
+          },
+          beforeProxyRequest: beforeProxy
+        },
+        {
+          method    : 'i',
+          url      : 'am',
+          headers   : {'pro':'xy','overwritten':false}
+        });
+      expect(outgoing.headers['X-Special-Proxy-Header']).to.eql('foobar');
+    });
+
     it('should not override agentless connection: contains upgrade', function () {
       var outgoing = {};
       common.setupOutgoing(outgoing,