diff --git a/lib/webrick/httpserver.rb b/lib/webrick/httpserver.rb
index 96bd3fa..d712501 100644
--- a/lib/webrick/httpserver.rb
+++ b/lib/webrick/httpserver.rb
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@ module WEBrick
 
     def run(sock)
       while true
-        res = HTTPResponse.new(@config)
-        req = HTTPRequest.new(@config)
+        req = create_request(@config)
+        res = create_response(@config)
         server = self
         begin
           timeout = @config[:RequestTimeout]
@@ -222,7 +222,21 @@ module WEBrick
         logger << AccessLog::format(fmt+"\n", param)
       }
     end
-
+    
+    ##
+    # Creates the HTTPRequest used when handling the HTTP
+    # request. Can be overridden by subclasses.
+    def create_request(with_webrick_config)
+      HTTPRequest.new(with_webrick_config)
+    end
+    
+    ##
+    # Creates the HTTPResponse used when handling the HTTP
+    # request. Can be overridden by subclasses.
+    def create_response(with_webrick_config)
+      HTTPResponse.new(with_webrick_config)
+    end
+    
     ##
     # Mount table for the path a servlet is mounted on in the directory space
     # of the server.  Users of WEBrick can only access this indirectly via
diff --git a/test/webrick/test_httpserver.rb b/test/webrick/test_httpserver.rb
index 5cd4ba5..72caaf7 100644
--- a/test/webrick/test_httpserver.rb
+++ b/test/webrick/test_httpserver.rb
@@ -269,6 +269,38 @@ class TestWEBrickHTTPServer < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal(stopped, 1)
   end
 
+  class CustomRequest < ::WEBrick::HTTPRequest; end
+  class CustomResponse < ::WEBrick::HTTPResponse; end
+  class CustomServer < ::WEBrick::HTTPServer
+    def create_request(config)
+      CustomRequest.new(config)
+    end
+    
+    def create_response(config)
+      CustomResponse.new(config)
+    end
+  end
+  
+  def test_custom_server_request_and_response
+    config = { :ServerName => "localhost" }
+    TestWEBrick.start_server(CustomServer, config){|server, addr, port, log|
+      server.mount_proc("/", lambda {|req, res| 
+        assert_kind_of(CustomRequest, req)
+        assert_kind_of(CustomResponse, res)
+        res.body = "via custom response"
+      })
+      Thread.pass while server.status != :Running
+
+      Net::HTTP.start(addr, port) do |http|
+        req = Net::HTTP::Get.new("/")
+        http.request(req){|res| 
+          assert_equal("via custom response", res.body)
+        }
+        server.shutdown
+      end
+    }
+  end
+  
   # This class is needed by test_response_io_with_chunked_set method
   class EventManagerForChunkedResponseTest
     def initialize