diff --git a/docs/api/BalancedPool.md b/docs/api/BalancedPool.md
index 9ffc83d81b5..4580f07efb4 100644
--- a/docs/api/BalancedPool.md
+++ b/docs/api/BalancedPool.md
@@ -11,14 +11,15 @@ Requests are not guaranteed to be dispatched in order of invocation.
 Arguments:
 
 * **upstreams** `URL | string | string[]` - It should only include the **protocol, hostname, and port**.
-* **options** `PoolOptions` (optional)
+* **options** `BalancedPoolOptions` (optional)
 
-### Parameter: `PoolOptions`
+### Parameter: `BalancedPoolOptions`
 
-The `PoolOptions` are passed to each of the `Pool` instances being created.
+Extends: [`PoolOptions`](Pool.md#parameter-pooloptions)
 
-See: [`PoolOptions`](Pool.md#parameter-pooloptions)
+* **factory** `(origin: URL, opts: Object) => Dispatcher` - Default: `(origin, opts) => new Pool(origin, opts)`
 
+The `PoolOptions` are passed to each of the `Pool` instances being created.
 ## Instance Properties
 
 ### `BalancedPool.upstreams`
diff --git a/lib/balanced-pool.js b/lib/balanced-pool.js
index 4ad0bf48602..641c813b152 100644
--- a/lib/balanced-pool.js
+++ b/lib/balanced-pool.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const {
-  BalancedPoolMissingUpstreamError
+  BalancedPoolMissingUpstreamError,
+  InvalidArgumentError
 } = require('./core/errors')
 const {
   PoolBase,
@@ -13,11 +14,16 @@ const {
 } = require('./pool-base')
 const Pool = require('./pool')
 const { kUrl } = require('./core/symbols')
+const kFactory = Symbol('factory')
 
 const kOptions = Symbol('options')
 
+function defaultFactory (origin, opts) {
+  return new Pool(origin, opts);
+}
+
 class BalancedPool extends PoolBase {
-  constructor (upstreams = [], opts = {}) {
+  constructor (upstreams = [], { factory = defaultFactory, ...opts } = {}) {
     super()
 
     this[kOptions] = opts
@@ -26,6 +32,12 @@ class BalancedPool extends PoolBase {
       upstreams = [upstreams]
     }
 
+    if (typeof factory !== 'function') {
+      throw new InvalidArgumentError('factory must be a function.')
+    }
+
+    this[kFactory] = factory
+
     for (const upstream of upstreams) {
       this.addUpstream(upstream)
     }
@@ -40,7 +52,7 @@ class BalancedPool extends PoolBase {
       return this
     }
 
-    this[kAddClient](new Pool(upstream, Object.assign({}, this[kOptions])))
+    this[kAddClient](this[kFactory](upstream, Object.assign({}, this[kOptions])))
 
     return this
   }
diff --git a/test/balanced-pool.js b/test/balanced-pool.js
index 473522ac9f2..9349ce96573 100644
--- a/test/balanced-pool.js
+++ b/test/balanced-pool.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict'
 
 const { test } = require('tap')
-const { BalancedPool, Client, errors } = require('..')
+const { BalancedPool, Client, errors, Pool } = require('..')
 const { createServer } = require('http')
 const { promisify } = require('util')
 
@@ -163,3 +163,63 @@ test('busy', (t) => {
     }
   })
 })
+
+test('invalid options throws', (t) => {
+  t.plan(2)
+
+  try {
+    new BalancedPool(null, { factory: '' }) // eslint-disable-line
+  } catch (err) {
+    t.type(err, errors.InvalidArgumentError)
+    t.equal(err.message, 'factory must be a function.')
+  }
+})
+
+test('factory option with basic get request', async(t) => {
+  t.plan(12)
+
+  let factoryCalled = 0
+  const opts = {
+    factory: (origin, opts) => {
+      factoryCalled ++
+      return new Pool(origin, opts)
+    }
+  }
+
+  const client = new BalancedPool([], opts) // eslint-disable-line
+
+  let serverCalled = 0
+  const server = createServer((req, res) => {
+    serverCalled++
+    t.equal('/', req.url)
+    t.equal('GET', req.method)
+    res.setHeader('content-type', 'text/plain')
+    res.end('hello')
+  })
+  t.teardown(server.close.bind(server))
+
+  await promisify(server.listen).call(server, 0)
+
+  client.addUpstream(`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`)
+
+  t.same(client.upstreams, [`http://localhost:${server.address().port}`])
+
+  t.teardown(client.destroy.bind(client))
+
+  {
+    const { statusCode, headers, body } = await client.request({ path: '/', method: 'GET' })
+    t.equal(statusCode, 200)
+    t.equal(headers['content-type'], 'text/plain')
+    t.equal('hello', await body.text())
+  }
+
+  t.equal(serverCalled, 1)
+  t.equal(factoryCalled, 1)
+
+  t.equal(client.destroyed, false)
+  t.equal(client.closed, false)
+  await client.close()
+  t.equal(client.destroyed, true)
+  t.equal(client.closed, true)
+
+})