diff --git a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializer.java b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializer.java
index e5ae60fd204..9bc3ae6da46 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializer.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializer.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public abstract class SpringBootServletInitializer implements WebApplicationInit
 
 	protected WebApplicationContext createRootApplicationContext(
 			ServletContext servletContext) {
-		SpringApplicationBuilder builder = new SpringApplicationBuilder();
+		SpringApplicationBuilder builder = createSpringApplicationBuilder();
 		ApplicationContext parent = getExistingRootWebApplicationContext(servletContext);
 		if (parent != null) {
 			this.logger.info("Root context already created (using as parent).");
@@ -108,6 +108,18 @@ public abstract class SpringBootServletInitializer implements WebApplicationInit
 		return run(application);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Returns the {@code SpringApplicationBuilder} that is used to configure and create
+	 * the {@link SpringApplication}. The default implementation returns a new
+	 * {@code SpringApplicationBuilder} in its default state.
+	 *
+	 * @return the {@code SpringApplicationBuilder}.
+	 * @since 1.3.0
+	 */
+	protected SpringApplicationBuilder createSpringApplicationBuilder() {
+		return new SpringApplicationBuilder();
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * Called to run a fully configured {@link SpringApplication}.
 	 * @param application the application to run
diff --git a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializerTests.java b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializerTests.java
index 595b2aac5e5..2751efeb5b5 100644
--- a/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializerTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/context/web/SpringBootServletInitializerTests.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.springframework.mock.web.MockServletContext;
 import org.springframework.web.context.WebApplicationContext;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 
 /**
@@ -72,6 +73,13 @@ public class SpringBootServletInitializerTests {
 				equalToSet(Config.class, ErrorPageFilter.class));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void applicationBuilderCanBeCustomized() throws Exception {
+		CustomSpringBootServletInitializer servletInitializer = new CustomSpringBootServletInitializer();
+		servletInitializer.createRootApplicationContext(this.servletContext);
+		assertThat(servletInitializer.applicationBuilder.built, is(true));
+	}
+
 	private Matcher<? super Set<Object>> equalToSet(Object... items) {
 		Set<Object> set = new LinkedHashSet<Object>();
 		Collections.addAll(set, items);
@@ -88,6 +96,22 @@ public class SpringBootServletInitializerTests {
 
 	}
 
+	private class CustomSpringBootServletInitializer extends
+			MockSpringBootServletInitializer {
+
+		private final CustomSpringApplicationBuilder applicationBuilder = new CustomSpringApplicationBuilder();
+
+		@Override
+		protected SpringApplicationBuilder createSpringApplicationBuilder() {
+			return this.applicationBuilder;
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		protected SpringApplicationBuilder configure(SpringApplicationBuilder application) {
+			return application.sources(Config.class);
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Configuration
 	public class WithConfigurationAnnotation extends MockSpringBootServletInitializer {
 	}
@@ -106,4 +130,16 @@ public class SpringBootServletInitializerTests {
 
 	}
 
+	private static class CustomSpringApplicationBuilder extends SpringApplicationBuilder {
+
+		private boolean built;
+
+		@Override
+		public SpringApplication build() {
+			this.built = true;
+			return super.build();
+		}
+
+	}
+
 }