diff --git a/docs/api/config.rst b/docs/api/config.rst
index 62f138b762..c76d3d5ffa 100644
--- a/docs/api/config.rst
+++ b/docs/api/config.rst
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
      .. automethod:: add_subscriber_predicate
      .. automethod:: add_view_predicate
      .. automethod:: add_view_deriver
+     .. automethod:: set_execution_policy
      .. automethod:: set_request_factory
      .. automethod:: set_root_factory
      .. automethod:: set_session_factory
diff --git a/docs/api/interfaces.rst b/docs/api/interfaces.rst
index 521d65d2b3..a212ba7a97 100644
--- a/docs/api/interfaces.rst
+++ b/docs/api/interfaces.rst
@@ -65,6 +65,9 @@ Other Interfaces
   .. autointerface:: IResponseFactory
      :members:
 
+  .. autointerface:: IRouter
+     :members:
+
   .. autointerface:: IViewMapperFactory
      :members:
 
diff --git a/docs/glossary.rst b/docs/glossary.rst
index 0f299c169e..0a46fac3b1 100644
--- a/docs/glossary.rst
+++ b/docs/glossary.rst
@@ -1154,3 +1154,8 @@ Glossary
 
    coverage
       A measurement of code coverage, usually expressed as a percentage of which lines of code have been executed over which lines are executable, typically run during test execution.
+
+   execution policy
+      A policy which wraps the :term:`router` by creating the request object
+      and sending it through the request pipeline.
+      See :class:`pyramid.config.Configurator.set_execution_policy`.
diff --git a/pyramid/config/factories.py b/pyramid/config/factories.py
index f0b6252ae8..c8633cc471 100644
--- a/pyramid/config/factories.py
+++ b/pyramid/config/factories.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 from pyramid.interfaces import (
     IDefaultRootFactory,
+    IExecutionPolicy,
     IRequestFactory,
     IResponseFactory,
     IRequestExtensions,
@@ -10,6 +11,7 @@
     ISessionFactory,
     )
 
+from pyramid.router import default_execution_policy
 from pyramid.traversal import DefaultRootFactory
 
 from pyramid.util import (
@@ -231,6 +233,29 @@ def set_request_property(self, callable, name=None, reify=False):
         'set_request_propery() is deprecated as of Pyramid 1.5; use '
         'add_request_method() with the property=True argument instead')
 
+    @action_method
+    def set_execution_policy(self, policy):
+        """
+        Override the :app:`Pyramid` :term:`execution policy` in the
+        current configuration.  The ``policy`` argument must be an instance
+        of an :class:`pyramid.interfaces.IExecutionPolicy` or a
+        :term:`dotted Python name` that points at an instance of an
+        execution policy.
+
+        """
+        policy = self.maybe_dotted(policy)
+        if policy is None:
+            policy = default_execution_policy
+
+        def register():
+            self.registry.registerUtility(policy, IExecutionPolicy)
+
+        intr = self.introspectable('execution policy', None,
+                                   self.object_description(policy),
+                                   'execution policy')
+        intr['policy'] = policy
+        self.action(IExecutionPolicy, register, introspectables=(intr,))
+
 
 @implementer(IRequestExtensions)
 class _RequestExtensions(object):
diff --git a/pyramid/interfaces.py b/pyramid/interfaces.py
index 450cd9c24f..bbb4754e45 100644
--- a/pyramid/interfaces.py
+++ b/pyramid/interfaces.py
@@ -682,7 +682,48 @@ class IRouter(Interface):
     registry = Attribute(
         """Component architecture registry local to this application.""")
 
-class ISettings(Interface):
+    def make_request(environ):
+        """
+        Create a new request object.
+
+        This method initializes a new :class:`pyramid.interfaces.IRequest`
+        object using the application's
+        :class:`pyramid.interfaces.IRequestFactory`.
+        """
+
+    def invoke_request(request):
+        """
+        Invoke the :app:`Pyramid` request pipeline.
+
+        See :ref:`router_chapter` for information on the request pipeline.
+        """
+
+class IExecutionPolicy(Interface):
+    def __call__(environ, router):
+        """
+        This callable triggers the router to process a raw WSGI environ dict
+        into a response and controls the :app:`Pyramid` request pipeline.
+
+        The ``environ`` is the raw WSGI environ.
+
+        The ``router`` is an :class:`pyramid.interfaces.IRouter` object which
+        should be used to create a request object and send it into the
+        processing pipeline.
+
+        The return value should be a :class:`pyramid.interfaces.IResponse`
+        object or an exception that will be handled by WSGI middleware.
+
+        The default execution policy simple creates a request and sends it
+        through the pipeline:
+
+        .. code-block:: python
+
+            def simple_execution_policy(environ, router):
+                request = router.make_request(environ)
+                return router.invoke_request(request)
+        """
+
+class ISettings(IDict):
     """ Runtime settings utility for pyramid; represents the
     deployment settings for the application.  Implements a mapping
     interface."""
diff --git a/pyramid/router.py b/pyramid/router.py
index fd11925e99..8b7b7b6bc2 100644
--- a/pyramid/router.py
+++ b/pyramid/router.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 from pyramid.interfaces import (
     IDebugLogger,
+    IExecutionPolicy,
     IRequest,
     IRequestExtensions,
     IRootFactory,
@@ -49,6 +50,8 @@ def __init__(self, registry):
         self.routes_mapper = q(IRoutesMapper)
         self.request_factory = q(IRequestFactory, default=Request)
         self.request_extensions = q(IRequestExtensions)
+        self.execution_policy = q(
+            IExecutionPolicy, default=default_execution_policy)
         self.orig_handle_request = self.handle_request
         tweens = q(ITweens)
         if tweens is not None:
@@ -182,19 +185,36 @@ def invoke_subrequest(self, request, use_tweens=False):
         :term:`tween` in the tween stack closest to the request ingress.  If
         ``use_tweens`` is ``False``, the request will be sent to the main
         router handler, and no tweens will be invoked.
-        
+
         See the API for pyramid.request for complete documentation.
         """
+        request.registry = self.registry
+        request.invoke_subrequest = self.invoke_subrequest
+        return self.invoke_request(
+            request,
+            _use_tweens=use_tweens,
+            _apply_extensions=True,
+        )
+
+    def make_request(self, environ):
+        request = self.request_factory(environ)
+        request.registry = self.registry
+        request.invoke_subrequest = self.invoke_subrequest
+        extensions = self.request_extensions
+        if extensions is not None:
+            apply_request_extensions(request, extensions=extensions)
+        return request
+
+    def invoke_request(self, request,
+                       _use_tweens=True, _apply_extensions=False):
         registry = self.registry
         has_listeners = self.registry.has_listeners
         notify = self.registry.notify
-        threadlocals = {'registry':registry, 'request':request}
+        threadlocals = {'registry': registry, 'request': request}
         manager = self.threadlocal_manager
         manager.push(threadlocals)
-        request.registry = registry
-        request.invoke_subrequest = self.invoke_subrequest
-        
-        if use_tweens:
+
+        if _use_tweens:
             handle_request = self.handle_request
         else:
             handle_request = self.orig_handle_request
@@ -203,7 +223,7 @@ def invoke_subrequest(self, request, use_tweens=False):
 
             try:
                 extensions = self.request_extensions
-                if extensions is not None:
+                if _apply_extensions and extensions is not None:
                     apply_request_extensions(request, extensions=extensions)
                 response = handle_request(request)
 
@@ -211,7 +231,7 @@ def invoke_subrequest(self, request, use_tweens=False):
                     request._process_response_callbacks(response)
 
                 has_listeners and notify(NewResponse(request, response))
-                
+
                 return response
 
             finally:
@@ -229,6 +249,10 @@ def __call__(self, environ, start_response):
         within the application registry; call ``start_response`` and
         return an iterable.
         """
-        request = self.request_factory(environ)
-        response = self.invoke_subrequest(request, use_tweens=True)
-        return response(request.environ, start_response)
+        response = self.execution_policy(environ, self)
+        return response(environ, start_response)
+
+
+def default_execution_policy(environ, router):
+    request = router.make_request(environ)
+    return router.invoke_request(request)
diff --git a/pyramid/tests/pkgs/subrequestapp/__init__.py b/pyramid/tests/pkgs/subrequestapp/__init__.py
index b8f44cd7f4..e4b1d386ae 100644
--- a/pyramid/tests/pkgs/subrequestapp/__init__.py
+++ b/pyramid/tests/pkgs/subrequestapp/__init__.py
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ def view_one(request):
     return response
 
 def view_two(request):
-    return 'This came from view_two'
+    # check that request.foo is valid for a subrequest
+    return 'This came from view_two, foo=%s' % (request.foo,)
 
 def view_three(request):
     subreq = Request.blank('/view_four')
@@ -46,5 +47,6 @@ def main():
     config.add_view(view_three, route_name='three')
     config.add_view(view_four, route_name='four')
     config.add_view(view_five, route_name='five')
+    config.add_request_method(lambda r: 'bar', 'foo', property=True)
     return config
 
diff --git a/pyramid/tests/test_config/test_factories.py b/pyramid/tests/test_config/test_factories.py
index 452d762f8f..eb1f3534c7 100644
--- a/pyramid/tests/test_config/test_factories.py
+++ b/pyramid/tests/test_config/test_factories.py
@@ -144,6 +144,24 @@ def get_bad_name():
 
         self.assertRaises(ConfigurationError, get_bad_name)
 
+    def test_set_execution_policy(self):
+        from pyramid.interfaces import IExecutionPolicy
+        config = self._makeOne(autocommit=True)
+        def dummy_policy(environ, router): pass
+        config.set_execution_policy(dummy_policy)
+        registry = config.registry
+        result = registry.queryUtility(IExecutionPolicy)
+        self.assertEqual(result, dummy_policy)
+
+    def test_set_execution_policy_to_None(self):
+        from pyramid.interfaces import IExecutionPolicy
+        from pyramid.router import default_execution_policy
+        config = self._makeOne(autocommit=True)
+        config.set_execution_policy(None)
+        registry = config.registry
+        result = registry.queryUtility(IExecutionPolicy)
+        self.assertEqual(result, default_execution_policy)
+
 class TestDeprecatedFactoriesMixinMethods(unittest.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):
         from zope.deprecation import __show__
@@ -203,4 +221,3 @@ def foo(self): pass
         config.set_request_property(bar, name='bar')
         self.assertRaises(ConfigurationConflictError, config.commit)
 
-    
diff --git a/pyramid/tests/test_integration.py b/pyramid/tests/test_integration.py
index c2786c391c..85c4466a42 100644
--- a/pyramid/tests/test_integration.py
+++ b/pyramid/tests/test_integration.py
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ def tearDown(self):
 
     def test_one(self):
         res = self.testapp.get('/view_one', status=200)
-        self.assertTrue(b'This came from view_two' in res.body)
+        self.assertTrue(b'This came from view_two, foo=bar' in res.body)
 
     def test_three(self):
         res = self.testapp.get('/view_three', status=500)
diff --git a/pyramid/tests/test_router.py b/pyramid/tests/test_router.py
index 7aa42804c5..a5da5c627f 100644
--- a/pyramid/tests/test_router.py
+++ b/pyramid/tests/test_router.py
@@ -1271,6 +1271,19 @@ class DummyContext:
         start_response = DummyStartResponse()
         self.assertRaises(PredicateMismatch, router, environ, start_response)
 
+    def test_custom_execution_policy(self):
+        from pyramid.interfaces import IExecutionPolicy
+        from pyramid.request import Request
+        from pyramid.response import Response
+        registry = self.config.registry
+        def dummy_policy(environ, router):
+            return Response(status=200, body=b'foo')
+        registry.registerUtility(dummy_policy, IExecutionPolicy)
+        router = self._makeOne()
+        resp = Request.blank('/').get_response(router)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.status_code, 200)
+        self.assertEqual(resp.body, b'foo')
+
 class DummyPredicate(object):
     def __call__(self, info, request):
         return True