diff --git a/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js b/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js
index f6d05f1a22e..f1793f34fb9 100644
--- a/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js
+++ b/packages/ember-application/lib/system/application-instance.js
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ let ApplicationInstance = EmberObject.extend(RegistryProxy, ContainerProxy, {
 
     var application = get(this, 'application');
 
-    set(this, 'customEvents', get(application, 'customEvents'));
     set(this, 'rootElement', get(application, 'rootElement'));
 
     // Create a per-instance registry that will use the application's registry
@@ -188,7 +187,9 @@ let ApplicationInstance = EmberObject.extend(RegistryProxy, ContainerProxy, {
   */
   setupEventDispatcher() {
     var dispatcher = this.lookup('event_dispatcher:main');
-    dispatcher.setup(this.customEvents, this.rootElement);
+    var applicationCustomEvents = get(this.application, 'customEvents');
+
+    dispatcher.setup(applicationCustomEvents, this.rootElement);
 
     return dispatcher;
   },
diff --git a/packages/ember-application/tests/system/application_instance_test.js b/packages/ember-application/tests/system/application_instance_test.js
index c5acdd1a6b1..40d21ab4a3a 100644
--- a/packages/ember-application/tests/system/application_instance_test.js
+++ b/packages/ember-application/tests/system/application_instance_test.js
@@ -65,3 +65,22 @@ QUnit.test('properties (and aliases) are correctly assigned for accessing the co
     strictEqual(appInstance.registry, appInstance.__registry__, '#registry alias should be assigned');
   }
 });
+
+QUnit.test('customEvents added to the application before setupEventDispatcher', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  run(function() {
+    appInstance = ApplicationInstance.create({ application: app });
+  });
+
+  app.customEvents = {
+    awesome: 'sauce'
+  };
+
+  var eventDispatcher = appInstance.lookup('event_dispatcher:main');
+  eventDispatcher.setup = function(events) {
+    assert.equal(events.awesome, 'sauce');
+  };
+
+  appInstance.setupEventDispatcher();
+});
diff --git a/packages/ember/tests/application_lifecycle.js b/packages/ember/tests/application_lifecycle_test.js
similarity index 64%
rename from packages/ember/tests/application_lifecycle.js
rename to packages/ember/tests/application_lifecycle_test.js
index e264f725837..be460ea4ca9 100644
--- a/packages/ember/tests/application_lifecycle.js
+++ b/packages/ember/tests/application_lifecycle_test.js
@@ -1,28 +1,38 @@
 import 'ember';
 import Ember from 'ember-metal/core';
+import isEnabled from 'ember-metal/features';
 
-var App, container, router;
+var compile = Ember.HTMLBars.compile;
 
-QUnit.module('Application Lifecycle', {
-  setup() {
-    Ember.run(function() {
-      App = Ember.Application.create({
-        rootElement: '#qunit-fixture'
-      });
+var ApplicationSubclass, App, container, router;
 
-      App.Router = App.Router.extend({
-        location: 'none'
-      });
-
-      App.deferReadiness();
+function setupApp() {
+  Ember.run(function() {
+    App = ApplicationSubclass.create({
+      rootElement: '#qunit-fixture'
+    });
 
-      container = App.__container__;
+    App.Router = App.Router.extend({
+      location: 'none'
     });
+
+    App.deferReadiness();
+
+    container = App.__container__;
+  });
+}
+
+QUnit.module('Application Lifecycle', {
+  setup() {
+    ApplicationSubclass = Ember.Application.extend();
+
+    setupApp();
   },
 
   teardown() {
     router = null;
     Ember.run(App, 'destroy');
+    Ember.TEMPLATES = {};
   }
 });
 
@@ -113,3 +123,46 @@ QUnit.test('Destroying the application resets the router before the container is
   equal(Ember.controllerFor(container, 'home').get('selectedMenuItem'), null);
   equal(Ember.controllerFor(container, 'application').get('selectedMenuItem'), null);
 });
+
+QUnit.test('initializers can augment an applications customEvents hash', function(assert) {
+  assert.expect(1);
+
+  Ember.run(App, 'destroy');
+
+  if (isEnabled('ember-registry-container-reform')) {
+    ApplicationSubclass.initializer({
+      name: 'customize-things',
+      initialize(application) {
+        application.customEvents = {
+          wowza: 'wowza'
+        };
+      }
+    });
+  } else {
+    ApplicationSubclass.initializer({
+      name: 'customize-things',
+      initialize(registry, application) {
+        application.customEvents = {
+          wowza: 'wowza'
+        };
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  setupApp();
+
+  App.FooBarComponent = Ember.Component.extend({
+    wowza() {
+      assert.ok(true, 'fired the event!');
+    }
+  });
+
+  Ember.TEMPLATES['application'] = compile(`{{foo-bar}}`);
+  Ember.TEMPLATES['components/foo-bar'] = compile(`<div id='wowza-thingy'></div>`);
+
+  Ember.run(App, 'advanceReadiness');
+
+  Ember.run(function() {
+    Ember.$('#wowza-thingy').trigger('wowza');
+  });
+});