diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 94a1897..b396260 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -69,6 +69,60 @@ FullName.propTypes = {
 register(FullName, 'full-name');
 ```
 
+### Custom Events
+
+If you want to be able to emit custom events from your web component then you can add a `customEvents` object to the options.
+Alternatively they can be supplied on the component. The events will be added to the props. They are async (Promise) methods
+that the outside can respond to via a callback. Whatever you pass in to the method will be the `payload` in the event detail.
+
+```js
+function MyAsyncComponent({ onError, onLoaded, src }) {
+  const [posts, setPosts] = useState(null);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!src) return;
+    axios.get(src).then(res => {
+      setPosts(res.data);
+      onLoaded(`Loaded ${res.data.length} posts`)
+        .then(res => {
+          console.log('got ack from host, do something...', res);
+        });
+    }, onError);
+  }, [src]);
+
+  return (
+    <div>
+      { posts ?
+        posts.map(post => <Post key={post.id} data={post} />) :
+        <span>Loading...</span>
+      }
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+register(MyAsyncComponent, 'x-my-async', ['src'], {
+  customEvents: { onLoaded: 'loaded', onError: 'error' }
+});
+```
+
+Later in the consuming HTML page:
+
+```html
+<x-my-async id="my1"></x-my-async>
+<script>
+  const el = document.querySelector('#my1');
+  el.addEventListener('loaded', (e) => {
+    const { payload, callback } = e.detail;
+    console.log(payload);
+    // Loaded xx posts
+    callback('ok got it');
+  });
+  el.addEventListener('error', (e) => {
+    const { payload } = e.detail;
+    console.error('oh no failed to load posts');
+  });
+  el.setAttribute('src', 'https://jsonplaceholder.typicode.com/posts');
+</script>
+```
 
 ## Related
 
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 42318d7..64bef15 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -6,6 +6,24 @@ export default function register(Component, tagName, propNames, options) {
 		inst._vdomComponent = Component;
 		inst._root =
 			options && options.shadow ? inst.attachShadow({ mode: 'open' }) : inst;
+
+		inst._customEvents = {};
+		const customEvents =
+			(options && options.customEvents) || Component.customEvents;
+		if (customEvents) {
+			Object.keys(customEvents).forEach((eventName) => {
+				const emitName = customEvents[eventName] || eventName;
+				const handler = (payload) => inst.dispatch(emitName, payload);
+				// later to propagate to props
+				inst._customEvents[eventName] = handler;
+				Object.defineProperty(inst, eventName, {
+					get() {
+						return handler;
+					},
+				});
+			});
+		}
+
 		return inst;
 	}
 	PreactElement.prototype = Object.create(HTMLElement.prototype);
@@ -13,6 +31,7 @@ export default function register(Component, tagName, propNames, options) {
 	PreactElement.prototype.connectedCallback = connectedCallback;
 	PreactElement.prototype.attributeChangedCallback = attributeChangedCallback;
 	PreactElement.prototype.disconnectedCallback = disconnectedCallback;
+	PreactElement.prototype.dispatch = dispatch;
 
 	propNames =
 		propNames ||
@@ -78,7 +97,7 @@ function connectedCallback() {
 
 	this._vdom = h(
 		ContextProvider,
-		{ ...this._props, context },
+		{ ...this._props, ...this._customEvents, context },
 		toVdom(this, this._vdomComponent)
 	);
 	(this.hasAttribute('hydrate') ? hydrate : render)(this._vdom, this._root);
@@ -161,3 +180,21 @@ function toVdom(element, nodeName) {
 	const wrappedChildren = nodeName ? h(Slot, null, children) : children;
 	return h(nodeName || element.nodeName.toLowerCase(), props, wrappedChildren);
 }
+
+function dispatch(eventName, payload) {
+	return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+		const callback = (result, error) => {
+			if (error !== undefined) {
+				reject(error);
+				return;
+			}
+			resolve(result);
+		};
+		this.dispatchEvent(
+			new CustomEvent(eventName, {
+				bubbles: true,
+				detail: { callback, payload },
+			})
+		);
+	});
+}
diff --git a/src/index.test.jsx b/src/index.test.jsx
index 00da646..d29ba26 100644
--- a/src/index.test.jsx
+++ b/src/index.test.jsx
@@ -132,6 +132,118 @@ describe('web components', () => {
 		});
 	});
 
+	describe('Custom Events', () => {
+		function DummyEvented({ onMyEvent, onMyEventSuccess, onMyEventFailed }) {
+			function clickHandler() {
+				onMyEvent('payload').then(onMyEventSuccess, onMyEventFailed);
+			}
+			return (
+				<div>
+					<button onClick={clickHandler}>click</button>
+				</div>
+			);
+		}
+		const onMyEvent = 'myEvent';
+		const onMyEventSuccess = 'myEventSuccess';
+		const onMyEventFailed = 'myEventFailed';
+		DummyEvented.customEvents = {
+			onMyEvent,
+			onMyEventSuccess,
+			onMyEventFailed,
+		};
+		registerElement(DummyEvented, 'x-dummy-evented', [], {
+			customEvents: { onMyEvent, onMyEventSuccess, onMyEventFailed },
+		});
+
+		registerElement(DummyEvented, 'x-dummy-evented1');
+
+		it('should allow you to expose custom events', async () => {
+			let done;
+			const promise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+				done = resolve;
+			});
+			const el = document.createElement('x-dummy-evented');
+			root.appendChild(el);
+
+			el.addEventListener(onMyEvent, (e) => {
+				assert.equal(e.detail.payload, 'payload');
+				done();
+			});
+
+			act(() => {
+				el.querySelector('button').click();
+				return promise;
+			});
+		});
+
+		it('should enable async events (resolved)', async () => {
+			let done;
+			const promise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+				done = resolve;
+			});
+			const el = document.createElement('x-dummy-evented');
+			root.appendChild(el);
+
+			el.addEventListener(onMyEvent, (e) => {
+				const callback = e.detail.callback;
+				callback('success');
+			});
+
+			el.addEventListener(onMyEventSuccess, (e) => {
+				assert.equal(e.detail.payload, 'success');
+				done();
+			});
+
+			act(() => {
+				el.querySelector('button').click();
+				return promise;
+			});
+		});
+
+		it('should enable async events (rejected)', async () => {
+			let done;
+			const promise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+				done = resolve;
+			});
+			const el = document.createElement('x-dummy-evented');
+			root.appendChild(el);
+
+			el.addEventListener(onMyEvent, (e) => {
+				const callback = e.detail.callback;
+				callback(null, 'failed!');
+			});
+
+			el.addEventListener(onMyEventFailed, (e) => {
+				assert.equal(e.detail.payload, 'failed!');
+				done();
+			});
+
+			act(() => {
+				el.querySelector('button').click();
+				return promise;
+			});
+		});
+
+		it('should allow you to expose custom events via the static property', async () => {
+			let done;
+			const promise = new Promise((resolve) => {
+				done = resolve;
+			});
+			const el = document.createElement('x-dummy-evented1');
+			root.appendChild(el);
+
+			el.addEventListener(onMyEvent, (e) => {
+				assert.equal(e.detail.payload, 'payload');
+				done();
+			});
+
+			act(() => {
+				el.querySelector('button').click();
+				return promise;
+			});
+		});
+	});
+
 	function Foo({ text, children }) {
 		return (
 			<span class="wrapper">