diff --git a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Materializer.scala b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Materializer.scala
index cfffc6ff..5e4b2633 100644
--- a/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Materializer.scala
+++ b/sjsonnet/src/sjsonnet/Materializer.scala
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ abstract class Materializer {
           "Couldn't manifest function with params [" + s.params.names.mkString(",") + "]",
           v.pos
         )
-      case vv: Val =>
+      case mat: Materializer.Materializable => storePos(v.pos); mat.materialize(visitor)
+      case vv: Val                          =>
         Error.fail("Unknown value type " + vv.prettyName, vv.pos)
       case null =>
         Error.fail("Unknown value type " + v)
@@ -147,4 +148,12 @@ object Materializer extends Materializer {
 
   final val emptyStringArray = new Array[String](0)
   final val emptyLazyArray = new Array[Lazy](0)
+
+  /**
+   * Trait for providing custom materialization logic to the Materializer.
+   * @since 1.0.0
+   */
+  trait Materializable {
+    def materialize[T](visitor: Visitor[T, T])(implicit evaluator: EvalScope): T
+  }
 }
diff --git a/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/CustomValTests.scala b/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/CustomValTests.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cf89b5c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sjsonnet/test/src/sjsonnet/CustomValTests.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+package sjsonnet
+
+import upickle.core.Visitor
+import utest._
+
+object CustomValTests extends TestSuite {
+  private final case class ImportantString(pos: Position, str: String, importance: Int)
+      extends Val.Literal
+      with Materializer.Materializable {
+    override def prettyName: String = "Important string"
+    def materialize[T](visitor: Visitor[T, T])(implicit evaluator: EvalScope): T = {
+      visitor.visitString(str + "!".repeat(importance), -1)
+    }
+  }
+
+  private final class IncreaseImportance
+      extends Val.Builtin1("increaseImportance", "important_string") {
+    def evalRhs(arg1: Lazy, ev: EvalScope, pos: Position): Val = {
+      arg1.force match {
+        case importantString: ImportantString =>
+          importantString.copy(importance = importantString.importance + 1)
+        case other => other
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  private def variableResolve(name: String): Option[Expr] = {
+    if (name == "message") {
+      Some(ImportantString(new Position(null, 0), "message", 2))
+    } else if (name == "increaseImportance") {
+      Some(new IncreaseImportance().asFunc)
+    } else {
+      None
+    }
+  }
+
+  private val interpreter = new Interpreter(
+    Map(),
+    Map(),
+    DummyPath(),
+    Importer.empty,
+    parseCache = new DefaultParseCache,
+    variableResolver = variableResolve
+  )
+
+  def check(s: String)(f: Function[Any, Boolean]): Unit = {
+    val result = interpreter.interpret(s, DummyPath("(memory)"))
+    assertMatch(result) {
+      case Right(v) if f(v) => ()
+      case Left(e)          => throw new Exception(s"check failed: $s, $e")
+    }
+  }
+
+  def tests: Tests = Tests {
+    test("test custom Val materialization") {
+      check(s"""important""") {
+        case ujson.Str(v) => v == "message!!"
+        case _            => false
+      }
+    }
+
+    test("test custom Val usage") {
+      check(s"""increaseImportance(message)""") {
+        case ujson.Str(v) => v == "message!!!"
+        case _            => false
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}