diff --git a/examples/bin/worker b/examples/bin/worker
index 968c991e..9bf14e38 100755
--- a/examples/bin/worker
+++ b/examples/bin/worker
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ worker.register_workflow(TripBookingWorkflow)
 worker.register_workflow(UpsertSearchAttributesWorkflow)
 worker.register_workflow(WaitForWorkflow)
 worker.register_workflow(WaitForExternalSignalWorkflow)
+worker.register_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow)
 
 worker.register_activity(AsyncActivity)
 worker.register_activity(EchoActivity)
diff --git a/examples/spec/integration/named_signal_handler_spec.rb b/examples/spec/integration/named_signal_handler_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..aa5fc559
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/spec/integration/named_signal_handler_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+require 'workflows/wait_for_named_signal_workflow'
+
+describe WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, :integration do
+  let(:receiver_workflow_id) { SecureRandom.uuid }
+
+  context 'when the signal is named' do
+    let(:arg1) { "arg1" }
+    let(:arg2) { 7890.1234 }
+
+    context 'and the workflow has a named signal handler matching the signal name' do
+      let(:signal_name) { "NamedSignal" }
+
+      it 'receives the signal in its named handler' do
+        _, run_id = run_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, signal_name, options: { workflow_id: receiver_workflow_id})
+
+        Temporal.signal_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, signal_name, receiver_workflow_id, run_id, [arg1, arg2])
+
+        result = Temporal.await_workflow_result(
+          WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow,
+          workflow_id: receiver_workflow_id,
+          run_id: run_id,
+        )
+
+        expect(result[:received]).to include({signal_name => [arg1, arg2]})
+        expect(result[:counts]).to include({signal_name => 1})
+        expect(result).to eq(
+          {
+            received: {
+              signal_name => [arg1, arg2],
+              'catch-all' => [arg1, arg2]
+            },
+            counts: {
+              signal_name => 1,
+              'catch-all' => 1
+            }
+          }
+        )
+
+      end
+
+      it 'receives the signal in its catch-all signal handler' do
+        _, run_id = run_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, signal_name, options: { workflow_id: receiver_workflow_id})
+
+        Temporal.signal_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, signal_name, receiver_workflow_id, run_id, [arg1, arg2])
+
+        result = Temporal.await_workflow_result(
+          WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow,
+          workflow_id: receiver_workflow_id,
+          run_id: run_id,
+        )
+
+        expect(result[:received]).to include({"catch-all" => [arg1, arg2]})
+        expect(result[:counts]).to include({"catch-all" => 1})
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'and the workflow does NOT have a named signal handler matching the signal name' do
+      let(:signal_name) { 'doesNOTmatchAsignalHandler' }
+
+      it 'receives the signal in its catch-all signal handler' do
+        _, run_id = run_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, signal_name, options: { workflow_id: receiver_workflow_id})
+
+        Temporal.signal_workflow(WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow, signal_name, receiver_workflow_id, run_id, [arg1, arg2])
+
+        result = Temporal.await_workflow_result(
+          WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow,
+          workflow_id: receiver_workflow_id,
+          run_id: run_id,
+        )
+
+        expect(result).to eq(
+          {
+            received: {
+              'catch-all' => [arg1, arg2]
+            },
+            counts: {
+              'catch-all' => 1
+            }
+          }
+        )
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/examples/workflows/wait_for_named_signal_workflow.rb b/examples/workflows/wait_for_named_signal_workflow.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9f715a2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/workflows/wait_for_named_signal_workflow.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+# Can receive signals to its named signal handler. If a signal doesn't match the
+# named handler's signature, then it matches the catch-all signal handler
+#
+class WaitForNamedSignalWorkflow < Temporal::Workflow
+  def execute(expected_signal)
+    signals_received = {}
+    signal_counts = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = 0 }
+
+    # catch-all handler
+    workflow.on_signal do |signal, input|
+      workflow.logger.info("Received signal name as #{signal}, with input #{input.inspect}")
+      signals_received['catch-all'] = input
+      signal_counts['catch-all'] += 1
+    end
+
+    workflow.on_signal('NamedSignal') do |input|
+      workflow.logger.info("Received signal name -NamedSignal-, with input #{input.inspect}")
+      signals_received['NamedSignal'] = input
+      signal_counts['NamedSignal'] += 1
+    end
+
+    timeout_timer = workflow.start_timer(1)
+    workflow.wait_for(timeout_timer)
+
+    { received: signals_received, counts: signal_counts }
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/temporal/workflow/context.rb b/lib/temporal/workflow/context.rb
index dd28fdbf..39dc8236 100644
--- a/lib/temporal/workflow/context.rb
+++ b/lib/temporal/workflow/context.rb
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 require 'temporal/workflow/future'
 require 'temporal/workflow/replay_aware_logger'
 require 'temporal/workflow/state_manager'
+require 'temporal/workflow/signal'
 
 # This context class is available in the workflow implementation
 # and provides context and methods for interacting with Temporal
@@ -280,11 +281,24 @@ def now
         state_manager.local_time
       end
 
-      def on_signal(&block)
-        target = History::EventTarget.workflow
-
-        dispatcher.register_handler(target, 'signaled') do |signal, input|
-          call_in_fiber(block, signal, input)
+      # Define a signal handler to receive signals onto the workflow. When
+      # +name+ is defined, this creates a named signal handler which will be
+      # invoked whenever a signal named +name+ is received. A handler without
+      # a set name (defaults to nil) will be the default handler and will receive
+      # all signals that do not match a named signal handler.
+      #
+      # @param signal_name [String, Symbol, nil] an optional signal name; converted to a String
+      def on_signal(signal_name=nil, &block)
+        if signal_name
+          target = Signal.new(signal_name)
+          dispatcher.register_handler(target, 'signaled') do |_, input|
+            # do not pass signal name when triggering a named handler
+            call_in_fiber(block, input)
+          end
+        else
+          dispatcher.register_handler(Dispatcher::TARGET_WILDCARD, 'signaled') do |signal, input|
+            call_in_fiber(block, signal, input)
+          end
         end
       end
 
diff --git a/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher.rb b/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher.rb
index 2a768e54..58b32f46 100644
--- a/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher.rb
+++ b/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher.rb
@@ -1,15 +1,30 @@
 module Temporal
   class Workflow
+    # This provides a generic event dispatcher mechanism. There are two main entry
+    # points to this class, #register_handler and #dispatch.
+    #
+    # A handler may be associated with a specific event name so when that event occurs
+    # elsewhere in the system we may dispatch the event and execute the handler.
+    # We *always* execute the handler associated with the event_name.
+    #
+    # Optionally, we may register a named handler that is triggered when an event _and
+    # an optional handler_name key_ are provided. In this situation, we dispatch to both
+    # the handler associated to event_name+handler_name and to the handler associated with
+    # the event_name. The order of this dispatch is not guaranteed.
+    #
     class Dispatcher
       WILDCARD = '*'.freeze
       TARGET_WILDCARD = '*'.freeze
 
+      EventStruct = Struct.new(:event_name, :handler)
+
       def initialize
         @handlers = Hash.new { |hash, key| hash[key] = [] }
       end
 
       def register_handler(target, event_name, &handler)
-        handlers[target] << [event_name, handler]
+        handlers[target] << EventStruct.new(event_name, handler)
+        self
       end
 
       def dispatch(target, event_name, args = nil)
@@ -25,8 +40,13 @@ def dispatch(target, event_name, args = nil)
       def handlers_for(target, event_name)
         handlers[target]
           .concat(handlers[TARGET_WILDCARD])
-          .select { |(name, _)| name == event_name || name == WILDCARD }
-          .map(&:last)
+          .select { |event_struct| match?(event_struct, event_name) }
+          .map(&:handler)
+      end
+
+      def match?(event_struct, event_name)
+        event_struct.event_name == event_name ||
+          event_struct.event_name == WILDCARD
       end
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/temporal/workflow/signal.rb b/lib/temporal/workflow/signal.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e31d77fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/temporal/workflow/signal.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+module Temporal
+  class Workflow
+    Signal = Struct.new(:signal_name)
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/temporal/workflow/state_manager.rb b/lib/temporal/workflow/state_manager.rb
index 8c991b08..bdebe701 100644
--- a/lib/temporal/workflow/state_manager.rb
+++ b/lib/temporal/workflow/state_manager.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 require 'temporal/workflow/history/event_target'
 require 'temporal/concerns/payloads'
 require 'temporal/workflow/errors'
+require 'temporal/workflow/signal'
 
 module Temporal
   class Workflow
@@ -224,7 +225,9 @@ def apply_event(event)
           handle_marker(event.id, event.attributes.marker_name, from_details_payloads(event.attributes.details['data']))
 
         when 'WORKFLOW_EXECUTION_SIGNALED'
-          dispatch(target, 'signaled', event.attributes.signal_name, from_signal_payloads(event.attributes.input))
+          # relies on Signal#== for matching in Dispatcher
+          signal_target = Signal.new(event.attributes.signal_name)
+          dispatch(signal_target, 'signaled', event.attributes.signal_name, from_signal_payloads(event.attributes.input))
 
         when 'WORKFLOW_EXECUTION_TERMINATED'
           # todo
diff --git a/spec/unit/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher_spec.rb b/spec/unit/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher_spec.rb
index 43ccc8fc..6e1ae8d6 100644
--- a/spec/unit/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/lib/temporal/workflow/dispatcher_spec.rb
@@ -6,12 +6,56 @@
   let(:other_target) { Temporal::Workflow::History::EventTarget.new(2, Temporal::Workflow::History::EventTarget::TIMER_TYPE) }
 
   describe '#register_handler' do
-    it 'stores a given handler against the target' do
-      block = -> { 'handler body' }
+    let(:block) { -> { 'handler body' } }
+    let(:event_name) { 'signaled' }
+    let(:dispatcher) { subject.register_handler(target, event_name, &block) }
+    let(:handlers) { dispatcher.send(:handlers) }
 
-      subject.register_handler(target, 'signaled', &block)
+    context 'with default handler_name' do
+      let(:handler_name) { nil }
 
-      expect(subject.send(:handlers)).to include(target => [['signaled', block]])
+      it 'stores the target' do
+        expect(handlers.key?(target)).to be true
+      end
+
+      it 'stores the target and handler once' do
+        expect(handlers[target]).to be_kind_of(Array)
+        expect(handlers[target].count).to eq 1
+      end
+
+      it 'associates the event name with the target' do
+        event = handlers[target].first
+        expect(event.event_name).to eq(event_name)
+      end
+
+      it 'associates the handler with the target' do
+        event = handlers[target].first
+        expect(event.handler).to eq(block)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'with a specific handler_name' do
+      let(:handler_name) { 'specific name' }
+      let(:event_name) { "signaled:#{handler_name}" }
+
+      it 'stores the target' do
+        expect(handlers.key?(target)).to be true
+      end
+
+      it 'stores the target and handler once' do
+        expect(handlers[target]).to be_kind_of(Array)
+        expect(handlers[target].count).to eq 1
+      end
+
+      it 'associates the event name and handler name with the target' do
+        event = handlers[target].first
+        expect(event.event_name).to eq(event_name)
+      end
+
+      it 'associates the handler with the target' do
+        event = handlers[target].first
+        expect(event.handler).to eq(block)
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -89,5 +133,28 @@
         expect(target.eql?(described_class::TARGET_WILDCARD)).to be(false)
       end
     end
+
+    context 'with a named handler' do
+      let(:handler_7) { -> { 'seventh block' } }
+      let(:handler_name) { 'specific name' }
+      before do
+        allow(handler_7).to receive(:call)
+
+        subject.register_handler(target, 'completed', &handler_7)
+      end
+
+      it 'calls the named handler and the default' do
+        subject.dispatch(target, 'completed', handler_name: handler_name)
+
+        # the parent context "before" block registers the handlers with the target
+        # so look there for why handlers 1 and 4 are also called
+        expect(handler_7).to have_received(:call)
+        expect(handler_1).to have_received(:call)
+        expect(handler_4).to have_received(:call)
+
+        expect(handler_2).not_to have_received(:call)
+        expect(handler_3).not_to have_received(:call)
+      end
+    end
   end
 end