diff --git a/jrpc2_test.go b/jrpc2_test.go
index a2d5422..e594e31 100644
--- a/jrpc2_test.go
+++ b/jrpc2_test.go
@@ -1200,3 +1200,31 @@ func TestServerFromContext(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("ServerFromContext: got %p, want %p", got, loc.Server)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestServer_newContext(t *testing.T) {
+	// Prepare a context with a test value attached to it, that the handler can
+	// extract to verify that the base context was plumbed in correctly.
+	type ctxKey string
+	ctx := context.WithValue(context.Background(), ctxKey("test"), 42)
+
+	loc := server.NewLocal(handler.Map{
+		"Test": handler.New(func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			val := ctx.Value(ctxKey("test"))
+			if val == nil {
+				t.Error("Test value is not present in context")
+			} else if v, ok := val.(int); !ok || v != 42 {
+				t.Errorf("Wrong test value: got %+v, want %v", val, 42)
+			}
+			return nil
+		}),
+	}, &server.LocalOptions{
+		Server: &jrpc2.ServerOptions{
+			// Use the test context constructed above as the base request context.
+			NewContext: func() context.Context { return ctx },
+		},
+	})
+	defer loc.Close()
+	if _, err := loc.Client.Call(context.Background(), "Test", nil); err != nil {
+		t.Errorf("Call failed: %v", err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/opts.go b/opts.go
index c63a954..92ca22e 100644
--- a/opts.go
+++ b/opts.go
@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ type ServerOptions struct {
 	// this setting does not constrain order of issue.
 	Concurrency int
 
+	// If set, this function is called to create a new base request context.
+	// If unset, the server uses a background context.
+	NewContext func() context.Context
+
 	// If set, this function is called with the method name and encoded request
 	// parameters received from the client, before they are delivered to the
 	// handler. Its return value replaces the context and argument values. This
@@ -94,6 +98,13 @@ func (s *ServerOptions) startTime() time.Time {
 	return s.StartTime
 }
 
+func (o *ServerOptions) newContext() func() context.Context {
+	if o == nil || o.NewContext == nil {
+		return context.Background
+	}
+	return o.NewContext
+}
+
 type decoder = func(context.Context, string, json.RawMessage) (context.Context, json.RawMessage, error)
 
 func (s *ServerOptions) decodeContext() (decoder, bool) {
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 2ed4ef3..7c3dc9c 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -23,19 +23,20 @@ type logger = func(string, ...interface{})
 // responses on a channel.Channel provided by the caller, and dispatches
 // requests to user-defined Handlers.
 type Server struct {
-	wg      sync.WaitGroup      // ready when workers are done at shutdown time
-	mux     Assigner            // associates method names with handlers
-	sem     *semaphore.Weighted // bounds concurrent execution (default 1)
-	allow1  bool                // allow v1 requests with no version marker
-	allowP  bool                // allow server notifications to the client
-	log     logger              // write debug logs here
-	rpcLog  RPCLogger           // log RPC requests and responses here
-	dectx   decoder             // decode context from request
-	ckreq   verifier            // request checking hook
-	expctx  bool                // whether to expect request context
-	metrics *metrics.M          // metrics collected during execution
-	start   time.Time           // when Start was called
-	builtin bool                // whether built-in rpc.* methods are enabled
+	wg      sync.WaitGroup         // ready when workers are done at shutdown time
+	mux     Assigner               // associates method names with handlers
+	sem     *semaphore.Weighted    // bounds concurrent execution (default 1)
+	allow1  bool                   // allow v1 requests with no version marker
+	allowP  bool                   // allow server notifications to the client
+	log     logger                 // write debug logs here
+	rpcLog  RPCLogger              // log RPC requests and responses here
+	newctx  func() context.Context // create a new base request context
+	dectx   decoder                // decode context from request
+	ckreq   verifier               // request checking hook
+	expctx  bool                   // whether to expect request context
+	metrics *metrics.M             // metrics collected during execution
+	start   time.Time              // when Start was called
+	builtin bool                   // whether built-in rpc.* methods are enabled
 
 	mu *sync.Mutex // protects the fields below
 
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ func NewServer(mux Assigner, opts *ServerOptions) *Server {
 		allowP:  opts.allowPush(),
 		log:     opts.logger(),
 		rpcLog:  opts.rpcLog(),
+		newctx:  opts.newContext(),
 		dectx:   dc,
 		ckreq:   opts.checkRequest(),
 		expctx:  exp,
@@ -306,7 +308,7 @@ func (s *Server) checkAndAssign(next jmessages) tasks {
 // setContext constructs and attaches a request context to t, and reports
 // whether this succeeded.
 func (s *Server) setContext(t *task, id string) bool {
-	base, params, err := s.dectx(context.Background(), t.hreq.method, t.hreq.params)
+	base, params, err := s.dectx(s.newctx(), t.hreq.method, t.hreq.params)
 	t.hreq.params = params
 	if err != nil {
 		t.err = Errorf(code.InternalError, "invalid request context: %v", err)