diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d02df85..47d447c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -11,6 +11,13 @@ run.config:
 
 ## Composer
 This engine uses [Composer](https://getcomposer.org) to manage dependencies. If a composer.json file exists at the root of your application, dependencies will be fetched during a build.
+The composer install command can be customized during the build process using a setting in the boxfile.yml.
+```yaml
+run.config:
+  engine: php
+  engine.config:
+    composer_install: "composer install --no-interaction --prefer-source"
+```
 
 ## Basic Configuration
 
diff --git a/doc/advanced-php-config.md b/doc/advanced-php-config.md
index 06a0df1..0097fa5 100644
--- a/doc/advanced-php-config.md
+++ b/doc/advanced-php-config.md
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ run.config:
     session_autostart: false
     date_timezone: 'US/central'
     iconv_internal_encoding: 'UTF-8'
+    
+    # Composer Settings
+    composer_install: 'composer install --no-interaction --prefer-source'
 
     # Apache Settings
     apache_version: 2.2
@@ -155,6 +158,7 @@ run.config:
 ##### Quick Links
 [Web Server Settings](#web-server-settings)  
 [PHP Settings](#php-settings)  
+[Composer Settings](#composer-settings)  
 [Apache Settings](#apache-settings)  
 [Nginx Settings](#nginx-settings)  
 [Built-In PHP Web Server Settings](#built-in-php-web-server-settings)  
@@ -581,6 +585,25 @@ run.config:
 
 ---
 
+### Composer Settings
+The following settings allow you to customize how [Composer](https://getcomposer.org/) is used in your application.
+
+[composer_install](#composer_install)  
+
+---
+
+#### composer_install 
+Customize the `composer install` command that is run in your app's build process.
+
+```
+run.config:
+  engine: php
+  engine.config:
+    composer_install: 'composer install --no-interaction --prefer-source'
+```
+
+---
+
 ### Apache Settings
 The following settings are used to configure Apache. These only apply when using `apache` as your `webserver`.
 
diff --git a/lib/php/composer.sh b/lib/php/composer.sh
index 6ba8259..40e8eef 100644
--- a/lib/php/composer.sh
+++ b/lib/php/composer.sh
@@ -12,12 +12,18 @@ composer_required_extensions() {
   echo "${exts[@]}"
 }
 
+composer_install_command() {
+  # boxfile composer_install
+  composer_install_command=$(nos_validate "$(nos_payload config_composer_install)" "string" "composer install --no-interaction --prefer-source")
+  echo "$composer_install_command"
+}
+
 # Runs composer install
 composer_install() {
   if [[ -f $(nos_code_dir)/composer.json ]]; then
     if [[ ! -f $(nos_code_dir)/composer.lock ]]; then
       nos_print_warning "No 'composer.lock' file detected. This may cause a slow or failed build. To avoid this issue, commit the 'composer.lock' file to your git repo."
     fi
-    (cd $(nos_code_dir); nos_run_process "composer install" "composer install --no-interaction --prefer-source")
+    (cd $(nos_code_dir); nos_run_process "composer install" "$(composer_install_command)")
   fi
 }
diff --git a/test/tests/integration/extensions2.bats b/test/tests/integration/extensions2.bats
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d70ed02
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tests/integration/extensions2.bats
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+# Integration test for a simple go app
+
+# source environment helpers
+. util/env.sh
+
+payload() {
+  cat <<-END
+{
+  "code_dir": "/tmp/code",
+  "data_dir": "/data",
+  "app_dir": "/tmp/app",
+  "cache_dir": "/tmp/cache",
+  "etc_dir": "/data/etc",
+  "env_dir": "/data/etc/env.d",
+  "config": {"runtime": "php-5.6","extensions": ["phar","json","filter","hash","mongo"],"dev_zend_extensions":{"add":["xdebug"]}}
+}
+END
+}
+
+setup() {
+  # cd into the engine bin dir
+  cd /engine/bin
+}
+
+@test "setup" {
+  # prepare environment (create directories etc)
+  prepare_environment
+
+  # prepare pkgsrc
+  run prepare_pkgsrc
+
+  # create the code_dir
+  mkdir -p /tmp/code
+
+  # copy the app into place
+  cp -ar /test/apps/phpinfo/* /tmp/code
+
+  run pwd
+
+  [ "$output" = "/engine/bin" ]
+}
+
+@test "boxfile" {
+  if [[ ! -f /engine/bin/boxfile ]]; then
+    skip "No boxfile script"
+  fi
+  run /engine/bin/boxfile "$(payload)"
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "build" {
+  if [[ ! -f /engine/bin/build ]]; then
+    skip "No build script"
+  fi
+  run /engine/bin/build "$(payload)"
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+
+  echo "prod"
+  ls /data/etc/php.prod.d
+  echo "dev"
+  ls /data/etc/php.dev.d
+
+  [ ! -f "/data/etc/php.prod.d/xdebug.ini" ]
+  [ -f "/data/etc/php.dev.d/xdebug.ini" ]
+}
+
+@test "compile" {
+  if [[ ! -f /engine/bin/compile ]]; then
+    skip "No compile script"
+  fi
+  run /engine/bin/compile "$(payload)"
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "cleanup" {
+  if [[ ! -f /engine/bin/cleanup ]]; then
+    skip "No cleanup script"
+  fi
+  run /engine/bin/cleanup "$(payload)"
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "release" {
+  if [[ ! -f /engine/bin/release ]]; then
+    skip "No release script"
+  fi
+  run /engine/bin/release "$(payload)"
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [ "$status" -eq 0 ]
+}
+
+@test "verify" {
+  # remove the code dir
+  rm -rf /tmp/code
+
+  # mv the app_dir to code_dir
+  mv /tmp/app /tmp/code
+
+  # cd into the app code_dir
+  cd /tmp/code
+
+  # start php-fpm
+  # /data/bin/start-php &
+
+  # start apache
+  # /data/bin/start-apache &
+  php-server &
+
+  # sleep a few seconds so the server can start
+  sleep 3
+
+  # curl the index
+  run curl -s 127.0.0.1:8080 2>/dev/null
+
+  # kill the server
+  # pkill php-fpm
+  pkill php-server
+
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [[ "$output" =~ "phpinfo()" ]]
+
+  # start php-fpm
+  # APP_NAME=dev /data/bin/start-php &
+  APP_NAME=dev php-server &
+
+  sleep 3
+
+  # curl the index
+  run curl -s 127.0.0.1:8080 2>/dev/null
+
+  # kill the server
+  # pkill php-fpm
+
+  # pkill httpd
+  pkill php-server
+
+  echo "$output"
+
+  [[ "$output" =~ "phpinfo()" ]]
+  [[ "$output" =~ "xdebug" ]]
+}