diff --git a/src/Marten.Testing/Events/CustomAggregatorLookupTests.cs b/src/Marten.Testing/Events/CustomAggregatorLookupTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..5dd72e252c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Marten.Testing/Events/CustomAggregatorLookupTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+using System;
+using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Reflection;
+using Baseline;
+using Marten.Events;
+using Marten.Events.Projections;
+using Marten.Util;
+using Shouldly;
+using Xunit;
+
+namespace Marten.Testing.Events
+{
+    public class CustomAggregatorLookupTests
+    {
+        private readonly EventGraph theGraph = new EventGraph(new StoreOptions());
+
+        public CustomAggregatorLookupTests()
+        {
+            theGraph.UseAggregatorLookup(new AggregatorLookup(type => typeof(AggregatorUsePrivateApply<>).CloseAndBuildAs<IAggregator>(type)));
+        }
+
+        [Fact]
+        public void can_lookup_private_apply_methods()
+        {
+            var aggregator = theGraph.AggregateFor<AggregateWithPrivateEventApply>();
+
+            var stream = new EventStream(Guid.NewGuid(), false)
+                .Add(new QuestStarted {Name = "Destroy the Ring"});                
+
+            var party = aggregator.Build(stream.Events, null);
+
+            party.Name.ShouldBe("Destroy the Ring");
+        }      
+    }
+
+    public class AggregatorUsePrivateApply<T> : IAggregator<T> where T : class, new()
+    {
+        public static readonly string ApplyMethod = "Apply";
+
+        private readonly IDictionary<Type, object> _aggregations = new Dictionary<Type, object>();
+
+
+        public AggregatorUsePrivateApply()
+        {
+            typeof(T).GetMethods(BindingFlags.Instance | BindingFlags.NonPublic)
+                .Where(x => x.Name == ApplyMethod && x.GetParameters().Length == 1)
+                .Each(method =>
+                {
+                    var eventType = method.GetParameters().Single<ParameterInfo>().ParameterType;
+                    var step = typeof(AggregationStep<,>)
+                        .CloseAndBuildAs<object>(method, typeof(T), eventType);
+
+                    _aggregations.Add(eventType, step);
+                });
+
+            Alias = typeof(T).Name.ToTableAlias();
+        }
+
+        public Type AggregateType => typeof(T);
+
+        public string Alias { get; }
+
+        public T Build(IEnumerable<IEvent> events, IDocumentSession session)
+        {
+            var state = new T();
+
+            events.Each(x => x.Apply(state, this));
+
+            return state;
+        }
+
+        public Type[] EventTypes => _aggregations.Keys.ToArray();
+
+        public AggregatorUsePrivateApply<T> Add<TEvent>(IAggregation<T, TEvent> aggregation)
+        {
+            if (_aggregations.ContainsKey(typeof(TEvent)))
+            {
+                _aggregations[typeof(TEvent)] = aggregation;
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                _aggregations.Add(typeof(TEvent), aggregation);
+            }
+
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        public AggregatorUsePrivateApply<T> Add<TEvent>(Action<T, TEvent> application)
+        {
+            return Add(new AggregationStep<T, TEvent>(application));
+        }
+
+        public IAggregation<T, TEvent> AggregatorFor<TEvent>()
+        {
+            return _aggregations.ContainsKey(typeof(TEvent))
+                ? _aggregations[typeof(TEvent)].As<IAggregation<T, TEvent>>()
+                : null;
+        }
+
+
+        public bool AppliesTo(EventStream stream)
+        {
+            return stream.Events.Any(x => _aggregations.ContainsKey(x.Data.GetType()));
+        }
+    }
+
+    public class AggregateWithPrivateEventApply
+    {
+        public Guid Id { get; set; }
+        
+        private void Apply(QuestStarted started)
+        {
+            Name = started.Name;
+        }
+
+        public string Name { get; private set; }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/EventGraph.cs b/src/Marten/Events/EventGraph.cs
index b4a3a455a4..cbd499f7ce 100644
--- a/src/Marten/Events/EventGraph.cs
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/EventGraph.cs
@@ -19,12 +19,13 @@ public class EventGraph
         private readonly ConcurrentCache<string, EventMapping> _byEventName = new ConcurrentCache<string, EventMapping>();
         private readonly ConcurrentCache<Type, EventMapping> _events = new ConcurrentCache<Type, EventMapping>();
 
-
+        private IAggregatorLookup _aggregatorLookup;
         private string _databaseSchemaName;
 
         public EventGraph(StoreOptions options)
         {
             Options = options;
+            _aggregatorLookup = new AggregatorLookup();
             _events.OnMissing = eventType =>
             {
                 var mapping = typeof(EventMapping<>).CloseAndBuildAs<EventMapping>(this, eventType);
@@ -38,7 +39,7 @@ public EventGraph(StoreOptions options)
             SchemaObjects = new EventStoreDatabaseObjects(this);
 
             InlineProjections = new ProjectionCollection(options);
-            AsyncProjections = new ProjectionCollection(options);
+            AsyncProjections = new ProjectionCollection(options);            
         }
 
         internal StoreOptions Options { get; }
@@ -104,7 +105,7 @@ public string DatabaseSchemaName
                 .GetOrAdd(typeof(T), type =>
                 {
                     Options.MappingFor(typeof(T));
-                    return new Aggregator<T>();
+                    return _aggregatorLookup.Lookup<T>();
                 })
                 .As<IAggregator<T>>();
         }
@@ -124,12 +125,21 @@ public Type AggregateTypeFor(string aggregateTypeName)
         public string AggregateAliasFor(Type aggregateType)
         {
             return _aggregates
-                .GetOrAdd(aggregateType, type => typeof(Aggregator<>).CloseAndBuildAs<IAggregator>(aggregateType)).Alias;
+                .GetOrAdd(aggregateType, type => _aggregatorLookup.Lookup(type)).Alias;
         }
 
         public IProjection ProjectionFor(Type viewType)
         {
             return AsyncProjections.ForView(viewType) ?? InlineProjections.ForView(viewType);
         }
+
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Set default strategy to lookup IAggregator when no explicit IAggregator registration exists. 
+        /// </summary>
+        /// <remarks>Unless called, <see cref="AggregatorLookup"/> is used</remarks>
+        public void UseAggregatorLookup(IAggregatorLookup aggregatorLookup)
+        {
+            _aggregatorLookup = aggregatorLookup;
+        }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Projections/AggregatorLookup.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Projections/AggregatorLookup.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..57541401fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Projections/AggregatorLookup.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+using System;
+using Baseline;
+
+namespace Marten.Events.Projections
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Default IAggregator lookup strategy. Defaults to <see cref="Aggregator{T}"/>
+    /// </summary>    
+    public sealed class AggregatorLookup : IAggregatorLookup
+    {
+        private readonly Func<Type, IAggregator> factory;
+        
+        /// <param name="factory">Factory for resolving IAggregator for the supplied type</param>        
+        public AggregatorLookup(Func<Type, IAggregator> factory = null)
+        {
+            this.factory = factory;
+        }
+
+        public IAggregator<T> Lookup<T>() where T : class, new()
+        {
+            // trade null check for the cost of using default factory with Activator.CreateInstance
+            return (IAggregator<T>)factory?.Invoke(typeof(T)) ?? new Aggregator<T>();
+        }
+
+        public IAggregator Lookup(Type aggregateType)
+        {
+            return factory?.Invoke(aggregateType) ?? typeof(Aggregator<>).CloseAndBuildAs<IAggregator>(aggregateType);
+        }
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/Marten/Events/Projections/IAggregatorLookup.cs b/src/Marten/Events/Projections/IAggregatorLookup.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c36b294b14
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Marten/Events/Projections/IAggregatorLookup.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+using System;
+
+namespace Marten.Events.Projections
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Used by <see cref="EventGraph"/> to resolve IAggregator when no explicit IAggregator registration exists
+    /// </summary>    
+    public interface IAggregatorLookup
+    {
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Resolve aggregator for T
+        /// </summary>        
+        IAggregator<T> Lookup<T>() where T : class, new();
+        /// <summary>
+        /// Resolve aggregator for aggregateType
+        /// </summary>        
+        IAggregator Lookup(Type aggregateType);
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file