diff --git a/baseapp/baseapp.go b/baseapp/baseapp.go
index 46f3e2649907..bd58fd7ff684 100644
--- a/baseapp/baseapp.go
+++ b/baseapp/baseapp.go
@@ -221,6 +221,11 @@ func (app *BaseApp) LoadLatestVersion(baseKey *sdk.KVStoreKey) error {
 	return app.initFromMainStore(baseKey)
 }
 
+// WithRouter adds a new custom Router definition to the BaseApp
+func (app *BaseApp) WithRouter(rtr sdk.Router) {
+	app.router = rtr
+}
+
 // DefaultStoreLoader will be used by default and loads the latest version
 func DefaultStoreLoader(ms sdk.CommitMultiStore) error {
 	return ms.LoadLatestVersion()
@@ -654,7 +659,7 @@ func (app *BaseApp) runMsgs(ctx sdk.Context, msgs []sdk.Msg, mode runTxMode) (*s
 		}
 
 		msgRoute := msg.Route()
-		handler := app.router.Route(msgRoute)
+		handler := app.router.Route(ctx, msgRoute)
 		if handler == nil {
 			return nil, sdkerrors.Wrapf(sdkerrors.ErrUnknownRequest, "unrecognized message route: %s; message index: %d", msgRoute, i)
 		}
diff --git a/baseapp/baseapp_test.go b/baseapp/baseapp_test.go
index 01996e27ef40..2d586991bf61 100644
--- a/baseapp/baseapp_test.go
+++ b/baseapp/baseapp_test.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"sync"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
@@ -1443,3 +1444,64 @@ func TestGetMaximumBlockGas(t *testing.T) {
 	app.setConsensusParams(&abci.ConsensusParams{Block: &abci.BlockParams{MaxGas: -5000000}})
 	require.Panics(t, func() { app.getMaximumBlockGas() })
 }
+
+// NOTE: represents a new custom router for testing purposes of WithRouter()
+type testCustomRouter struct {
+	routes sync.Map
+}
+
+func (rtr *testCustomRouter) AddRoute(path string, h sdk.Handler) sdk.Router {
+	rtr.routes.Store(path, h)
+	return rtr
+}
+
+func (rtr *testCustomRouter) Route(ctx sdk.Context, path string) sdk.Handler {
+	if v, ok := rtr.routes.Load(path); ok {
+		if h, ok := v.(sdk.Handler); ok {
+			return h
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func TestWithRouter(t *testing.T) {
+	// test increments in the ante
+	anteKey := []byte("ante-key")
+	anteOpt := func(bapp *BaseApp) { bapp.SetAnteHandler(anteHandlerTxTest(t, capKey1, anteKey)) }
+
+	// test increments in the handler
+	deliverKey := []byte("deliver-key")
+	routerOpt := func(bapp *BaseApp) {
+		bapp.WithRouter(&testCustomRouter{routes: sync.Map{}})
+		bapp.Router().AddRoute(routeMsgCounter, handlerMsgCounter(t, capKey1, deliverKey))
+	}
+
+	app := setupBaseApp(t, anteOpt, routerOpt)
+	app.InitChain(abci.RequestInitChain{})
+
+	// Create same codec used in txDecoder
+	codec := codec.New()
+	registerTestCodec(codec)
+
+	nBlocks := 3
+	txPerHeight := 5
+
+	for blockN := 0; blockN < nBlocks; blockN++ {
+		header := abci.Header{Height: int64(blockN) + 1}
+		app.BeginBlock(abci.RequestBeginBlock{Header: header})
+
+		for i := 0; i < txPerHeight; i++ {
+			counter := int64(blockN*txPerHeight + i)
+			tx := newTxCounter(counter, counter)
+
+			txBytes, err := codec.MarshalBinaryLengthPrefixed(tx)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			res := app.DeliverTx(abci.RequestDeliverTx{Tx: txBytes})
+			require.True(t, res.IsOK(), fmt.Sprintf("%v", res))
+		}
+
+		app.EndBlock(abci.RequestEndBlock{})
+		app.Commit()
+	}
+}
diff --git a/baseapp/router.go b/baseapp/router.go
index 96386e6eddca..382f4f4be95f 100644
--- a/baseapp/router.go
+++ b/baseapp/router.go
@@ -36,6 +36,6 @@ func (rtr *Router) AddRoute(path string, h sdk.Handler) sdk.Router {
 // Route returns a handler for a given route path.
 //
 // TODO: Handle expressive matches.
-func (rtr *Router) Route(path string) sdk.Handler {
+func (rtr *Router) Route(ctx sdk.Context, path string) sdk.Handler {
 	return rtr.routes[path]
 }
diff --git a/baseapp/router_test.go b/baseapp/router_test.go
index 1a6d999bcce6..86b727568d5d 100644
--- a/baseapp/router_test.go
+++ b/baseapp/router_test.go
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ func TestRouter(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	rtr.AddRoute("testRoute", testHandler)
-	h := rtr.Route("testRoute")
+	h := rtr.Route(sdk.Context{}, "testRoute")
 	require.NotNil(t, h)
 
 	// require panic on duplicate route
diff --git a/types/router.go b/types/router.go
index c14255d4ec76..f3593f5530ff 100644
--- a/types/router.go
+++ b/types/router.go
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ var IsAlphaNumeric = regexp.MustCompile(`^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$`).MatchString
 // Router provides handlers for each transaction type.
 type Router interface {
 	AddRoute(r string, h Handler) Router
-	Route(path string) Handler
+	Route(ctx Context, path string) Handler
 }
 
 // QueryRouter provides queryables for each query path.