diff --git a/composer.json b/composer.json
index d54cb119..fc1c7cab 100644
--- a/composer.json
+++ b/composer.json
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
     "keywords": ["socket"],
     "license": "MIT",
     "require": {
-        "php": ">=5.3.0",
+        "php": ">=5.5.0",
         "evenement/evenement": "~2.0|~1.0",
         "react/event-loop": "0.4.*|0.3.*",
         "react/stream": "0.4.*|0.3.*"
diff --git a/src/ConnectionFactory.php b/src/ConnectionFactory.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..909ce72f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ConnectionFactory.php
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+<?php
+
+
+namespace React\Socket;
+
+
+
+use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
+
+class ConnectionFactory
+{
+    /**
+     * @var string The default connection class to use if no entry is found in the map.
+     */
+    protected $defaultDefinition;
+
+    /**
+     * @var array A mapping from stream type to definition. A definition is either a class name or a closure.
+     */
+    protected $map;
+
+    /**
+     * ConnectionFactory constructor.
+     * @param array $map A map, mapping socket types to a connection class. The class may be given as string or closure.
+     * @param string|Closure $defaultDefinition A default class to use if no mapping is found.
+     */
+    public function __construct(array $map = [], $defaultDefinition = Connection::class)
+    {
+        $this->map = $map;
+        $this->defaultDefinition = $defaultDefinition;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @inheritdoc
+     */
+    public function createConnection($socket, LoopInterface $loop)
+    {
+        if (!is_resource($socket)) {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Socket must be of type resource.");
+        }
+
+        $meta = stream_get_meta_data($socket);
+        $key = $meta['stream_type'];
+        $definition = isset($this->map[$key]) ? $this->map[$key] : $this->defaultDefinition;
+        return $this->constructConnection($definition, $socket, $loop);
+
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param string|Closure $definition A class name or \Closure that constructs the desired class.
+     * @param $socket A PHP stream resource.
+     * @param LoopInterface $loop The loop to use as the second argument for the connection constructor / Closure.
+     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException when the definition cannot be resolved.
+     * @throws \UnexpectedValueException when the definition doesn't return an instance of ConnectionInterface.
+     */
+    protected function constructConnection($definition, $socket, LoopInterface $loop)
+    {
+        if (is_string($definition) && class_exists($definition)) {
+            $result = new $definition($socket, $loop);
+        } elseif ($definition instanceof \Closure) {
+            $result = $definition($socket, $loop);
+        } else {
+            throw new \InvalidArgumentException("Definition must either be a class name or a closure.");
+        }
+
+        if (!$result instanceof ConnectionInterface) {
+            throw new \UnexpectedValueException("Result must implement ConnectionInterface");
+        }
+
+        return $result;
+    }
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ConnectionFactoryInterface.php b/src/ConnectionFactoryInterface.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d5355a31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ConnectionFactoryInterface.php
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?php
+
+
+namespace React\Socket;
+
+
+use React\EventLoop\LoopInterface;
+
+interface ConnectionFactoryInterface
+{
+    /**
+     * @param $socket The PHP stream resource.
+     * @param LoopInterface $loop The loop to use for constructing the connection.
+     * @throws \InvalidArgumentException when $socket is not of type resource.
+     * @return ConnectionInterface
+     */
+    public function createConnection($socket, LoopInterface $loop);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/ConnectionInterface.php b/src/ConnectionInterface.php
index 70dd8b1c..72a4cdd8 100644
--- a/src/ConnectionInterface.php
+++ b/src/ConnectionInterface.php
@@ -8,5 +8,8 @@
 
 interface ConnectionInterface extends ReadableStreamInterface, WritableStreamInterface
 {
+    /**
+     * @return string The remote address for the connection.
+     */
     public function getRemoteAddress();
 }
diff --git a/src/Server.php b/src/Server.php
index 76e2cf9b..59e91fda 100644
--- a/src/Server.php
+++ b/src/Server.php
@@ -11,11 +11,26 @@ class Server extends EventEmitter implements ServerInterface
     public $master;
     private $loop;
 
-    public function __construct(LoopInterface $loop)
+    /**
+     * @var ConnectionFactoryInterface
+     */
+    protected $factory;
+
+    /**
+     * Server constructor.
+     * @param LoopInterface $loop
+     * @param ConnectionFactoryInterface|null $factory The factory to use for creating connections.
+     * Uses a default factory if none is passed for backwards compatibility.
+     */
+    public function __construct(LoopInterface $loop, ConnectionFactoryInterface $factory = null)
     {
         $this->loop = $loop;
+        $this->factory = $factory ?: new ConnectionFactory();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @inheritdoc
+     */
     public function listen($port, $host = '127.0.0.1')
     {
         if (strpos($host, ':') !== false) {
@@ -43,6 +58,12 @@ public function listen($port, $host = '127.0.0.1')
         });
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Handles a new connection by configuring the socket,
+     * constructing the connection object and emitting the connection event.
+     * @todo Check if this should be protected instead of public.
+     * @param resource $socket
+     */
     public function handleConnection($socket)
     {
         stream_set_blocking($socket, 0);
@@ -66,8 +87,14 @@ public function shutdown()
         $this->removeAllListeners();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Constructs a connection object given a socket.
+     * @todo Check if this should be protected instead of public.
+     * @param resource $socket The PHP stream resource.
+     * @return ConnectionInterface
+     */
     public function createConnection($socket)
     {
-        return new Connection($socket, $this->loop);
+        return $this->factory->createConnection($socket, $this->loop);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/ServerInterface.php b/src/ServerInterface.php
index 85ab0ed5..4f61fb73 100644
--- a/src/ServerInterface.php
+++ b/src/ServerInterface.php
@@ -7,7 +7,20 @@
 /** Emits the connection event */
 interface ServerInterface extends EventEmitterInterface
 {
+    /**
+     * @param int $port The port number to listen on.
+     * @param string $host The address to bind on.
+     * @return void
+     */
     public function listen($port, $host = '127.0.0.1');
+
+    /**
+     * @return int
+     */
     public function getPort();
+
+    /**
+     * @return void
+     */
     public function shutdown();
 }
diff --git a/tests/ConnectionFactoryTest.php b/tests/ConnectionFactoryTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5e202220
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ConnectionFactoryTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+<?php
+
+namespace React\Tests\Socket;
+
+use React\Socket\Connection;
+use React\Socket\ConnectionFactory;
+use React\Socket\ConnectionInterface;
+use React\Socket\Server;
+use React\EventLoop\StreamSelectLoop;
+use React\Tests\Socket\Stub\ConnectionStub;
+
+class ConnectionFactoryTest extends TestCase
+{
+
+    /**
+     * @covers React\Socket\ConnectionFactory::createConnection
+     */
+    public function testCreateConnection()
+    {
+        $loop   = new StreamSelectLoop();
+
+        $factory = new ConnectionFactory([
+            'MEMORY' => ConnectionStub::class,
+            'STDIO' => Connection::class,
+        ]);
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(ConnectionInterface::class, $factory->createConnection(fopen('php://memory', 'w+'), $loop));
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(ConnectionStub::class, $factory->createConnection(fopen('php://memory', 'w+'), $loop));
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(ConnectionInterface::class, $factory->createConnection(fopen(__FILE__, 'r'), $loop));
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(Connection::class, $factory->createConnection(fopen(__FILE__, 'r'), $loop));
+
+    }
+}