diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 483c2f8b..6f71ee3a 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -36,10 +36,14 @@ class KadDHT {
    * @param {number} options.kBucketSize k-bucket size (default 20)
    * @param {Datastore} options.datastore datastore (default MemoryDatastore)
    * @param {boolean} options.enabledDiscovery enable dht discovery (default true)
+   * @param {object} options.validators validators object with namespace as keys and function(key, record, callback)
+   * @param {object} options.selectors selectors object with namespace as keys and function(key, records)
    */
   constructor (sw, options) {
     assert(sw, 'libp2p-kad-dht requires a instance of Switch')
     options = options || {}
+    options.validators = options.validators
+    options.selectors = options.selectors
 
     /**
      * Local reference to the libp2p-switch instance
@@ -83,8 +87,15 @@ class KadDHT {
      */
     this.providers = new Providers(this.datastore, this.peerInfo.id)
 
-    this.validators = { pk: libp2pRecord.validator.validators.pk }
-    this.selectors = { pk: libp2pRecord.selection.selectors.pk }
+    this.validators = {
+      pk: libp2pRecord.validator.validators.pk,
+      ...options.validators
+    }
+
+    this.selectors = {
+      pk: libp2pRecord.selection.selectors.pk,
+      ...options.selectors
+    }
 
     this.network = new Network(this)
 
diff --git a/test/kad-dht.spec.js b/test/kad-dht.spec.js
index cdb4108d..b75626c5 100644
--- a/test/kad-dht.spec.js
+++ b/test/kad-dht.spec.js
@@ -139,6 +139,29 @@ describe('KadDHT', () => {
     expect(dht).to.have.property('routingTable')
   })
 
+  it('create with validators and selectors', () => {
+    const sw = new Switch(peerInfos[0], new PeerBook())
+    sw.transport.add('tcp', new TCP())
+    sw.connection.addStreamMuxer(Mplex)
+    sw.connection.reuse()
+    const dht = new KadDHT(sw, {
+      validators: {
+        ipns: {
+          func: (key, record, cb) => cb()
+        }
+      },
+      selectors: {
+        ipns: (key, records) => 0
+      }
+    })
+
+    expect(dht).to.have.property('peerInfo').eql(peerInfos[0])
+    expect(dht).to.have.property('switch').eql(sw)
+    expect(dht).to.have.property('routingTable')
+    expect(dht.validators).to.have.property('ipns')
+    expect(dht.selectors).to.have.property('ipns')
+  })
+
   it('should be able to start and stop', function (done) {
     const sw = new Switch(peerInfos[0], new PeerBook())
     sw.transport.add('tcp', new TCP())
@@ -280,6 +303,39 @@ describe('KadDHT', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  it('put - get using key from provided validator and selector', function (done) {
+    this.timeout(10 * 1000)
+    const tdht = new TestDHT()
+
+    tdht.spawn(2, {
+      validators: {
+        ipns: {
+          func: (key, record, cb) => cb()
+        }
+      },
+      selectors: {
+        ipns: (key, records) => 0
+      }
+    }, (err, dhts) => {
+      expect(err).to.not.exist()
+      const dhtA = dhts[0]
+      const dhtB = dhts[1]
+
+      waterfall([
+        (cb) => connect(dhtA, dhtB, cb),
+        (cb) => dhtA.put(Buffer.from('/ipns/hello'), Buffer.from('world'), cb),
+        (cb) => dhtB.get(Buffer.from('/ipns/hello'), { maxTimeout: 1000 }, cb),
+        (res, cb) => {
+          expect(res).to.eql(Buffer.from('world'))
+          cb()
+        }
+      ], (err) => {
+        expect(err).to.not.exist()
+        tdht.teardown(done)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
   it('put - get should fail if unrecognized key prefix in get', function (done) {
     this.timeout(10 * 1000)
     const tdht = new TestDHT()