diff --git a/lib/Server.js b/lib/Server.js
index 1c58eaea43..28986dfdaa 100644
--- a/lib/Server.js
+++ b/lib/Server.js
@@ -54,8 +54,6 @@ class Server {
 
     validateOptions(schema, options, 'webpack Dev Server');
 
-    updateCompiler(compiler, options);
-
     this.compiler = compiler;
     this.options = options;
 
@@ -67,6 +65,7 @@ class Server {
 
     this.log = _log || createLogger(options);
 
+    // set serverMode default
     if (this.options.serverMode === undefined) {
       this.options.serverMode = 'sockjs';
     } else {
@@ -74,6 +73,16 @@ class Server {
         'serverMode is an experimental option, meaning its usage could potentially change without warning'
       );
     }
+    // set clientMode default
+    if (this.options.clientMode === undefined) {
+      this.options.clientMode = 'sockjs';
+    } else {
+      this.log.warn(
+        'clientMode is an experimental option, meaning its usage could potentially change without warning'
+      );
+    }
+
+    updateCompiler(this.compiler, this.options);
 
     // this.SocketServerImplementation is a class, so it must be instantiated before use
     this.socketServerImplementation = getSocketServerImplementation(
diff --git a/lib/options.json b/lib/options.json
index 349973498b..f410e4927b 100644
--- a/lib/options.json
+++ b/lib/options.json
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@
         "warning"
       ]
     },
+    "clientMode": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
     "compress": {
       "type": "boolean"
     },
@@ -390,6 +393,7 @@
       "ca": "should be {String|Buffer}",
       "cert": "should be {String|Buffer}",
       "clientLogLevel": "should be {String} and equal to one of the allowed values\n\n [ 'none', 'silent', 'info', 'debug', 'trace', 'error', 'warning', 'warn' ]\n\n (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverclientloglevel)",
+      "clientMode": "should be {String} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverclientmode)",
       "compress": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devservercompress)",
       "contentBase": "should be {Number|String|Array} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devservercontentbase)",
       "disableHostCheck": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverdisablehostcheck)",
@@ -430,7 +434,7 @@
       "reporter": "should be {Function} (https://github.com/webpack/webpack-dev-middleware#reporter)",
       "requestCert": "should be {Boolean}",
       "serveIndex": "should be {Boolean} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverserveindex)",
-      "serverMode": "should be {String|Function} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverservermode-)",
+      "serverMode": "should be {String|Function} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserverservermode)",
       "serverSideRender": "should be {Boolean} (https://github.com/webpack/webpack-dev-middleware#serversiderender)",
       "setup": "should be {Function} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserversetup)",
       "sockHost": "should be {String|Null} (https://webpack.js.org/configuration/dev-server/#devserversockhost)",
diff --git a/lib/utils/getSocketClientPath.js b/lib/utils/getSocketClientPath.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..950d07802a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/getSocketClientPath.js
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+'use strict';
+
+function getSocketClientPath(options) {
+  let ClientImplementation;
+  let clientImplFound = true;
+  switch (typeof options.clientMode) {
+    case 'string':
+      // could be 'sockjs', in the future 'ws', or a path that should be required
+      if (options.clientMode === 'sockjs') {
+        // eslint-disable-next-line global-require
+        ClientImplementation = require('../../client/clients/SockJSClient');
+      } else {
+        try {
+          // eslint-disable-next-line global-require, import/no-dynamic-require
+          ClientImplementation = require(options.clientMode);
+        } catch (e) {
+          clientImplFound = false;
+        }
+      }
+      break;
+    default:
+      clientImplFound = false;
+  }
+
+  if (!clientImplFound) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "clientMode must be a string denoting a default implementation (e.g. 'sockjs') or a full path to " +
+        'a JS file which exports a class extending BaseClient (webpack-dev-server/client-src/clients/BaseClient) ' +
+        'via require.resolve(...)'
+    );
+  }
+
+  return ClientImplementation.getClientPath(options);
+}
+
+module.exports = getSocketClientPath;
diff --git a/lib/utils/updateCompiler.js b/lib/utils/updateCompiler.js
index 60e7ff8a5a..9f701e81b4 100644
--- a/lib/utils/updateCompiler.js
+++ b/lib/utils/updateCompiler.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 */
 const webpack = require('webpack');
 const addEntries = require('./addEntries');
+const getSocketClientPath = require('./getSocketClientPath');
 
 function updateCompiler(compiler, options) {
   if (options.inline !== false) {
@@ -50,10 +51,7 @@ function updateCompiler(compiler, options) {
       compiler.hooks.entryOption.call(config.context, config.entry);
 
       const providePlugin = new webpack.ProvidePlugin({
-        // SockJSClient.getClientPath(options)
-        __webpack_dev_server_client__: require.resolve(
-          '../../client/clients/SockJSClient.js'
-        ),
+        __webpack_dev_server_client__: getSocketClientPath(options),
       });
       providePlugin.apply(compiler);
     });
diff --git a/test/e2e/ClientMode.test.js b/test/e2e/ClientMode.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8f7b5d7a54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/ClientMode.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const testServer = require('../helpers/test-server');
+const config = require('../fixtures/client-config/webpack.config');
+const runBrowser = require('../helpers/run-browser');
+const port = require('../ports-map').ClientMode;
+
+describe('clientMode', () => {
+  describe('sockjs', () => {
+    beforeAll((done) => {
+      const options = {
+        port,
+        host: '0.0.0.0',
+        inline: true,
+        clientMode: 'sockjs',
+      };
+      testServer.startAwaitingCompilation(config, options, done);
+    });
+
+    describe('on browser client', () => {
+      it('logs as usual', (done) => {
+        runBrowser().then(({ page, browser }) => {
+          const res = [];
+          page.goto(`http://localhost:${port}/main`);
+          page.on('console', ({ _text }) => {
+            res.push(_text);
+          });
+
+          setTimeout(() => {
+            testServer.close(() => {
+              // make sure the client gets the close message
+              setTimeout(() => {
+                browser.close().then(() => {
+                  expect(res).toMatchSnapshot();
+                  done();
+                });
+              }, 1000);
+            });
+          }, 3000);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('custom client', () => {
+    beforeAll((done) => {
+      const options = {
+        port,
+        host: '0.0.0.0',
+        inline: true,
+        clientMode: require.resolve(
+          '../fixtures/custom-client/CustomSockJSClient'
+        ),
+      };
+      testServer.startAwaitingCompilation(config, options, done);
+    });
+
+    describe('on browser client', () => {
+      it('logs additional messages to console', (done) => {
+        runBrowser().then(({ page, browser }) => {
+          const res = [];
+          page.goto(`http://localhost:${port}/main`);
+          page.on('console', ({ _text }) => {
+            res.push(_text);
+          });
+
+          setTimeout(() => {
+            testServer.close(() => {
+              // make sure the client gets the close message
+              setTimeout(() => {
+                browser.close().then(() => {
+                  expect(res).toMatchSnapshot();
+                  done();
+                });
+              }, 1000);
+            });
+          }, 3000);
+        });
+      });
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/test/e2e/__snapshots__/ClientMode.test.js.snap b/test/e2e/__snapshots__/ClientMode.test.js.snap
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e7517d8b16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/__snapshots__/ClientMode.test.js.snap
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// Jest Snapshot v1, https://goo.gl/fbAQLP
+
+exports[`clientMode custom client on browser client logs additional messages to console 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "Hey.",
+  "open",
+  "liveReload",
+  "[WDS] Live Reloading enabled.",
+  "hash",
+  "ok",
+  "close",
+  "[WDS] Disconnected!",
+]
+`;
+
+exports[`clientMode sockjs on browser client logs as usual 1`] = `
+Array [
+  "Hey.",
+  "[WDS] Live Reloading enabled.",
+  "[WDS] Disconnected!",
+]
+`;
diff --git a/test/fixtures/custom-client/CustomSockJSClient.js b/test/fixtures/custom-client/CustomSockJSClient.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8412abeba7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/fixtures/custom-client/CustomSockJSClient.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+'use strict';
+
+/* eslint-disable
+  no-unused-vars
+*/
+const SockJS = require('sockjs-client/dist/sockjs');
+const BaseClient = require('../../../client/clients/BaseClient');
+
+module.exports = class SockJSClient extends BaseClient {
+  constructor(url) {
+    super();
+    this.sock = new SockJS(url);
+  }
+
+  static getClientPath(options) {
+    return require.resolve('./CustomSockJSClient');
+  }
+
+  onOpen(f) {
+    this.sock.onopen = () => {
+      console.log('open');
+      f();
+    };
+  }
+
+  onClose(f) {
+    this.sock.onclose = () => {
+      console.log('close');
+      f();
+    };
+  }
+
+  // call f with the message string as the first argument
+  onMessage(f) {
+    this.sock.onmessage = (e) => {
+      const obj = JSON.parse(e.data);
+      console.log(obj.type);
+      f(e.data);
+    };
+  }
+};
diff --git a/test/options.test.js b/test/options.test.js
index 7e59879bb0..3ba18e17f7 100644
--- a/test/options.test.js
+++ b/test/options.test.js
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ describe('options', () => {
         ],
         failure: ['whoops!'],
       },
+      clientMode: {
+        success: ['sockjs', require.resolve('../client/clients/SockJSClient')],
+        failure: [false],
+      },
       compress: {
         success: [true],
         failure: [''],
diff --git a/test/ports-map.js b/test/ports-map.js
index d8db8aab20..5031f898be 100644
--- a/test/ports-map.js
+++ b/test/ports-map.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 // test-file-name: the number of ports
+// important: new port mappings must be added to the bottom of this list
 const portsList = {
   cli: 2,
   sockJSClient: 1,
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@ const portsList = {
   ProvidePlugin: 1,
   WebsocketClient: 1,
   WebsocketServer: 1,
+  ClientMode: 1,
 };
 
 let startPort = 8079;
diff --git a/test/server/utils/getSocketClientPath.test.js b/test/server/utils/getSocketClientPath.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4eef174189
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/server/utils/getSocketClientPath.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const getSocketClientPath = require('../../../lib/utils/getSocketClientPath');
+// 'npm run prepare' must be done for this test to pass
+const sockjsClientPath = require.resolve(
+  '../../../client/clients/SockJSClient'
+);
+const baseClientPath = require.resolve('../../../client/clients/BaseClient');
+
+describe('getSocketClientPath', () => {
+  it("should work with clientMode: 'sockjs'", () => {
+    let result;
+
+    expect(() => {
+      result = getSocketClientPath({
+        clientMode: 'sockjs',
+      });
+    }).not.toThrow();
+
+    expect(result).toEqual(sockjsClientPath);
+  });
+
+  it('should work with clientMode: SockJSClient full path', () => {
+    let result;
+
+    expect(() => {
+      result = getSocketClientPath({
+        clientMode: sockjsClientPath,
+      });
+    }).not.toThrow();
+
+    expect(result).toEqual(sockjsClientPath);
+  });
+
+  it('should throw with clientMode: bad path', () => {
+    expect(() => {
+      getSocketClientPath({
+        clientMode: '/bad/path/to/implementation',
+      });
+    }).toThrow(/clientMode must be a string/);
+  });
+
+  it('should throw with clientMode: unimplemented client', () => {
+    expect(() => {
+      getSocketClientPath({
+        clientMode: baseClientPath,
+      });
+    }).toThrow('Client needs implementation');
+  });
+});