diff --git a/django/contrib/postgres/fields/jsonb.py b/django/contrib/postgres/fields/jsonb.py
index ae83d9e379..e333f30619 100644
--- a/django/contrib/postgres/fields/jsonb.py
+++ b/django/contrib/postgres/fields/jsonb.py
@@ -10,6 +10,19 @@ from django.utils.translation import ugettext_lazy as _
 __all__ = ['JSONField']
 
 
+class JsonAdapter(Json):
+    """
+    Customized psycopg2.extras.Json to allow for a custom encoder.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, adapted, dumps=None, encoder=None):
+        self.encoder = encoder
+        super(JsonAdapter, self).__init__(adapted, dumps=dumps)
+
+    def dumps(self, obj):
+        options = {'cls': self.encoder} if self.encoder else {}
+        return json.dumps(obj, **options)
+
+
 class JSONField(Field):
     empty_strings_allowed = False
     description = _('A JSON object')
@@ -17,9 +30,21 @@ class JSONField(Field):
         'invalid': _("Value must be valid JSON."),
     }
 
+    def __init__(self, verbose_name=None, name=None, encoder=None, **kwargs):
+        if encoder and not callable(encoder):
+            raise ValueError("The encoder parameter must be a callable object.")
+        self.encoder = encoder
+        super(JSONField, self).__init__(verbose_name, name, **kwargs)
+
     def db_type(self, connection):
         return 'jsonb'
 
+    def deconstruct(self):
+        name, path, args, kwargs = super(JSONField, self).deconstruct()
+        if self.encoder is not None:
+            kwargs['encoder'] = self.encoder
+        return name, path, args, kwargs
+
     def get_transform(self, name):
         transform = super(JSONField, self).get_transform(name)
         if transform:
@@ -28,13 +53,14 @@ class JSONField(Field):
 
     def get_prep_value(self, value):
         if value is not None:
-            return Json(value)
+            return JsonAdapter(value, encoder=self.encoder)
         return value
 
     def validate(self, value, model_instance):
         super(JSONField, self).validate(value, model_instance)
+        options = {'cls': self.encoder} if self.encoder else {}
         try:
-            json.dumps(value)
+            json.dumps(value, **options)
         except TypeError:
             raise exceptions.ValidationError(
                 self.error_messages['invalid'],
diff --git a/docs/ref/contrib/postgres/fields.txt b/docs/ref/contrib/postgres/fields.txt
index fdb69a7370..3d22b13577 100644
--- a/docs/ref/contrib/postgres/fields.txt
+++ b/docs/ref/contrib/postgres/fields.txt
@@ -458,17 +458,32 @@ using in conjunction with lookups on
 ``JSONField``
 =============
 
-.. class:: JSONField(**options)
+.. class:: JSONField(encoder=None, **options)
 
     A field for storing JSON encoded data. In Python the data is represented in
     its Python native format: dictionaries, lists, strings, numbers, booleans
     and ``None``.
 
-    If you want to store other data types, you'll need to serialize them first.
-    For example, you might cast a ``datetime`` to a string. You might also want
-    to convert the string back to a ``datetime`` when you retrieve the data
-    from the database. There are some third-party ``JSONField`` implementations
-    which do this sort of thing automatically.
+    .. attribute:: encoder
+
+        .. versionadded:: 1.11
+
+        An optional JSON-encoding class to serialize data types not supported
+        by the standard JSON serializer (``datetime``, ``uuid``, etc.). For
+        example, you can use the
+        :class:`~django.core.serializers.json.DjangoJSONEncoder` class or any
+        other :py:class:`json.JSONEncoder` subclass.
+
+        When the value is retrieved from the database, it will be in the format
+        chosen by the custom encoder (most often a string), so you'll need to
+        take extra steps to convert the value back to the initial data type
+        (:meth:`Model.from_db() <django.db.models.Model.from_db>` and
+        :meth:`Field.from_db_value() <django.db.models.Field.from_db_value>`
+        are two possible hooks for that purpose). Your deserialization may need
+        to account for the fact that you can't be certain of the input type.
+        For example, you run the risk of returning a ``datetime`` that was
+        actually a string that just happened to be in the same format chosen
+        for ``datetime``\s.
 
     If you give the field a :attr:`~django.db.models.Field.default`, ensure
     it's a callable such as ``dict`` (for an empty default) or a callable that
diff --git a/docs/releases/1.11.txt b/docs/releases/1.11.txt
index f50b000016..7d9af8d132 100644
--- a/docs/releases/1.11.txt
+++ b/docs/releases/1.11.txt
@@ -129,6 +129,10 @@ Minor features
 * The new :class:`~django.contrib.postgres.indexes.GinIndex` class allows
   creating gin indexes in the database.
 
+* :class:`~django.contrib.postgres.fields.JSONField` accepts a new ``encoder``
+  parameter to specify a custom class to encode data types not supported by the
+  standard encoder.
+
 :mod:`django.contrib.redirects`
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
diff --git a/tests/postgres_tests/fields.py b/tests/postgres_tests/fields.py
index d50c6d6a91..c02bc2faf4 100644
--- a/tests/postgres_tests/fields.py
+++ b/tests/postgres_tests/fields.py
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ except ImportError:
             })
             return name, path, args, kwargs
 
+    class DummyJSONField(models.Field):
+        def __init__(self, encoder=None, **kwargs):
+            super(DummyJSONField, self).__init__(**kwargs)
+
     ArrayField = DummyArrayField
     BigIntegerRangeField = models.Field
     DateRangeField = models.Field
@@ -30,5 +34,5 @@ except ImportError:
     FloatRangeField = models.Field
     HStoreField = models.Field
     IntegerRangeField = models.Field
-    JSONField = models.Field
+    JSONField = DummyJSONField
     SearchVectorField = models.Field
diff --git a/tests/postgres_tests/migrations/0002_create_test_models.py b/tests/postgres_tests/migrations/0002_create_test_models.py
index 69c5b17f77..974aae1ec8 100644
--- a/tests/postgres_tests/migrations/0002_create_test_models.py
+++ b/tests/postgres_tests/migrations/0002_create_test_models.py
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 from __future__ import unicode_literals
 
+from django.core.serializers.json import DjangoJSONEncoder
 from django.db import migrations, models
 
 from ..fields import (
@@ -223,6 +224,7 @@ class Migration(migrations.Migration):
             fields=[
                 ('id', models.AutoField(verbose_name='ID', serialize=False, auto_created=True, primary_key=True)),
                 ('field', JSONField(null=True, blank=True)),
+                ('field_custom', JSONField(null=True, blank=True, encoder=DjangoJSONEncoder)),
             ],
             options={
             },
diff --git a/tests/postgres_tests/models.py b/tests/postgres_tests/models.py
index d94eb90d4a..52dbc0335c 100644
--- a/tests/postgres_tests/models.py
+++ b/tests/postgres_tests/models.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+from django.core.serializers.json import DjangoJSONEncoder
 from django.db import connection, models
 
 from .fields import (
@@ -132,6 +133,7 @@ class RangeLookupsModel(PostgreSQLModel):
 if connection.vendor == 'postgresql' and connection.pg_version >= 90400:
     class JSONModel(models.Model):
         field = JSONField(blank=True, null=True)
+        field_custom = JSONField(blank=True, null=True, encoder=DjangoJSONEncoder)
 else:
     # create an object with this name so we don't have failing imports
     class JSONModel(object):
diff --git a/tests/postgres_tests/test_json.py b/tests/postgres_tests/test_json.py
index b88d103761..fd4db7fae4 100644
--- a/tests/postgres_tests/test_json.py
+++ b/tests/postgres_tests/test_json.py
@@ -1,7 +1,12 @@
+from __future__ import unicode_literals
+
 import datetime
 import unittest
+import uuid
+from decimal import Decimal
 
 from django.core import exceptions, serializers
+from django.core.serializers.json import DjangoJSONEncoder
 from django.db import connection
 from django.forms import CharField, Form, widgets
 from django.test import TestCase
@@ -79,6 +84,27 @@ class TestSaveLoad(TestCase):
         loaded = JSONModel.objects.get()
         self.assertEqual(loaded.field, obj)
 
+    def test_custom_encoding(self):
+        """
+        JSONModel.field_custom has a custom DjangoJSONEncoder.
+        """
+        some_uuid = uuid.uuid4()
+        obj_before = {
+            'date': datetime.date(2016, 8, 12),
+            'datetime': datetime.datetime(2016, 8, 12, 13, 44, 47, 575981),
+            'decimal': Decimal('10.54'),
+            'uuid': some_uuid,
+        }
+        obj_after = {
+            'date': '2016-08-12',
+            'datetime': '2016-08-12T13:44:47.575',
+            'decimal': '10.54',
+            'uuid': str(some_uuid),
+        }
+        JSONModel.objects.create(field_custom=obj_before)
+        loaded = JSONModel.objects.get()
+        self.assertEqual(loaded.field_custom, obj_after)
+
 
 @skipUnlessPG94
 class TestQuerying(TestCase):
@@ -215,7 +241,10 @@ class TestQuerying(TestCase):
 
 @skipUnlessPG94
 class TestSerialization(TestCase):
-    test_data = '[{"fields": {"field": {"a": "b", "c": null}}, "model": "postgres_tests.jsonmodel", "pk": null}]'
+    test_data = (
+        '[{"fields": {"field": {"a": "b", "c": null}, "field_custom": null}, '
+        '"model": "postgres_tests.jsonmodel", "pk": null}]'
+    )
 
     def test_dumping(self):
         instance = JSONModel(field={'a': 'b', 'c': None})
@@ -236,6 +265,12 @@ class TestValidation(PostgreSQLTestCase):
         self.assertEqual(cm.exception.code, 'invalid')
         self.assertEqual(cm.exception.message % cm.exception.params, "Value must be valid JSON.")
 
+    def test_custom_encoder(self):
+        with self.assertRaisesMessage(ValueError, "The encoder parameter must be a callable object."):
+            field = JSONField(encoder=DjangoJSONEncoder())
+        field = JSONField(encoder=DjangoJSONEncoder)
+        self.assertEqual(field.clean(datetime.timedelta(days=1), None), datetime.timedelta(days=1))
+
 
 class TestFormField(PostgreSQLTestCase):