diff --git a/src/internal/sio_client_impl.cpp b/src/internal/sio_client_impl.cpp
index 3cd98da8..91dad3d6 100644
--- a/src/internal/sio_client_impl.cpp
+++ b/src/internal/sio_client_impl.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ using namespace std;
 namespace sio
 {
     /*************************public:*************************/
-    client_impl::client_impl() :
+    client_impl::client_impl(client_options const& options) :
         m_ping_interval(0),
         m_ping_timeout(0),
         m_network_thread(),
@@ -47,7 +47,11 @@ namespace sio
         m_client.set_access_channels(alevel::connect|alevel::disconnect|alevel::app);
 #endif
         // Initialize the Asio transport policy
-        m_client.init_asio();
+        if (options.io_context != nullptr) {
+            m_client.init_asio(options.io_context);
+        } else {
+            m_client.init_asio();
+        }
 
         // Bind the clients we are using
         using std::placeholders::_1;
diff --git a/src/internal/sio_client_impl.h b/src/internal/sio_client_impl.h
index 3cd82a0d..f4f02aa5 100644
--- a/src/internal/sio_client_impl.h
+++ b/src/internal/sio_client_impl.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ namespace sio
             con_closed
         };
         
-        client_impl();
+        client_impl(client_options const& options);
         
         ~client_impl();
         
diff --git a/src/sio_client.cpp b/src/sio_client.cpp
index b3fa7765..1cdb7f7c 100644
--- a/src/sio_client.cpp
+++ b/src/sio_client.cpp
@@ -12,8 +12,10 @@ using std::stringstream;
 
 namespace sio
 {
-    client::client():
-        m_impl(new client_impl())
+    client::client() : m_impl(new client_impl({})) {}
+    
+    client::client(client_options const& options):
+        m_impl(new client_impl(options))
     {
     }
     
diff --git a/src/sio_client.h b/src/sio_client.h
index 821164aa..a8cbb9fe 100644
--- a/src/sio_client.h
+++ b/src/sio_client.h
@@ -11,9 +11,17 @@
 #include "sio_message.h"
 #include "sio_socket.h"
 
+namespace asio {
+    class io_context;
+}
+
 namespace sio
 {
     class client_impl;
+
+    struct client_options {
+        asio::io_context* io_context = nullptr;
+    };
     
     class client {
     public:
@@ -32,6 +40,7 @@ namespace sio
         typedef std::function<void(std::string const& nsp)> socket_listener;
         
         client();
+        client(client_options const& options);
         ~client();
         
         //set listeners and event bindings.