diff --git a/VERSION_HISTORY.md b/VERSION_HISTORY.md
index 14f7279..6370298 100644
--- a/VERSION_HISTORY.md
+++ b/VERSION_HISTORY.md
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
 
 * Added method `ParseUnverified` to allow users to split up the tasks of parsing and validation
 * HMAC signing method returns `ErrInvalidKeyType` instead of `ErrInvalidKey` where appropriate
+* Added options to `request.ParseFromRequest`, which allows for an arbitrary list of modifiers to parsing behavior. Initial set include `WithClaims` and `WithParser`. Existing usage of this function will continue to work as before.
+* Deprecated `ParseFromRequestWithClaims` to simplify API in the future.
 
 #### 3.1.0
 
diff --git a/request/request.go b/request/request.go
index 1807b39..70525cf 100644
--- a/request/request.go
+++ b/request/request.go
@@ -9,16 +9,60 @@ import (
 // This behaves the same as Parse, but accepts a request and an extractor
 // instead of a token string.  The Extractor interface allows you to define
 // the logic for extracting a token.  Several useful implementations are provided.
-func ParseFromRequest(req *http.Request, extractor Extractor, keyFunc jwt.Keyfunc) (token *jwt.Token, err error) {
-	return ParseFromRequestWithClaims(req, extractor, jwt.MapClaims{}, keyFunc)
+//
+// You can provide options to modify parsing behavior
+func ParseFromRequest(req *http.Request, extractor Extractor, keyFunc jwt.Keyfunc, options ...ParseFromRequestOption) (token *jwt.Token, err error) {
+	// Create basic parser struct
+	p := &fromRequestParser{req, extractor, nil, nil}
+
+	// Handle options
+	for _, option := range options {
+		option(p)
+	}
+
+	// Set defaults
+	if p.claims == nil {
+		p.claims = jwt.MapClaims{}
+	}
+	if p.parser == nil {
+		p.parser = &jwt.Parser{}
+	}
+
+	// perform extract
+	tokenString, err := p.extractor.ExtractToken(req)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	// perform parse
+	return p.parser.ParseWithClaims(tokenString, p.claims, keyFunc)
 }
 
 // ParseFromRequest but with custom Claims type
+// DEPRECATED: use ParseFromRequest and the WithClaims option
 func ParseFromRequestWithClaims(req *http.Request, extractor Extractor, claims jwt.Claims, keyFunc jwt.Keyfunc) (token *jwt.Token, err error) {
-	// Extract token from request
-	if tokStr, err := extractor.ExtractToken(req); err == nil {
-		return jwt.ParseWithClaims(tokStr, claims, keyFunc)
-	} else {
-		return nil, err
+	return ParseFromRequest(req, extractor, keyFunc, WithClaims(claims))
+}
+
+type fromRequestParser struct {
+	req       *http.Request
+	extractor Extractor
+	claims    jwt.Claims
+	parser    *jwt.Parser
+}
+
+type ParseFromRequestOption func(*fromRequestParser)
+
+// Parse with custom claims
+func WithClaims(claims jwt.Claims) ParseFromRequestOption {
+	return func(p *fromRequestParser) {
+		p.claims = claims
+	}
+}
+
+// Parse using a custom parser
+func WithParser(parser *jwt.Parser) ParseFromRequestOption {
+	return func(p *fromRequestParser) {
+		p.parser = parser
 	}
 }