diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala
index bc04e20d4..64a1e5615 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/BuildStructure.scala
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ object BuildStreams
 	final val StreamsDirectory = "streams"
 
 	def mkStreams(units: Map[URI, LoadedBuildUnit], root: URI, data: Settings[Scope]): State => Streams = s =>
-		std.Streams( path(units, root, data), displayFull, LogManager.construct(data, s) )
+		s get Keys.stateStreams getOrElse std.Streams( path(units, root, data), displayFull, LogManager.construct(data, s) )
 		
 	def path(units: Map[URI, LoadedBuildUnit], root: URI, data: Settings[Scope])(scoped: ScopedKey[_]): File =
 		resolvePath( projectPath(units, root, scoped, data), nonProjectPath(scoped) )
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala
index 1bc02124c..be89d73f1 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Keys.scala
@@ -327,6 +327,7 @@ object Keys
 	val (executionRoots, dummyRoots)= dummy[Seq[ScopedKey[_]]]("execution-roots", "The list of root tasks for this task execution.  Roots are the top-level tasks that were directly requested to be run.")
 	val (state, dummyState) = dummy[State]("state", "Current build state.")
 	val (streamsManager, dummyStreamsManager) = dummy[Streams]("streams-manager", "Streams manager, which provides streams for different contexts.")
+	val stateStreams = AttributeKey[Streams]("streams-manager", "Streams manager, which provides streams for different contexts.  Setting this on State will override the default Streams implementation.")
 	val resolvedScoped = Def.resolvedScoped
 	val pluginData = TaskKey[PluginData]("plugin-data", "Information from the plugin build needed in the main build definition.", DTask)