diff --git a/src/element.typ b/src/element.typ
index e42d2d8..0b9bf19 100644
--- a/src/element.typ
+++ b/src/element.typ
@@ -993,12 +993,21 @@
   prefix: "",
   typecheck: true,
   allow-unknown-fields: false,
+  synthesize: none,
+  contextual: auto,
 ) = {
   assert(type(display) == function, message: "element: please specify a show rule in 'display:' to determine how your element is displayed.")
   assert(type(fields) == array, message: "element: please specify an array of fields, creating each field with the 'field' function.")
   assert(type(prefix) == str, message: "element: the prefix must be a string.")
   assert(type(typecheck) == bool, message: "element: the 'typecheck' argument must be a boolean (true to enable typechecking, false to disable).")
   assert(type(allow-unknown-fields) == bool, message: "element: the 'allow-unknown-fields' argument must be a boolean.")
+  assert(synthesize == none or type(synthesize) == function, message: "element: 'synthesize' must be 'none' or a function element fields => element fields.")
+  assert(contextual == auto or type(contextual) == bool, message: "element: 'contextual' must be 'auto' (true if using a contextual feature) or a boolean (true to wrap the output in a 'context { ... }', false to not).")
+
+  if contextual == auto {
+    // Provide separate context for synthesize.
+    contextual = synthesize != none
+  }
 
   let eid = base.unique-id(prefix, name)
   let lbl-show = label(lbl-show-head + eid)
@@ -1227,9 +1236,39 @@
           finalized-chain
         }
 
-        let body = display(constructed-fields)
-        let tag = [#metadata((kind: "instance", body: body, fields: constructed-fields, func: modified-constructor, eid: eid, fields-known: true, valid: true))]
-        let shown = [#[#body#tag]#lbl-show]
+        let shown = {
+          let tag = (kind: "instance", body: none, fields: constructed-fields, func: modified-constructor, eid: eid, fields-known: true, valid: true)
+
+          if contextual {
+            // Use context for synthesize as well
+            context {
+              let synthesized-fields = if synthesize == none {
+                constructed-fields
+              } else {
+                synthesize(constructed-fields)
+              }
+              let body = display(synthesized-fields)
+
+              let tag = tag
+              tag.fields = synthesized-fields
+              tag.body = body
+
+              [#[#body#metadata(tag)]#lbl-show]
+            }
+          } else {
+            let synthesized-fields = if synthesize == none {
+              constructed-fields
+            } else {
+              synthesize(constructed-fields)
+            }
+            let body = display(synthesized-fields)
+
+            tag.fields = synthesized-fields
+            tag.body = body
+
+            [#[#body#metadata(tag)]#lbl-show]
+          }
+        }
 
         if data-changed {
           show lbl-get: set bibliography(title: [#metadata(global-data)#lbl-get])
diff --git a/test/unit/elements/synthesize/.gitignore b/test/unit/elements/synthesize/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ecdc7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/elements/synthesize/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# added by typst-test
diff --git a/test/unit/elements/synthesize/ref/1.png b/test/unit/elements/synthesize/ref/1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3690123
Binary files /dev/null and b/test/unit/elements/synthesize/ref/1.png differ
diff --git a/test/unit/elements/synthesize/test.typ b/test/unit/elements/synthesize/test.typ
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d70bd57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/elements/synthesize/test.typ
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+#import "/test/unit/base.typ": empty
+#show: empty
+
+#import "/src/lib.typ" as e: element, field
+
+#let count = counter("adb")
+
+#let (wock, wock-e) = element(
+  "wock",
+  display: it => {
+    assert.eq(it.color, red)
+    assert.eq(it.inner, [Hello!])
+    (it.test)()
+  },
+  fields: (
+    field("color", color, default: red),
+    field("inner", content, default: [Hello!]),
+    field("test", function, default: () => {})
+  ),
+  synthesize: it => {
+    it.resolved-value = count.get().first()
+    it
+  }
+)
+
+#show wock-e.sel: it => {
+  count.step()
+  it
+}
+
+#wock(test: () => count.get().first() == 0)
+#wock(test: () => count.get().first() == 1)
+#wock(test: () => count.get().first() == 2)
+
+#show wock-e.sel: it => {
+  assert.eq(e.data(it).fields.resolved-value, 3)
+  it
+}
+
+#wock()