diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index c21ba16..e508dbc 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -98,6 +98,21 @@ So, `b.myself` points to `b`, not `a`. Neat!
 
 ## Changelog
 
+#### 2018-03-22
+
+  - Add detection of a custom _clone function on an object.  
+If present, use this function to clone the object and all children.  
+This allows for the cloning of objects in any way you wish, 
+and is especially useful if the object is not clonable in the normal way.
+the _clone() fn can be on the object prototype, or directly on the object as a method, 
+and should return the desired cloned object.  See tests for examples.
+
+### v2.1.2
+
+#### 2018-03-21
+
+  - Use `Buffer.allocUnsafe()` on Node >= 4.5.0 (contributed by @ChALkeR)
+
 ### v2.1.1
 
 #### 2017-03-09
diff --git a/clone.js b/clone.js
index 80d0c76..ee689ab 100644
--- a/clone.js
+++ b/clone.js
@@ -78,6 +78,8 @@ function clone(parent, circular, depth, prototype, includeNonEnumerable) {
     if (depth === 0)
       return parent;
 
+    var dochildren = true;
+  
     var child;
     var proto;
     if (typeof parent != 'object') {
@@ -112,7 +114,13 @@ function clone(parent, circular, depth, prototype, includeNonEnumerable) {
     } else {
       if (typeof prototype == 'undefined') {
         proto = Object.getPrototypeOf(parent);
-        child = Object.create(proto);
+        // if a _clone function in prototype OR direct on object
+        if (parent._clone){
+          child = parent._clone();
+          dochildren = false;
+        } else {
+          child = Object.create(proto);
+        }
       }
       else {
         child = Object.create(prototype);
@@ -144,52 +152,54 @@ function clone(parent, circular, depth, prototype, includeNonEnumerable) {
       });
     }
 
-    for (var i in parent) {
-      var attrs;
-      if (proto) {
-        attrs = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(proto, i);
-      }
-
-      if (attrs && attrs.set == null) {
-        continue;
-      }
-      child[i] = _clone(parent[i], depth - 1);
-    }
+    // if we used _clone(), then ignore the rest of this object
+    if (dochildren){
+      for (var i in parent) {
+        var attrs;
+        if (proto) {
+          attrs = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(proto, i);
+        }
 
-    if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) {
-      var symbols = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(parent);
-      for (var i = 0; i < symbols.length; i++) {
-        // Don't need to worry about cloning a symbol because it is a primitive,
-        // like a number or string.
-        var symbol = symbols[i];
-        var descriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(parent, symbol);
-        if (descriptor && !descriptor.enumerable && !includeNonEnumerable) {
+        if (attrs && attrs.set == null) {
           continue;
         }
-        child[symbol] = _clone(parent[symbol], depth - 1);
-        if (!descriptor.enumerable) {
-          Object.defineProperty(child, symbol, {
-            enumerable: false
-          });
+        child[i] = _clone(parent[i], depth - 1);
+      }
+
+      if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) {
+        var symbols = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(parent);
+        for (var i = 0; i < symbols.length; i++) {
+          // Don't need to worry about cloning a symbol because it is a primitive,
+          // like a number or string.
+          var symbol = symbols[i];
+          var descriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(parent, symbol);
+          if (descriptor && !descriptor.enumerable && !includeNonEnumerable) {
+            continue;
+          }
+          child[symbol] = _clone(parent[symbol], depth - 1);
+          if (!descriptor.enumerable) {
+            Object.defineProperty(child, symbol, {
+              enumerable: false
+            });
+          }
         }
       }
-    }
 
-    if (includeNonEnumerable) {
-      var allPropertyNames = Object.getOwnPropertyNames(parent);
-      for (var i = 0; i < allPropertyNames.length; i++) {
-        var propertyName = allPropertyNames[i];
-        var descriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(parent, propertyName);
-        if (descriptor && descriptor.enumerable) {
-          continue;
+      if (includeNonEnumerable) {
+        var allPropertyNames = Object.getOwnPropertyNames(parent);
+        for (var i = 0; i < allPropertyNames.length; i++) {
+          var propertyName = allPropertyNames[i];
+          var descriptor = Object.getOwnPropertyDescriptor(parent, propertyName);
+          if (descriptor && descriptor.enumerable) {
+            continue;
+          }
+          child[propertyName] = _clone(parent[propertyName], depth - 1);
+          Object.defineProperty(child, propertyName, {
+            enumerable: false
+          });
         }
-        child[propertyName] = _clone(parent[propertyName], depth - 1);
-        Object.defineProperty(child, propertyName, {
-          enumerable: false
-        });
       }
     }
-
     return child;
   }
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index ce8d7e3..2e1741b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@
     "rictic (https://github.com/rictic)",
     "Martin Jurča (https://github.com/jurca)",
     "Misery Lee <miserylee@foxmail.com> (https://github.com/miserylee)",
-    "Clemens Wolff (https://github.com/c-w)"
+    "Clemens Wolff (https://github.com/c-w)",
+    "Simon Hailes (https://github.com/btsimonh)"
+    
   ],
   "license": "MIT",
   "engines": {
diff --git a/test.js b/test.js
index fb4ba67..b7d4628 100644
--- a/test.js
+++ b/test.js
@@ -684,3 +684,54 @@ exports["clone should mark the cloned non-enumerable properties as non-enumerabl
 
   test.done();
 };
+
+
+exports["clone object using _clone"] = function (test) {
+  test.expect(5);
+
+  
+  // create an object with _clone prototype
+  function myobj( name, id ){
+    this.name = name;
+    this.id = id;
+  };
+  
+  // note clone function does not copy complete object.
+  myobj.prototype._clone = function(){
+    var newobj = new myobj( this.name, 'isclone');
+    return newobj;
+  }
+
+
+  var source = new myobj('myname', 'original');
+  
+  // also test a (different) direct on object _clone() method
+  source._clone = function(){
+    var newobj = new myobj( this.name, 'isclone2');
+    return newobj;
+  }
+
+  // this will use the *function* we just added to the source object
+  var cloned = clone(source);
+  // this will use the prototype we added to the *object defn*
+  var cloned2 = clone(cloned);
+
+  // ensure that out cloned object still has the prototype _clone()
+  var fail = false;
+  if (!cloned._clone){
+      fail = true;
+  }
+  
+  var util = require('util');
+  console.log(util.inspect(cloned));
+  console.log(util.inspect(cloned2));
+  
+  test.equal(cloned.name, source.name);
+  test.equal(cloned.id, 'isclone2');
+  test.equal(cloned2.id, 'isclone');
+  test.equal(source.id, 'original');
+  test.equal(fail, false);
+
+  test.done();
+};
+