diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 3cc768c57..bfe4134fb 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -320,6 +320,28 @@ parameters into the call.
     $jm->map(...);
 
 
+Constructor map
+---------
+Using JsonMapper's ``$constructorMap`` property, you can override how classes
+shall get instantiated:
+
+.. code:: php
+
+    $jm = new JsonMapper();
+    $jm->constructorMap[\DateTime::class] = function ($jvalue) {
+        if (preg_match('/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/', $jvalue)) {
+            return new \DateTime($jvalue);
+        } else {
+            throw new \Exception('Invalid date pattern');
+        }
+    };
+    $jm->map(...);
+
+.. note::
+   This can be used to map JSON datetime strings to ``DateTime`` objects when
+   `$bStrictObjectTypeChecking`__ is enabled.
+
+
 Nullables
 ---------
 JsonMapper throws an exception when a JSON property is ``null``,
@@ -490,9 +512,6 @@ when configured to do so:
     $jm->bStrictObjectTypeChecking = false;
     $jm->map(...);
 
-This can be used to automatically initialize DateTime objects
-from date strings.
-
 Disabling this strict object type checks may lead to problems, though:
 
 - When a class does not have a constructor or no constructor parameter,
diff --git a/src/JsonMapper.php b/src/JsonMapper.php
index e1b1d703a..b785c11e8 100644
--- a/src/JsonMapper.php
+++ b/src/JsonMapper.php
@@ -76,6 +76,13 @@ class JsonMapper
      */
     public array $classMap = [];
 
+    /**
+     * Override constructors that JsonMapper uses to create objects.
+     * 
+     * @var array<class-string, callable>
+     */
+    public array $constructorMap = [];
+
     /**
      * Callback used when an undefined property is found.
      *
@@ -312,6 +319,7 @@ public function map($json, $object)
                 // but only a flat type (i.e. string, int)
                 if ($this->bStrictObjectTypeChecking
                     && !is_subclass_of($type, \BackedEnum::class)
+                    && !$this->getMappedConstructor($type)
                 ) {
                     throw new JsonMapper_Exception(
                         'JSON property "' . $key . '" must be an object, '
@@ -466,6 +474,7 @@ public function mapArray(
                         $array[$key] = $jvalue;
                     } else if ($this->bStrictObjectTypeChecking
                         && !is_subclass_of($class, \BackedEnum::class)
+                        && !$this->getMappedConstructor($class)
                     ) {
                         throw new JsonMapper_Exception(
                             'JSON property'
@@ -707,13 +716,21 @@ protected function setProperty(
     protected function createInstance(
         string $class, bool $useParameter = false, mixed $jvalue = null
     ): object {
+        $constructor = $this->getMappedConstructor($class);
+
         if ($useParameter) {
             if (is_subclass_of($class, \BackedEnum::class)) {
                 return $class::from($jvalue);
             }
 
-            return new $class($jvalue);
+            return null === $constructor
+                ? new $class($jvalue)
+                : $constructor($jvalue);
         } else {
+            if ($constructor) {
+                return $constructor();
+            }
+
             $reflectClass = new ReflectionClass($class);
             $constructor  = $reflectClass->getConstructor();
             if (null === $constructor
@@ -740,7 +757,7 @@ protected function getMappedType(?string $type, mixed $jvalue = null): ?string
     {
         if (isset($this->classMap[$type ?? ''])) {
             $target = $this->classMap[$type];
-        } else if (is_string($type) && $type !== '' && $type[0] == '\\'
+        } else if (is_string($type) && $type !== '' && str_starts_with($type, '\\')
             && isset($this->classMap[substr($type, 1)])
         ) {
             $target = $this->classMap[substr($type, 1)];
@@ -758,6 +775,29 @@ protected function getMappedType(?string $type, mixed $jvalue = null): ?string
         return $type;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get the mapped constructor for this class.
+     * Returns null if not mapped.
+     *
+     * Lets you override constructors via the $constructorMap property.
+     *
+     * @param $class Class name to map
+     *
+     * @return ?callable The mapped constructor
+     */
+    protected function getMappedConstructor(string $class): ?callable
+    {
+        if (isset($this->constructorMap[$class])) {
+            return $this->constructorMap[$class];
+        } else if ($class !== '' && str_starts_with($class, '\\')
+            && isset($this->constructorMap[substr($class, 1)])
+        ) {
+            return $this->constructorMap[substr($class, 1)];
+        } else {
+            return null;
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Checks if the given type is a "simple type"
      *
diff --git a/tests/ConstructorMapTest.php b/tests/ConstructorMapTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..53495a0d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/ConstructorMapTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Unit tests for JsonMapper's constructorMap
+ *
+ * @category Tests
+ * @package  JsonMapper
+ * @license  OSL-3.0 http://opensource.org/licenses/osl-3.0
+ * @link     https://github.com/cweiske/jsonmapper
+ */
+class ConstructorMapTest extends \PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase
+{
+    public function testConstructorMapWithoutLeadingBackslash()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $jm->constructorMap[\DateTime::class] = function ($jvalue) {
+            if (preg_match('/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/', $jvalue)) {
+                return new \DateTime($jvalue);
+            } else {
+                throw new \Exception('Invalid date pattern');
+            }
+        };
+        $sn = $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"datetime": "2026-06-05"}'),
+            new JsonMapperTest_Object()
+        );
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(DateTime::class, $sn->datetime);
+        $this->assertSame(
+            '2026-06-05',
+            $sn->datetime->format('Y-m-d')
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testConstructorMapWithLeadingBackslash()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $jm->constructorMap['\\DateTime'] = function ($jvalue) {
+            if (preg_match('/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/', $jvalue)) {
+                return new \DateTime($jvalue);
+            } else {
+                throw new \Exception('Invalid date pattern');
+            }
+        };
+        $sn = $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"datetime": "2026-06-05"}'),
+            new JsonMapperTest_Object()
+        );
+
+        $this->assertInstanceOf(DateTime::class, $sn->datetime);
+        $this->assertSame(
+            '2026-06-05',
+            $sn->datetime->format('Y-m-d')
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testConstructorMapError()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $jm->constructorMap[\DateTime::class] = function ($jvalue) {
+            if (preg_match('/^\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}$/', $jvalue)) {
+                return new \DateTime($jvalue);
+            } else {
+                throw new \Exception('Invalid date pattern');
+            }
+        };
+
+        $this->expectException(\Exception::class);
+        $this->expectExceptionMessage('Invalid date pattern');
+        
+        $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"datetime": "05/06/2026"}'),
+            new JsonMapperTest_Object()
+        );
+    }
+
+    public function testConstructorMapWithClassNameBased()
+    {
+        $jm = new JsonMapper();
+        $jm->constructorMap[JsonMapperTest_Simple::class] = function () {
+            $obj = new JsonMapperTest_Simple();
+            $obj->str = 'initial';
+            return $obj;
+        };
+        $sn = $jm->map(
+            json_decode('{"pbool": true}'),
+            JsonMapperTest_Simple::class
+        );
+
+        $this->assertSame(
+            'initial',
+            $sn->str
+        );
+    }
+}
+?>