diff --git a/src/core/action.ts b/src/core/action.ts
index 3350ea84..a0209176 100644
--- a/src/core/action.ts
+++ b/src/core/action.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,14 @@ const defaultEventNames: { [tagName: string]: (element: Element) => string } = {
   textarea: () => "input",
 }
 
+export function registerDefaultEventName(tagName: string, eventName: string | ((element: Element) => string)) {
+  if (typeof eventName === 'string') {
+    defaultEventNames[tagName] = () => eventName
+  } else {
+    defaultEventNames[tagName] = eventName
+  }
+}
+
 export function getDefaultEventNameForElement(element: Element): string | undefined {
   const tagName = element.tagName.toLowerCase()
   if (tagName in defaultEventNames) {
diff --git a/src/core/index.ts b/src/core/index.ts
index 7fa3ec6b..82d48223 100644
--- a/src/core/index.ts
+++ b/src/core/index.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+export { registerDefaultEventName } from "./action"
 export { ActionEvent } from "./action_event"
 export { Application } from "./application"
 export { Context } from "./context"
diff --git a/src/tests/modules/core/action_tests.ts b/src/tests/modules/core/action_tests.ts
index 4e3c7718..919173aa 100644
--- a/src/tests/modules/core/action_tests.ts
+++ b/src/tests/modules/core/action_tests.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
+import { registerDefaultEventName } from "../../../core"
 import { LogControllerTestCase } from "../../cases/log_controller_test_case"
 
+// must be done before the fixture element is constructed
+registerDefaultEventName('some-element', 'click')
+
 export default class ActionTests extends LogControllerTestCase {
   identifier = "c"
   fixtureHTML = `
@@ -14,6 +18,7 @@ export default class ActionTests extends LogControllerTestCase {
     <svg id="svgRoot" data-controller="c" data-action="click->c#log">
       <circle id="svgChild" data-action="mousedown->c#log" cx="5" cy="5" r="5">
     </svg>
+    <some-element data-controller="c" data-action="c#log">Hm</some-element>
   `
 
   async "test default event"() {
@@ -21,6 +26,11 @@ export default class ActionTests extends LogControllerTestCase {
     this.assertActions({ name: "log", eventType: "click" })
   }
 
+  async "test default event on custom element"() {
+    await this.triggerEvent("some-element", "click")
+    this.assertActions({ name: "log", eventType: "click" })
+  }
+
   async "test bubbling events"() {
     await this.triggerEvent("span", "click")
     this.assertActions({ eventType: "click", currentTarget: this.findElement("button") })