diff --git a/lib/active_resource/base.rb b/lib/active_resource/base.rb
index 9e556b2014..d0dae3c484 100644
--- a/lib/active_resource/base.rb
+++ b/lib/active_resource/base.rb
@@ -77,6 +77,58 @@ module ActiveResource
   # As you can see, these are very similar to Active Record's life cycle methods for database records.
   # You can read more about each of these methods in their respective documentation.
   #
+  # Active Resource objects provide out-of-the-box support for both JSON and XML
+  # formats. A resource object's format encodes attributes into request payloads and decodes response payloads
+  # into attributes.
+  #
+  # The default format is ActiveResource::Formats::JsonFormat. To change the
+  # format, configure the resource object class' +format+:
+  #
+  #   Person.format = :json
+  #   person = Person.find(1) # => GET /people/1.json
+  #
+  #   person.encode
+  #   # => "{\"person\":{\"id\":1,\"full_name\":\"First Last\"}}"
+  #
+  #   Person.format.decode(person.encode)
+  #   # => {"id"=>1, "full_name"=>"First Last"}
+  #
+  #   Person.format = :xml
+  #   person = Person.find(1) # => GET /people/1.xml
+  #
+  #   person.encode
+  #   # => "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?><person><id type=\"integer\">1</id><full-name>First Last</full-name></person>"
+  #
+  #   Person.format.decode(person.encode)
+  #   # => {"full_name"=>"First Last"}
+  #
+  # To customize how attributes are encoded and decoded, declare a format and override
+  # its +encode+ and +decode+ methods:
+  #
+  #   module CamelcaseJsonFormat
+  #     extend ActiveResource::Formats[:json]
+  #
+  #     def self.encode(resource, options = nil)
+  #       hash = resource.as_json(options)
+  #       hash = hash.deep_transform_keys! { |key| key.camelcase(:lower) }
+  #       super(hash)
+  #     end
+  #
+  #     def decode(json)
+  #       hash = super
+  #       hash.deep_transform_keys! { |key| key.underscore }
+  #     end
+  #   end
+  #
+  #   Person.format = CamelcaseJsonFormat
+  #
+  #   person = Person.new(first_name: "First", last_name: "Last")
+  #   person.encode
+  #   # => "{\"person\":{\"firstName\":\"First\",\"lastName\":\"Last\"}}"
+  #
+  #   Person.format.decode(person.encode)
+  #   # => {"first_name"=>"First", "last_name"=>"Last"}
+  #
   # === Custom REST methods
   #
   # Since simple CRUD/life cycle methods can't accomplish every task, Active Resource also supports
@@ -1459,9 +1511,13 @@ def exists?
 
     # Returns the serialized string representation of the resource in the configured
     # serialization format specified in ActiveResource::Base.format. The options
-    # applicable depend on the configured encoding format.
+    # applicable depend on the configured encoding format, and are forwarded to
+    # the corresponding serializer method.
+    #
+    # ActiveResource::Formats::JsonFormat delegates to <tt>Base#to_json</tt> and
+    # ActiveResource::Formats::XmlFormat delegates to <tt>Base#to_xml</tt>.
     def encode(options = {})
-      send("to_#{self.class.format.extension}", options)
+      self.class.format.encode(self, options)
     end
 
     # A method to \reload the attributes of this object from the remote web service.
diff --git a/lib/active_resource/formats/json_format.rb b/lib/active_resource/formats/json_format.rb
index 67795f95e3..3bbe8da34a 100644
--- a/lib/active_resource/formats/json_format.rb
+++ b/lib/active_resource/formats/json_format.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ def mime_type
         "application/json"
       end
 
-      def encode(hash, options = nil)
-        ActiveSupport::JSON.encode(hash, options)
+      def encode(resource, options = nil)
+        resource.to_json(options)
       end
 
       def decode(json)
diff --git a/lib/active_resource/formats/xml_format.rb b/lib/active_resource/formats/xml_format.rb
index 5fbf967e08..f86ab56115 100644
--- a/lib/active_resource/formats/xml_format.rb
+++ b/lib/active_resource/formats/xml_format.rb
@@ -15,8 +15,8 @@ def mime_type
         "application/xml"
       end
 
-      def encode(hash, options = {})
-        hash.to_xml(options)
+      def encode(resource, options = {})
+        resource.to_xml(options)
       end
 
       def decode(xml)
diff --git a/test/cases/format_test.rb b/test/cases/format_test.rb
index 1d0ab4b358..66ece20cbf 100644
--- a/test/cases/format_test.rb
+++ b/test/cases/format_test.rb
@@ -108,6 +108,60 @@ def test_serialization_of_nested_resource
     end
   end
 
+  def test_custom_json_format
+    format_class = Class.new do
+      include ActiveResource::Formats[:json]
+
+      def initialize(encoder:, decoder:)
+        @encoder, @decoder = encoder, decoder
+      end
+
+      def encode(resource, options = nil)
+        hash = resource.as_json(options)
+        hash = hash.deep_transform_keys!(&@encoder)
+        super(hash)
+      end
+
+      def decode(json)
+        super.deep_transform_keys!(&@decoder)
+      end
+    end
+
+    format = format_class.new(encoder: ->(key) { key.camelcase(:lower) }, decoder: :underscore)
+
+    using_format(Person, format) do
+      person = Person.new(name: "Joe", likes_hats: true)
+      json = { person: { name: "Joe", likesHats: true } }.to_json
+
+      assert_equal person, Person.new(format.decode(json))
+      assert_equal person.encode, json
+    end
+  end
+
+  def test_custom_xml_format
+    format = Module.new do
+      extend self, ActiveResource::Formats[:xml]
+
+      def encode(value, options = {})
+        xml = value.serializable_hash(options)
+        xml.deep_transform_keys!(&:camelcase)
+        super(xml, root: value.class.element_name)
+      end
+
+      def decode(value)
+        super.deep_transform_keys!(&:underscore)
+      end
+    end
+
+    using_format(Person, format) do
+      person = Person.new(name: "Joe", likes_hats: true)
+      xml = { Name: "Joe", "LikesHats": true }.to_xml(root: "person")
+
+      assert_equal person, Person.new(format.decode(xml))
+      assert_equal person.encode, xml
+    end
+  end
+
   def test_removing_root
     matz = { name: "Matz" }
     matz_with_root = { person: matz }