diff --git a/internal/context/context.go b/internal/context/context.go
index 47257d6..8f10c03 100644
--- a/internal/context/context.go
+++ b/internal/context/context.go
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hibiken/asynq/internal/base"
 )
 
+type BaseContext func() context.Context
+
 // A taskMetadata holds task scoped data to put in context.
 type taskMetadata struct {
 	id         string
@@ -28,7 +30,7 @@ type ctxKey int
 const metadataCtxKey ctxKey = 0
 
 // New returns a context and cancel function for a given task message.
-func New(msg *base.TaskMessage, deadline time.Time) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
+func New(base context.Context, msg *base.TaskMessage, deadline time.Time) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
 	metadata := taskMetadata{
 		id:         msg.ID,
 		maxRetry:   msg.Retry,
diff --git a/processor.go b/processor.go
index 478633b..a1aff93 100644
--- a/processor.go
+++ b/processor.go
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ type processor struct {
 	logger *log.Logger
 	broker base.Broker
 
-	handler Handler
+	handler       Handler
+	baseContextFn asynqcontext.BaseContext
 
 	queueConfig map[string]int
 
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ type processor struct {
 type processorParams struct {
 	logger          *log.Logger
 	broker          base.Broker
+	baseCtxFn       asynqcontext.BaseContext
 	retryDelayFunc  RetryDelayFunc
 	isFailureFunc   func(error) bool
 	syncCh          chan<- *syncRequest
@@ -94,6 +96,7 @@ func newProcessor(params processorParams) *processor {
 	return &processor{
 		logger:          params.logger,
 		broker:          params.broker,
+		baseContextFn:   params.baseCtxFn,
 		queueConfig:     queues,
 		orderedQueues:   orderedQueues,
 		retryDelayFunc:  params.retryDelayFunc,
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ func (p *processor) exec() {
 				<-p.sema // release token
 			}()
 
-			ctx, cancel := asynqcontext.New(msg, deadline)
+			ctx, cancel := asynqcontext.New(p.baseContextFn(), msg, deadline)
 			p.cancelations.Add(msg.ID, cancel)
 			defer func() {
 				cancel()
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index 1cf5bed..2a8930a 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ type Config struct {
 	// to the number of CPUs usable by the current process.
 	Concurrency int
 
+	// BaseContext optionally specifies a function that returns
+	// the base context for invocations on this server.
+	// If BaseContext is nil, the default is context.Background().
+	BaseContext func() context.Context
+
+	// SleepOnEmptyQueue optionally specifies the amount of time to wait before polling again when there are no messages in the queue
+	SleepOnEmptyQueue time.Duration
+
 	// Function to calculate retry delay for a failed task.
 	//
 	// By default, it uses exponential backoff algorithm to calculate the delay.
@@ -341,6 +349,10 @@ func NewServer(r RedisConnOpt, cfg Config) *Server {
 	if !ok {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("asynq: unsupported RedisConnOpt type %T", r))
 	}
+	baseCtxFn := cfg.BaseContext
+	if baseCtxFn == nil {
+		baseCtxFn = context.Background
+	}
 	n := cfg.Concurrency
 	if n < 1 {
 		n = runtime.NumCPU()
@@ -426,6 +438,7 @@ func NewServer(r RedisConnOpt, cfg Config) *Server {
 		logger:          logger,
 		broker:          rdb,
 		retryDelayFunc:  delayFunc,
+		baseCtxFn:       baseCtxFn,
 		isFailureFunc:   isFailureFunc,
 		syncCh:          syncCh,
 		cancelations:    cancels,