diff --git a/servant-server/src/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinators.hs b/servant-server/src/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinators.hs
index ad91bd07..dcbd2d94 100644
--- a/servant-server/src/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinators.hs
+++ b/servant-server/src/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinators.hs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 -- fixme: document phases
 -- fixme: add doctests
 -- fixme: document that the req body can only be consumed once
+-- fixme: document dependency problem
 
 module Servant.Server.Utils.CustomCombinators (
   CombinatorImplementation,
@@ -57,60 +58,60 @@ makeCaptureCombinator ::
   forall api combinator arg context .
   (HasServer api context,
    WithArg arg (ServerT api Handler) ~ (arg -> ServerT api Handler)) =>
-  (Text -> IO (RouteResult arg))
+  (Context context -> Text -> IO (RouteResult arg))
   -> CombinatorImplementation combinator arg api context
 makeCaptureCombinator getArg = CI $ \ Proxy context delayed ->
   CaptureRouter $
   route (Proxy :: Proxy api) context $ addCapture delayed $ \ captured ->
-  (liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (getArg captured))
+  (liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (getArg context captured))
 
 makeRequestCheckCombinator ::
   forall api combinator context .
   (HasServer api context,
    WithArg () (ServerT api Handler) ~ ServerT api Handler) =>
-  (Request -> IO (RouteResult ()))
+  (Context context -> Request -> IO (RouteResult ()))
   -> CombinatorImplementation combinator () api context
 makeRequestCheckCombinator check = CI $ \ Proxy context delayed ->
   route (Proxy :: Proxy api) context $ addMethodCheck delayed $
   withRequest $ \ request ->
-    liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (check (protectBody "makeRequestCheckCombinator" request))
+    liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (check context (protectBody "makeRequestCheckCombinator" request))
 
 makeAuthCombinator ::
   forall api combinator arg context .
   (HasServer api context,
    WithArg arg (ServerT api Handler) ~ (arg -> ServerT api Handler)) =>
-  (Request -> IO (RouteResult arg))
+  (Context context -> Request -> IO (RouteResult arg))
   -> CombinatorImplementation combinator arg api context
 makeAuthCombinator authCheck = CI $ \ Proxy context delayed ->
   route (Proxy :: Proxy api) context $ addAuthCheck delayed $
   withRequest $ \ request ->
-    liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (authCheck (protectBody "makeAuthCombinator" request))
+    liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (authCheck context (protectBody "makeAuthCombinator" request))
 
 makeReqBodyCombinator ::
   forall api combinator arg context .
   (ServerT (combinator :> api) Handler ~ (arg -> ServerT api Handler),
    WithArg arg (ServerT api Handler) ~ (arg -> ServerT api Handler),
    HasServer api context) =>
-  (IO ByteString -> arg)
+  (Context context -> IO ByteString -> arg)
   -> CombinatorImplementation combinator arg api context
 makeReqBodyCombinator getArg = CI $ \ Proxy context delayed ->
   route (Proxy :: Proxy api) context $ addBodyCheck delayed
   (return ())
   (\ () -> withRequest $ \ request ->
-    liftRouteResult $ Route $ getArg $ requestBody request)
+    liftRouteResult $ Route $ getArg context $ requestBody request)
 
 makeCombinator ::
   forall api combinator arg context .
   (ServerT (combinator :> api) Handler ~ (arg -> ServerT api Handler),
    WithArg arg (ServerT api Handler) ~ (arg -> ServerT api Handler),
    HasServer api context) =>
-  (Request -> IO (RouteResult arg))
+  (Context context -> Request -> IO (RouteResult arg))
   -> CombinatorImplementation combinator arg api context
 makeCombinator getArg = CI $ \ Proxy context delayed ->
   route (Proxy :: Proxy api) context $ addBodyCheck delayed
   (return ())
   (\ () -> withRequest $ \ request ->
-    liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (getArg (protectBody "makeCombinator" request)))
+    liftRouteResult =<< liftIO (getArg context (protectBody "makeCombinator" request)))
 
 protectBody :: String -> Request -> Request
 protectBody name request = request{
diff --git a/servant-server/test/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinatorsSpec.hs b/servant-server/test/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinatorsSpec.hs
index e2eead46..a1d62a1e 100644
--- a/servant-server/test/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinatorsSpec.hs
+++ b/servant-server/test/Servant/Server/Utils/CustomCombinatorsSpec.hs
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import           Data.Text hiding (map)
 import           Network.HTTP.Types
 import           Network.Wai
 import           Network.Wai.Internal
-import           Test.Hspec
+import           Test.Hspec hiding (context)
 
 import           Servant.API
 import           Servant.Server
@@ -113,6 +113,20 @@ spec = do
       runApp app request `shouldThrow`
         errorCall "ERROR: makeAuthCombinator: combinator must not access the request body"
 
+    it "allows to access the context" $ do
+      let server (User name) = return name
+          context :: Context '[ [(SBS.ByteString, User)] ]
+          context = [("secret", User "Bob")] :. EmptyContext
+          app = serveWithContext (Proxy :: Proxy (AuthWithContext :> Get' String)) context server
+          request = defaultRequest{
+            requestHeaders =
+              ("Auth", "secret") :
+              requestHeaders defaultRequest
+          }
+      response <- runApp app request
+      responseStatus response `shouldBe` ok200
+      responseBodyLbs response `shouldReturn` "\"Bob\""
+
   describe "makeCombinator" $ do
     it "allows to write a combinator by providing a function (Request -> a)" $ do
       let server = return
@@ -161,9 +175,6 @@ spec = do
       response <- runApp app request
       responseBodyLbs response `shouldReturn` "\"foobar\""
 
-  it "allows to access the context" $ do
-    pending
-
   it "allows to implement combinators in terms of existing combinators" $ do
     pending
 
@@ -175,7 +186,7 @@ data StringCapture
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (StringCapture :> api) context where
   type ServerT (StringCapture :> api) m = String -> ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeCaptureCombinator getCapture
+  route = runCI $ makeCaptureCombinator (const getCapture)
 
 getCapture :: Text -> IO (RouteResult String)
 getCapture snippet = return $ case snippet of
@@ -188,7 +199,7 @@ data CheckFooHeader
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (CheckFooHeader :> api) context where
   type ServerT (CheckFooHeader :> api) m = ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeRequestCheckCombinator checkFooHeader
+  route = runCI $ makeRequestCheckCombinator (const checkFooHeader)
 
 checkFooHeader :: Request -> IO (RouteResult ())
 checkFooHeader request = return $
@@ -201,7 +212,7 @@ data InvalidRequestCheckCombinator
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (InvalidRequestCheckCombinator :> api) context where
   type ServerT (InvalidRequestCheckCombinator :> api) m = ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeRequestCheckCombinator accessReqBody
+  route = runCI $ makeRequestCheckCombinator (const accessReqBody)
 
 accessReqBody :: Request -> IO (RouteResult ())
 accessReqBody request = do
@@ -217,7 +228,7 @@ data User = User String
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (AuthCombinator :> api) context where
   type ServerT (AuthCombinator :> api) m = User -> ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeAuthCombinator checkAuth
+  route = runCI $ makeAuthCombinator (const checkAuth)
 
 checkAuth :: Request -> IO (RouteResult User)
 checkAuth request = return $ case lookup "Auth" (requestHeaders request) of
@@ -230,20 +241,37 @@ data InvalidAuthCombinator
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (InvalidAuthCombinator :> api) context where
   type ServerT (InvalidAuthCombinator :> api) m = User -> ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeAuthCombinator authWithReqBody
+  route = runCI $ makeAuthCombinator (const authWithReqBody)
 
 authWithReqBody :: Request -> IO (RouteResult User)
 authWithReqBody request = do
   body <- fromBody $ requestBody request
   deepseq body (return $ Route $ User $ cs body)
 
+data AuthWithContext
+
+instance (HasContextEntry context [(SBS.ByteString, User)], HasServer api context) =>
+  HasServer (AuthWithContext :> api) context where
+  type ServerT (AuthWithContext :> api) m = User -> ServerT api m
+  route = runCI $ makeAuthCombinator authWithContext
+
+-- fixme: remove foralls from haddock
+
+authWithContext :: (HasContextEntry context [(SBS.ByteString, User)]) =>
+  Context context -> Request -> IO (RouteResult User)
+authWithContext context request = return $ case lookup "Auth" (requestHeaders request) of
+  Just authToken -> case lookup authToken userDict of
+    Just user -> Route user
+  where
+    userDict = getContextEntry context
+
 -- * general combinators
 
 data FooHeader
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (FooHeader :> api) context where
   type ServerT (FooHeader :> api) m = String -> ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeCombinator getCustom
+  route = runCI $ makeCombinator (const getCustom)
 
 getCustom :: Request -> IO (RouteResult String)
 getCustom request = return $ case lookup "Foo" (requestHeaders request) of
@@ -258,7 +286,7 @@ data Source = Source (IO SBS.ByteString)
 
 instance HasServer api context => HasServer (StreamRequest :> api) context where
   type ServerT (StreamRequest :> api) m = Source -> ServerT api m
-  route = runCI $ makeReqBodyCombinator getSource
+  route = runCI $ makeReqBodyCombinator (const getSource)
 
 getSource :: IO SBS.ByteString -> Source
 getSource = Source