diff --git a/examples/custom-backend/main.rs b/examples/custom-backend/main.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d8c042d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/custom-backend/main.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,152 @@
+// Copyright 2022 Google LLC
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+use std::io::Read;
+use std::path::Path;
+
+use clap::{FromArgMatches, Subcommand};
+use git2::Repository;
+use jujutsu::cli_util::{create_ui, parse_args, report_command_error, CommandError};
+use jujutsu::commands::{default_app, run_command};
+use jujutsu::ui::Ui;
+use jujutsu_lib::backend::{
+    Backend, BackendResult, Commit, CommitId, Conflict, ConflictId, FileId, SymlinkId, Tree, TreeId,
+};
+use jujutsu_lib::git_backend::GitBackend;
+use jujutsu_lib::repo::BackendFactories;
+use jujutsu_lib::repo_path::RepoPath;
+use jujutsu_lib::workspace::Workspace;
+
+#[derive(clap::Parser, Clone, Debug)]
+enum CustomCommands {
+    /// Initialize a workspace using the Jit backend
+    InitJit,
+}
+
+fn run(ui: &mut Ui) -> Result<(), CommandError> {
+    let app = CustomCommands::augment_subcommands(default_app());
+    let (mut command_helper, matches) = parse_args(ui, app, std::env::args_os())?;
+    let mut backend_factories = BackendFactories::default();
+    // Register the backend so it can be loaded when the repo is loaded. The name
+    // must match `Backend::name()`.
+    backend_factories.add_backend(
+        "jit",
+        Box::new(|store_path| Box::new(JitBackend::load(store_path))),
+    );
+    command_helper.set_backend_factories(backend_factories);
+    match CustomCommands::from_arg_matches(&matches) {
+        // Handle our custom command
+        Ok(CustomCommands::InitJit) => {
+            let wc_path = ui.cwd();
+            // Initialize a workspace with the custom backend
+            Workspace::init_with_backend(ui.settings(), wc_path, |store_path| {
+                Box::new(JitBackend::init(store_path))
+            })?;
+            Ok(())
+        }
+        // Handle default commands
+        Err(_) => run_command(ui, &command_helper, &matches),
+    }
+}
+
+fn main() {
+    let mut ui = create_ui();
+    let exit_code = match run(&mut ui) {
+        Ok(()) => 0,
+        Err(err) => report_command_error(&mut ui, err),
+    };
+    std::process::exit(exit_code);
+}
+
+/// A commit backend that's extremely similar to the Git backend
+#[derive(Debug)]
+struct JitBackend {
+    inner: GitBackend,
+}
+
+impl JitBackend {
+    fn init(store_path: &Path) -> Self {
+        JitBackend {
+            inner: GitBackend::init_internal(store_path),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn load(store_path: &Path) -> Self {
+        JitBackend {
+            inner: GitBackend::load(store_path),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl Backend for JitBackend {
+    fn name(&self) -> &str {
+        "jit"
+    }
+
+    fn hash_length(&self) -> usize {
+        self.inner.hash_length()
+    }
+
+    fn git_repo(&self) -> Option<Repository> {
+        self.inner.git_repo()
+    }
+
+    fn read_file(&self, path: &RepoPath, id: &FileId) -> BackendResult<Box<dyn Read>> {
+        self.inner.read_file(path, id)
+    }
+
+    fn write_file(&self, path: &RepoPath, contents: &mut dyn Read) -> BackendResult<FileId> {
+        self.inner.write_file(path, contents)
+    }
+
+    fn read_symlink(&self, path: &RepoPath, id: &SymlinkId) -> BackendResult<String> {
+        self.inner.read_symlink(path, id)
+    }
+
+    fn write_symlink(&self, path: &RepoPath, target: &str) -> BackendResult<SymlinkId> {
+        self.inner.write_symlink(path, target)
+    }
+
+    fn root_commit_id(&self) -> &CommitId {
+        self.inner.root_commit_id()
+    }
+
+    fn empty_tree_id(&self) -> &TreeId {
+        self.inner.empty_tree_id()
+    }
+
+    fn read_tree(&self, path: &RepoPath, id: &TreeId) -> BackendResult<Tree> {
+        self.inner.read_tree(path, id)
+    }
+
+    fn write_tree(&self, path: &RepoPath, contents: &Tree) -> BackendResult<TreeId> {
+        self.inner.write_tree(path, contents)
+    }
+
+    fn read_conflict(&self, path: &RepoPath, id: &ConflictId) -> BackendResult<Conflict> {
+        self.inner.read_conflict(path, id)
+    }
+
+    fn write_conflict(&self, path: &RepoPath, contents: &Conflict) -> BackendResult<ConflictId> {
+        self.inner.write_conflict(path, contents)
+    }
+
+    fn read_commit(&self, id: &CommitId) -> BackendResult<Commit> {
+        self.inner.read_commit(id)
+    }
+
+    fn write_commit(&self, contents: &Commit) -> BackendResult<CommitId> {
+        self.inner.write_commit(contents)
+    }
+}
diff --git a/lib/src/workspace.rs b/lib/src/workspace.rs
index f244cd446..4d8227b5d 100644
--- a/lib/src/workspace.rs
+++ b/lib/src/workspace.rs
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ impl Workspace {
         })
     }
 
-    fn init_with_backend(
+    pub fn init_with_backend(
         user_settings: &UserSettings,
         workspace_root: &Path,
         backend_factory: impl FnOnce(&Path) -> Box<dyn Backend>,