diff --git a/lib/util.js b/lib/util.js
index ad42769..fc01f60 100644
--- a/lib/util.js
+++ b/lib/util.js
@@ -149,13 +149,21 @@ exports.clone = function( data )
 exports.propParse = function( data, options )
 {
     var fvoid           = function() {},
-        callback_each   = options.each     || undefined,
-        callback_prop   = options.property || fvoid,
-        callback_method = options.method   || fvoid,
-        callback_getter = options.getter   || fvoid,
-        callback_setter = options.setter   || fvoid,
+        callback_each   = options.each          || undefined,
+        callback_prop   = options.property      || fvoid,
+        callback_method = options.method        || fvoid,
+        callback_getter = options.getter        || fvoid,
+        callback_setter = options.setter        || fvoid,
+        keyword_parser  = options.keywordParser || propKeywordStringParser,
 
-        hasOwn = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty;
+        hasOwn = Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty,
+
+        parse_data = {},
+        name       = '',
+        keywords   = {},
+        value      = null,
+        getter     = false,
+        setter     = false;
 
     // for each of the given properties, determine what type of property we're
     // dealing with (in the classic OO sense)
@@ -167,36 +175,43 @@ exports.propParse = function( data, options )
             continue;
         }
 
-        var value = data[ prop ],
-            getter = ( ( getset ) ? data.__lookupGetter__( prop ) : null ),
-            setter = ( ( getset ) ? data.__lookupSetter__( prop ) : null );
+        value  = data[ prop ];
+        getter = ( ( getset ) ? data.__lookupGetter__( prop ) : null );
+        setter = ( ( getset ) ? data.__lookupSetter__( prop ) : null );
+
+        parse_data = keyword_parser( prop ) || {};
+        name       = parse_data.name || prop;
+        keywords   = parse_data.keywords || {};
 
         // if an 'each' callback was provided, pass the data before parsing it
         if ( callback_each )
         {
-            callback_each.call( callback_each, prop, value );
+            callback_each.call( callback_each, name, value );
         }
 
         // getter/setter
         if ( getter || setter )
         {
-            callback_getter.call( callback_getter, prop, getter );
-            callback_setter.call( callback_setter, prop, setter );
+            callback_getter.call( callback_getter, name, getter );
+            callback_setter.call( callback_setter, name, setter );
         }
         // method
-        else if ( value instanceof Function )
+        else if ( ( value instanceof Function ) || ( keywords['abstract'] ) )
         {
             callback_method.call(
                 callback_method,
-                prop,
+                name,
                 value,
-                exports.isAbstractMethod( value )
+                ( ( keywords['abstract'] )
+                    ? true
+                    : exports.isAbstractMethod( value )
+                )
             );
         }
         // simple property
         else
         {
-            callback_prop.call( callback_prop, prop, value );
+            callback_prop.call( callback_prop, name, value );
         }
     }
 }
@@ -457,6 +472,45 @@ exports.arrayShrink = function( items )
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * Parses property keywords
+ *
+ * @param  {string}  prop  property string, which may contain keywords
+ *
+ * @return  {{name: string, keywords: Object.<string, boolean>}}
+ */
+function propKeywordStringParser( prop )
+{
+    var name        = prop,
+        keywords    = [],
+        keyword_obj = {};
+
+    prop = ''+( prop );
+
+    if ( prop.length > 8 )
+    {
+        if ( prop[ 8 ] === ' ' )
+        {
+            // the keywords are all words, except for the last, which is the
+            // property name
+            keywords = prop.split( ' ' );
+            name     = keywords.pop();
+
+            var i = keywords.length;
+            while ( i-- )
+            {
+                keyword_obj[ keywords[ i ] ] = true;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return {
+        name:     name,
+        keywords: keyword_obj,
+    };
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Appropriately returns defineSecureProp implementation to avoid check on each
  * invocation
diff --git a/test/test-util-prop-parse-keywords.js b/test/test-util-prop-parse-keywords.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49ff95d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-util-prop-parse-keywords.js
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+/**
+ * Tests util.propParse keyword parsing
+ *
+ *  Copyright (C) 2010 Mike Gerwitz
+ *
+ *  This file is part of ease.js.
+ *
+ *  ease.js is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the
+ *  terms of the GNU Lesser General Public License as published by the Free
+ *  Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or (at your option)
+ *  any later version.
+ *
+ *  This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT
+ *  ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or
+ *  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ *  for more details.
+ *
+ *  You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public License
+ *  along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+ *
+ * @author  Mike Gerwitz
+ * @package test
+ */
+
+var common = require( './common' ),
+    assert = require( 'assert' ),
+    util   = common.require( 'util' );
+
+var data = {
+    'abstract foo': null,
+}
+
+var abstract_methods = [],
+    parse_data       = {};
+
+
+util.propParse( data, {
+    method: function ( name, func, is_abstract )
+    {
+        if ( is_abstract )
+        {
+            abstract_methods.push( name );
+            parse_data[ name ] = func;
+        }
+    },
+} );
+
+assert.ok(
+    ( ( abstract_methods.length === 1 )
+        && ( abstract_methods[ 0 ] === 'foo' )
+    ),
+    "Methods with 'abstract' keyword recognized as abstract"
+);
+
+
+//
+// custom parser
+var data2 = {
+        foo: 'bar',
+    },
+    map = {
+        foo: { 'abstract': true },
+    },
+
+    suffix = 'poo',
+
+    abstract_methods_2 = [];
+
+util.propParse( data2, {
+    keywordParser: function ( prop )
+    {
+        return {
+            name:     ( prop + suffix ),
+            keywords: map[ prop ],
+        };
+    },
+
+
+    method: function ( name, func, is_abstract )
+    {
+        if ( is_abstract )
+        {
+            abstract_methods_2.push( name );
+        }
+    },
+} );
+
+assert.ok(
+    ( abstract_methods_2[ 0 ] === ( 'foo' + suffix ) ),
+    "Can provide custom property keyword parser"
+);
+
+
+//
+// integrity test
+assert.doesNotThrow( function()
+{
+    var junk = { foo: 'bar' };
+
+    util.propParse( junk, {
+        keywordParser: function ( prop )
+        {
+            // return nothing
+        }
+    } );
+
+    util.propParse( junk, {
+        keywordParser: function ( prop )
+        {
+            // return bogus name and keywords
+            return { name: [], keywords: 'slefwef' };
+        }
+    } );
+}, Error, "Custom keyword parser tolerates bogus response" );
+