diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
index 7d499b909..ef8e55deb 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer.rb
@@ -60,16 +60,10 @@ class << self
 
     # @api private
     def self.serializer_lookup_chain_for(klass)
-      chain = []
-
-      resource_class_name = klass.name.demodulize
-      resource_namespace = klass.name.deconstantize
-      serializer_class_name = "#{resource_class_name}Serializer"
-
-      chain.push("#{name}::#{serializer_class_name}") if self != ActiveModel::Serializer
-      chain.push("#{resource_namespace}::#{serializer_class_name}")
-
-      chain
+      lookups = ActiveModelSerializers.config.serializer_lookup_chain
+      Array[*lookups].map do |lookup|
+        lookup.call(klass, self)
+      end.flatten.compact
     end
 
     # Used to cache serializer name => serializer class
diff --git a/lib/active_model/serializer/concerns/configuration.rb b/lib/active_model/serializer/concerns/configuration.rb
index 2604033c4..f6a452cb2 100644
--- a/lib/active_model/serializer/concerns/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model/serializer/concerns/configuration.rb
@@ -31,6 +31,31 @@ def config.array_serializer
         # ref: http://jsonapi.org/format/#document-top-level
         config.jsonapi_include_toplevel_object = false
 
+        # example output
+        # => [
+        # "::Api::V1::ResNamespace::ResourceSerializer",
+        # "::Api::ResNamespace::ResourceSerializer",
+        # "::ResNamespace::ResourceSerializer" ,
+        # "::ResourceSerializer"]
+        #
+        # NOTE: lookup_namespace is often the ControllerClass.name
+        config.serializer_lookup_chain = ActiveModelSerializers::LookupChain::DEFAULT.dup
+        # config.serializer_lookup_chain = proc { |lookup_namespace, _, _|
+        #   lookups = []
+        #   current_resource = lookup_namespace.name.remove(/Controller\z/)
+        #   current_resource += 'Serializer'
+        #   namespaces = current_resource.split('::')
+        #   resource_serializer = namespaces.slice!(-1)
+        #
+        #   lookups << '::' + resource_serializer
+        #   namespaces.length.times do |i|
+        #     current_namespace = namespaces[i - namespaces.length..-1].join('::')
+        #     lookups << '::' + current_namespace + '::' + resource_serializer
+        #   end
+        #
+        #   lookups
+        # }
+
         config.schema_path = 'test/support/schemas'
       end
     end
diff --git a/lib/active_model_serializers.rb b/lib/active_model_serializers.rb
index 76a32c497..b55dae35a 100644
--- a/lib/active_model_serializers.rb
+++ b/lib/active_model_serializers.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ module ActiveModelSerializers
   autoload :Adapter
   autoload :JsonPointer
   autoload :Deprecate
+  autoload :LookupChain
 
   class << self; attr_accessor :logger; end
   self.logger = ActiveSupport::TaggedLogging.new(ActiveSupport::Logger.new(STDOUT))
diff --git a/lib/active_model_serializers/lookup_chain.rb b/lib/active_model_serializers/lookup_chain.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d34e1b4dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/active_model_serializers/lookup_chain.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+module ActiveModelSerializers
+  module LookupChain
+    # Standard appending of Serializer to the resource name.
+    #
+    # Example:
+    #   Author => AuthorSerializer
+    BY_RESOURCE = lambda do |resource_class, _serializer_class|
+      serializer_from(resource_class)
+    end
+
+    # Uses the namespace of the resource to find the serializer=
+    #
+    # Example:
+    #  British::Author => British::AuthorSerializer
+    BY_NAMESPACE = lambda do |resource_class, _serializer_class|
+      resource_namespace = namespace_for(resource_class)
+      serializer_name = serializer_from(resource_class)
+
+      "#{resource_namespace}::#{serializer_name}"
+    end
+
+    # Allows for serializers to be defined in parent serializers
+    # - useful if a relationship only needs a different set of attributes
+    #   than if it were rendered independently.
+    #
+    # Example:
+    #   class BlogSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
+    #     class AuthorSerialier < ActiveModel::Serializer
+    #     ...
+    #     end
+    #
+    #     belongs_to :author
+    #     ...
+    #   end
+    #
+    #  The belongs_to relationship would be rendered with
+    #    BlogSerializer::AuthorSerialier
+    BY_PARENT_SERIALIZER = lambda do |resource_class, serializer_class|
+      return if serializer_class == ActiveModel::Serializer
+
+      serializer_name = serializer_from(resource_class)
+      "#{serializer_class.name}::#{serializer_name}"
+    end
+
+    DEFAULT = [
+      BY_PARENT_SERIALIZER,
+      BY_NAMESPACE,
+      BY_RESOURCE
+    ].freeze
+
+    module_function
+
+    def namespace_for(klass)
+      klass.name.deconstantize
+    end
+
+    def resource_class_name(klass)
+      klass.name.demodulize
+    end
+
+    def serializer_from_resource_name(name)
+      "#{name}Serializer"
+    end
+
+    def serializer_from(klass)
+      name = resource_class_name(klass)
+      serializer_from_resource_name(name)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/feature/configuration/serializer_lookup/in_controllers_test.rb b/test/feature/configuration/serializer_lookup/in_controllers_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/test/feature/configuration/serializer_lookup/using_serializable_resource_test.rb b/test/feature/configuration/serializer_lookup/using_serializable_resource_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f5ef5b08d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/feature/configuration/serializer_lookup/using_serializable_resource_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+require 'test_helper'
+
+describe 'feature' do
+  describe 'configuration' do
+    describe 'serializer lookup' do
+      describe 'using SerializableResource' do
+        it 'uses the child serializer' do
+          class Parent < ::Model; end
+          class Child < ::Model; end
+
+          class ParentSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
+            class ChildSerializer < ActiveModel::Serializer
+              attributes :name, :child_attr
+              def child_attr
+                true
+              end
+            end
+
+            attributes :name
+            belongs_to :child
+          end
+
+          parent = Parent.new(name: 'parent', child: Child.new(name: 'child'))
+          resource = ActiveModelSerializers::SerializableResource.new(
+            parent,
+            adapter: :attributes
+          )
+
+          expected = {
+            name: 'parent',
+            child: {
+              name: 'child',
+              child_attr: true
+            }
+          }
+
+          assert_equal expected, resource.serializable_hash
+        end
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end