diff --git a/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-factory.ts b/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-factory.ts
index 1b591a06..19412a59 100644
--- a/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-factory.ts
+++ b/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-factory.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /********************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2017-2018 TypeFox and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2017-2024 TypeFox and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
  * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
@@ -34,13 +34,25 @@ export class SModelRegistry extends FactoryRegistry<SModelElementImpl, void> {
                 defaultFeatures = [];
             if (defaultFeatures) {
                 const featureSet = createFeatureSet(defaultFeatures, registration.features);
-                this.register(registration.type, () => {
-                    const element = new registration.constr();
-                    element.features = featureSet;
-                    return element;
-                });
+                if (registration.isOverride) {
+                    this.override(registration.type, () => {
+                        const element = new registration.constr();
+                        element.features = featureSet;
+                        return element;
+                    });
+                } else {
+                    this.register(registration.type, () => {
+                        const element = new registration.constr();
+                        element.features = featureSet;
+                        return element;
+                    });
+                }
             } else {
-                this.register(registration.type, () => new registration.constr());
+                if (registration.isOverride) {
+                    this.override(registration.type, () => new registration.constr());
+                } else {
+                    this.register(registration.type, () => new registration.constr());
+                }
             }
         });
     }
@@ -177,6 +189,7 @@ export interface SModelElementRegistration {
     type: string
     constr: SModelElementConstructor
     features?: CustomFeatures
+    isOverride?: boolean
 }
 
 export interface SModelElementConstructor {
diff --git a/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-utils.ts b/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-utils.ts
index f182ffed..57b7ea96 100644
--- a/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-utils.ts
+++ b/packages/sprotty/src/base/model/smodel-utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /********************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2017-2018 TypeFox and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2017-2024 TypeFox and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
  * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ import { SModelElementRegistration, CustomFeatures } from "./smodel-factory";
  * Register a model element constructor for an element type.
  */
 export function registerModelElement(context: { bind: interfaces.Bind, isBound: interfaces.IsBound },
-        type: string, constr: new () => SModelElementImpl, features?: CustomFeatures): void {
+        type: string, constr: new () => SModelElementImpl, features?: CustomFeatures, isOverride?: boolean): void {
     context.bind<SModelElementRegistration>(TYPES.SModelElementRegistration).toConstantValue({
-        type, constr, features
+        type, constr, features, isOverride
     });
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/sprotty/src/base/views/view.tsx b/packages/sprotty/src/base/views/view.tsx
index ac2ae94b..391a5688 100644
--- a/packages/sprotty/src/base/views/view.tsx
+++ b/packages/sprotty/src/base/views/view.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /********************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2017-2018 TypeFox and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2017-2024 TypeFox and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
  * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ export interface RenderingContext {
 export interface ViewRegistration {
     type: string
     factory: () => IView
+    isOverride?: boolean
 }
 
 export type ViewRegistrationFactory = () => ViewRegistration;
@@ -101,8 +102,13 @@ export class ViewRegistry extends InstanceRegistry<IView> {
     constructor(@multiInject(TYPES.ViewRegistration) @optional() registrations: ViewRegistration[]) {
         super();
         this.registerDefaults();
-        registrations.forEach(registration =>
-            this.register(registration.type, registration.factory())
+        registrations.forEach(registration => {
+            if (registration.isOverride) {
+                this.override(registration.type, registration.factory());
+            } else {
+                this.register(registration.type, registration.factory());
+            }
+        }
         );
     }
 
@@ -125,12 +131,20 @@ export function configureModelElement(context: { bind: interfaces.Bind, isBound:
     registerModelElement(context, type, modelConstr, features);
     configureView(context, type, viewConstr);
 }
+export function overrideModelElement(context: {bind: interfaces.Bind, isBound: interfaces.IsBound},
+        type: string, modelConstr: new () => SModelElementImpl, viewConstr: interfaces.ServiceIdentifier<IView>,
+        features?: CustomFeatures): void {
+    registerModelElement(context, type, modelConstr, features, true);
+    configureView(context, type, viewConstr, true);
+}
+
+
 
 /**
  * Utility function to register a view for a model element type.
  */
 export function configureView(context: { bind: interfaces.Bind, isBound: interfaces.IsBound },
-        type: string, constr: interfaces.ServiceIdentifier<IView>): void {
+        type: string, constr: interfaces.ServiceIdentifier<IView>, isOverride?: boolean): void {
     if (typeof constr === 'function') {
         if (!isInjectable(constr)) {
             throw new Error(`Views should be @injectable: ${constr.name}`);
@@ -141,7 +155,8 @@ export function configureView(context: { bind: interfaces.Bind, isBound: interfa
     }
     context.bind(TYPES.ViewRegistration).toDynamicValue(ctx => ({
         type,
-        factory: () => ctx.container.get(constr)
+        factory: () => ctx.container.get(constr),
+        isOverride
     }));
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/sprotty/src/utils/registry.ts b/packages/sprotty/src/utils/registry.ts
index 3d079b22..70c9fd4d 100644
--- a/packages/sprotty/src/utils/registry.ts
+++ b/packages/sprotty/src/utils/registry.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /********************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2017-2018 TypeFox and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2017-2024 TypeFox and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials are made available under the
  * terms of the Eclipse Public License v. 2.0 which is available at
@@ -60,7 +60,16 @@ export class FactoryRegistry<T, U> {
             throw new Error('Key is undefined');
         }
         if (this.hasKey(key)) {
-            throw new Error('Key is already registered: ' + key);
+            throw new Error(`Key is already registered: ${key}. Use \`overrideModelElement\` instead.`);
+        }
+        this.elements.set(key, factory);
+    }
+
+    override(key: string, factory: (u: U) => T) {
+        if (key === undefined) {
+            throw new Error('Key is undefined');
+        } else if (!this.hasKey(key)) {
+            throw new Error(`Key is not registered: ${key}. Use \`configureModelElement\` instead.`);
         }
         this.elements.set(key, factory);
     }
@@ -99,7 +108,16 @@ export class InstanceRegistry<T> {
             throw new Error('Key is undefined');
         }
         if (this.hasKey(key)) {
-            throw new Error('Key is already registered: ' + key);
+            throw new Error(`Key is already registered: ${key}. Use \`overrideModelElement\` instead.`);
+        }
+        this.elements.set(key, instance);
+    }
+
+    override(key: string, instance: T) {
+        if (key === undefined) {
+            throw new Error('Key is undefined');
+        } else if (!this.hasKey(key)) {
+            throw new Error(`Key is not registered: ${key}. Use \`configureModelElement\` instead.`);
         }
         this.elements.set(key, instance);
     }