diff --git a/src/Intervention/Image/ImageManager.php b/src/Intervention/Image/ImageManager.php
index a5df0540..205d17f0 100644
--- a/src/Intervention/Image/ImageManager.php
+++ b/src/Intervention/Image/ImageManager.php
@@ -100,15 +100,25 @@ class ImageManager
      */
     private function createDriver()
     {
-        $drivername = ucfirst($this->config['driver']);
-        $driverclass = sprintf('Intervention\\Image\\%s\\Driver', $drivername);
+        if (is_string($this->config['driver'])) {
+            $drivername = ucfirst($this->config['driver']);
+            $driverclass = sprintf('Intervention\\Image\\%s\\Driver', $drivername);
 
-        if (class_exists($driverclass)) {
-            return new $driverclass;
+            if (class_exists($driverclass)) {
+                return new $driverclass;
+            }
+
+            throw new \Intervention\Image\Exception\NotSupportedException(
+                "Driver ({$drivername}) could not be instantiated."
+            );
+        }
+
+        if ($this->config['driver'] instanceof AbstractDriver) {
+            return $this->config['driver'];
         }
 
         throw new \Intervention\Image\Exception\NotSupportedException(
-            "Driver ({$drivername}) could not be instantiated."
+            "Unknown driver type."
         );
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/ImageManagerTest.php b/tests/ImageManagerTest.php
index d28d0c4c..e23d9127 100644
--- a/tests/ImageManagerTest.php
+++ b/tests/ImageManagerTest.php
@@ -26,4 +26,14 @@ class ImageManagerTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertEquals('foo', $manager->config['driver']);
         $this->assertEquals('baz', $manager->config['bar']);
     }
+
+    public function testConfigureObject()
+    {
+        $config = array('driver' => new Intervention\Image\Imagick\Driver());
+        $manager = new ImageManager($config);
+
+        $image = $manager->make('data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7');
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Intervention\Image\Image', $image);
+        $this->assertInstanceOf('Imagick', $image->getCore());
+    }
 }