diff --git a/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.cpp b/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.cpp
index 79c0c96..ce8cb06 100644
--- a/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.cpp
+++ b/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.cpp
@@ -68,6 +68,16 @@ ParticipantConfig::Transport::ConverterNames ParticipantConfig::Transport::getCo
     return this->converters;
 }
 
+void ParticipantConfig::Transport::addConverter(const string &wireschema, const string &datatype)
+{
+    this->converters.insert(make_pair(wireschema, datatype));
+}
+
+void ParticipantConfig::Transport::addConverters(const ParticipantConfig::Transport::ConverterNames &converters)
+{
+    this->converters.insert(converters.begin(), converters.end());
+}
+
 rsc::runtime::Properties ParticipantConfig::Transport::getOptions() const {
     return this->options;
 }
@@ -103,7 +113,7 @@ void ParticipantConfig::Transport::handleOption(const vector<string>& key,
                                     "Option key `%1%' has invalid number of components; converter-related keys for transports has to have three components")
                                     % key));
         }
-        this->converters.insert(make_pair(key[2], value));
+        this->addConverter(key[2], value);
     } else if ((key.size() >= 2) && (key[0] == "converter")) {
         // ignore converters for other languages
     } else {
diff --git a/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.h b/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.h
index 852b92c..766be84 100644
--- a/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.h
+++ b/src/rsb/ParticipantConfig.h
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ public:
             public rsc::config::OptionHandler,
             public rsc::runtime::Printable {
     public:
+        /**
+         * The set of preferred converters lists (wire-schema, data-type) pairs.
+         */
         typedef std::set<std::pair<std::string, std::string> > ConverterNames;
 
         /**
@@ -95,9 +98,23 @@ public:
          */
         std::string getName() const;
 
+        /**
+         * Return the set of preferred converters.
+         * This list is typically initialized from options. See @a handleOption().
+         */
         ConverterNames getConverters() const;
 
         /**
+         * add a preferred converter
+         */
+        void addConverter(const std::string &wireschema, const std::string &datatype);
+
+        /**
+         * add preferred converters
+         */
+        void addConverters(const ConverterNames& converters);
+
+        /**
          * Returns the specified options for the transport.
          *
          * @return copy of options for the transport