diff --git a/magicgui/__init__.py b/magicgui/__init__.py
index 441715d5a..b335c9c04 100644
--- a/magicgui/__init__.py
+++ b/magicgui/__init__.py
@@ -10,13 +10,14 @@
 
 from ._magicgui import magic_factory, magicgui
 from .application import event_loop, use_app
-from .type_map import register_type
+from .type_map import register_type, type_registered
 
 __all__ = [
     "event_loop",
-    "magicgui",
     "magic_factory",
+    "magicgui",
     "register_type",
+    "type_registered",
     "use_app",
 ]
 
diff --git a/magicgui/type_map.py b/magicgui/type_map.py
index 8d1f8a1fc..b650dd872 100644
--- a/magicgui/type_map.py
+++ b/magicgui/type_map.py
@@ -7,8 +7,20 @@
 import types
 import warnings
 from collections import defaultdict
+from contextlib import contextmanager
 from enum import EnumMeta
-from typing import Any, Callable, DefaultDict, ForwardRef, Type, TypeVar, cast, overload
+from typing import (
+    Any,
+    Callable,
+    DefaultDict,
+    ForwardRef,
+    Iterator,
+    Optional,
+    Type,
+    TypeVar,
+    cast,
+    overload,
+)
 
 from typing_extensions import Literal, get_origin
 
@@ -369,6 +381,63 @@ def _deco(type_):
     return _deco if type_ is None else _deco(type_)
 
 
+@contextmanager
+def type_registered(
+    type_: _T,
+    *,
+    widget_type: WidgetRef | None = None,
+    return_callback: ReturnCallback | None = None,
+    **options,
+) -> Iterator[None]:
+    """Context manager that temporarily registers a widget type for a given `type_`.
+
+    When the context is exited, the previous widget type associations for `type_` is
+    restored.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    type_ : _T
+        The type for which a widget class or return callback will be provided.
+    widget_type : Optional[WidgetRef]
+        A widget class from the current backend that should be used whenever ``type_``
+        is used as the type annotation for an argument in a decorated function,
+        by default None
+    return_callback: Optional[callable]
+        If provided, whenever ``type_`` is declared as the return type of a decorated
+        function, ``return_callback(widget, value, return_type)`` will be called
+        whenever the decorated function is called... where ``widget`` is the Widget
+        instance, and ``value`` is the return value of the decorated function.
+    **options
+        key value pairs where the keys are valid `WidgetOptions`
+    """
+    tw = TypeWrapper(type_)
+    tw.resolve()
+    _type_ = tw.outer_type_
+
+    # check if return_callback is already registered
+    rc_was_present = return_callback in _RETURN_CALLBACKS.get(_type_, [])
+    # store any previous widget_type and options for this type
+    prev_type_def: Optional[WidgetTuple] = _TYPE_DEFS.get(_type_, None)
+    _type_ = register_type(
+        type_, widget_type=widget_type, return_callback=return_callback, **options
+    )
+    new_type_def: Optional[WidgetTuple] = _TYPE_DEFS.get(_type_, None)
+    try:
+        yield
+    finally:
+        # restore things to before the context
+        if return_callback is not None and not rc_was_present:
+            _RETURN_CALLBACKS[_type_].remove(return_callback)
+
+        if _TYPE_DEFS.get(_type_, None) is not new_type_def:
+            warnings.warn("Type definition changed during context", stacklevel=2)
+
+        if prev_type_def is not None:
+            _TYPE_DEFS[_type_] = prev_type_def
+        else:
+            _TYPE_DEFS.pop(_type_, None)
+
+
 def _type2callback(type_: type) -> list[ReturnCallback]:
     """Check if return callbacks have been registered for ``type_`` and return if so.
 
diff --git a/tests/test_types.py b/tests/test_types.py
index f3ac99096..333e6e1f8 100644
--- a/tests/test_types.py
+++ b/tests/test_types.py
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 from enum import Enum
+from pathlib import Path
 from typing import Optional, Union
+from unittest.mock import Mock
 
 import pytest
 
-from magicgui import magicgui, register_type, type_map, types, widgets
+from magicgui import magicgui, register_type, type_map, type_registered, types, widgets
+from magicgui.type_map import _RETURN_CALLBACKS
 
 
 def test_forward_refs():
@@ -103,3 +106,47 @@ def test_widget_options():
     choice3 = widgets.create_widget(annotation=E)
     assert choice1._nullable is choice3._nullable is False
     assert choice2._nullable is True
+
+
+def test_type_registered():
+    assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.FileEdit)
+    with type_registered(Path, widget_type=widgets.LineEdit):
+        assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.LineEdit)
+    assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.FileEdit)
+
+
+def test_type_registered_callbacks():
+    @magicgui
+    def func(a: int) -> int:
+        return a
+
+    assert not _RETURN_CALLBACKS[int]
+    mock = Mock()
+    func(1)
+    mock.assert_not_called()
+
+    cb = lambda g, v, r: mock(v)  # noqa
+    cb2 = lambda g, v, r: None  # noqa
+
+    with type_registered(int, return_callback=cb):
+        func(2)
+        mock.assert_called_once_with(2)
+        mock.reset_mock()
+        assert _RETURN_CALLBACKS[int] == [cb]
+        register_type(int, return_callback=cb2)
+        assert _RETURN_CALLBACKS[int] == [cb, cb2]
+
+    func(3)
+    mock.assert_not_called()
+    assert _RETURN_CALLBACKS[int] == [cb2]
+
+
+def test_type_registered_warns():
+    """Test that type_registered warns if the type was changed during context."""
+    assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.FileEdit)
+    with pytest.warns(UserWarning, match="Type definition changed during context"):
+        with type_registered(Path, widget_type=widgets.LineEdit):
+            assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.LineEdit)
+            register_type(Path, widget_type=widgets.TextEdit)
+            assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.TextEdit)
+    assert isinstance(widgets.create_widget(annotation=Path), widgets.FileEdit)