diff --git a/src/app-layer-parser.c b/src/app-layer-parser.c
index 1532fd6a73..a25acfaa81 100644
--- a/src/app-layer-parser.c
+++ b/src/app-layer-parser.c
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@
 
 #include "runmodes.h"
 
+static GetActiveTxIdFunc AppLayerGetActiveTxIdFuncPtr = NULL;
+
 struct AppLayerParserThreadCtx_ {
     void *alproto_local_storage[FLOW_PROTO_MAX][ALPROTO_MAX];
 };
@@ -168,6 +170,11 @@ int AppLayerParserSetup(void)
 
     memset(&alp_ctx, 0, sizeof(alp_ctx));
 
+    /* set the default tx handler if none was set explicitly */
+    if (AppLayerGetActiveTxIdFuncPtr == NULL) {
+        RegisterAppLayerGetActiveTxIdFunc(AppLayerTransactionGetActiveDetectLog);
+    }
+
     SCReturnInt(0);
 }
 
@@ -592,12 +599,10 @@ FileContainer *AppLayerParserGetFiles(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto,
     SCReturnPtr(ptr, "FileContainer *");
 }
 
-/**
- *  \brief Get 'active' tx id, meaning the lowest id that still need work.
+/** \brief active TX retrieval for normal ops: so with detection and logging
  *
- *  \retval id tx id
- */
-static uint64_t AppLayerTransactionGetActive(Flow *f, uint8_t flags) {
+ *  \retval tx_id lowest tx_id that still needs work */
+uint64_t AppLayerTransactionGetActiveDetectLog(Flow *f, uint8_t flags) {
     AppLayerParserProtoCtx *p = &alp_ctx.ctxs[FlowGetProtoMapping(f->proto)][f->alproto];
     uint64_t log_id = f->alparser->log_id;
     uint64_t inspect_id = f->alparser->inspect_id[flags & STREAM_TOSERVER ? 0 : 1];
@@ -608,6 +613,22 @@ static uint64_t AppLayerTransactionGetActive(Flow *f, uint8_t flags) {
     }
 }
 
+void RegisterAppLayerGetActiveTxIdFunc(GetActiveTxIdFunc FuncPtr) {
+    BUG_ON(AppLayerGetActiveTxIdFuncPtr != NULL);
+    AppLayerGetActiveTxIdFuncPtr = FuncPtr;
+}
+
+/**
+ *  \brief Get 'active' tx id, meaning the lowest id that still need work.
+ *
+ *  \retval id tx id
+ */
+static uint64_t AppLayerTransactionGetActive(Flow *f, uint8_t flags) {
+    BUG_ON(AppLayerGetActiveTxIdFuncPtr == NULL);
+
+    return AppLayerGetActiveTxIdFuncPtr(f, flags);
+}
+
 #ifndef MIN
 #define MIN(a, b) (((a) < (b)) ? (a) : (b))
 #endif
@@ -661,7 +682,6 @@ int AppLayerParserGetStateProgressCompletionStatus(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alp
     SCEnter();
     SCReturnInt(alp_ctx.ctxs[FlowGetProtoMapping(ipproto)][alproto].
                 StateGetProgressCompletionStatus(direction));
-
 }
 
 int AppLayerParserGetEventInfo(uint8_t ipproto, AppProto alproto, const char *event_name,
diff --git a/src/app-layer-parser.h b/src/app-layer-parser.h
index 99eb54f5bc..1028bcfe03 100644
--- a/src/app-layer-parser.h
+++ b/src/app-layer-parser.h
@@ -32,6 +32,28 @@
 #define APP_LAYER_PARSER_NO_INSPECTION  0x02
 #define APP_LAYER_PARSER_NO_REASSEMBLY  0x04
 
+
+
+/***** transaction handling *****/
+
+/** \brief Function ptr type for getting active TxId from a flow
+ *  Used by AppLayerTransactionGetActive.
+ */
+typedef uint64_t (*GetActiveTxIdFunc)(Flow *f, uint8_t flags);
+
+/** \brief Register GetActiveTxId Function
+ *
+ */
+void RegisterAppLayerGetActiveTxIdFunc(GetActiveTxIdFunc FuncPtr);
+
+/** \brief active TX retrieval for normal ops: so with detection and logging
+ *
+ *  \retval tx_id lowest tx_id that still needs work
+ *
+ *  This is the default function.
+ */
+uint64_t AppLayerTransactionGetActiveDetectLog(Flow *f, uint8_t flags);
+
 int AppLayerParserSetup(void);
 
 int AppLayerParserDeSetup(void);