diff --git a/src/main/java/rx/Observable.java b/src/main/java/rx/Observable.java
index 7e0e89a77a..340926276a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/rx/Observable.java
+++ b/src/main/java/rx/Observable.java
@@ -7660,6 +7660,15 @@ public final Observable<T> scan(Func2<T, T, T> accumulator) {
      * <p>
      * Note that the Observable that results from this method will emit {@code initialValue} as its first
      * emitted item.
+     * <p>
+     * Note that the initial value is shared among all subscribers and is encouraged to be immutable.
+     * For example, {@code scan(0, (a, b) -&lt; a + b)} shares the value 0 but there is no interference
+     * because the underlying Integer object is immutable. However, 
+     * {@code scan(new ArrayList<>(), (a, b) -&lt; a.add(b))} does interfere because the same initial
+     * ArrayList may be manipulated by multiple subscriptions to scan. To avoid unintentional
+     * sharing of the initial value, consider using the {@link #scan(Func2, Func0)} overload
+     * which allows specifying a per-Subsriber invoked initial value factory function. 
+     * 
      * <dl>
      *  <dt><b>Scheduler:</b></dt>
      *  <dd>{@code scan} does not operate by default on a particular {@link Scheduler}.</dd>
@@ -7674,11 +7683,50 @@ public final Observable<T> scan(Func2<T, T, T> accumulator) {
      * @return an Observable that emits {@code initialValue} followed by the results of each call to the
      *         accumulator function
      * @see <a href="http://reactivex.io/documentation/operators/scan.html">ReactiveX operators documentation: Scan</a>
+     * @see #scan(Func2, Func0)
      */
     public final <R> Observable<R> scan(R initialValue, Func2<R, ? super T, R> accumulator) {
         return lift(new OperatorScan<R, T>(initialValue, accumulator));
     }
+    
+    /**
+     * Applies an accumulator function to the source values and emits the current accumulated value,
+     * starting with an initial value generated by a factory function.
+     * 
+     * <dl>
+     *  <dt><b>Backpressure:</b></dt>
+     *  <dd>{@code scan} supports backpressure</dd>
+     *  <dt><b>Scheduler:</b></dt>
+     *  <dd>{@code scan} does not operate by default on a particular {@link Scheduler}.</dd>
+     * </dl>
+     * @param <R> the accumulated value type
+     * @param accumulator the function called with the current accumulator value, the current upstream
+     * value and expected to return a (new) accumulator value.
+     * @param initialFactory the function called for each Subscriber to generate an initial accumulator value
+     * @return the Observable instance that accumulates upstream values and emits each accumulated value,
+     * starting with a per-subscriber generated value.
+     */
+    public final <R> Observable<R> scan(final Func2<R, ? super T, R> accumulator, final Func0<R> initialFactory) {
+        return defer(new ScanWithInitialFactory<R>(initialFactory, accumulator));
+    }
+
+    /** The scan function that calls a factory for the initial value for each subscriber. */
+    final class ScanWithInitialFactory<R> implements Func0<Observable<R>> {
+        private final Func0<R> initialFactory;
+        private final Func2<R, ? super T, R> accumulator;
+
+        private ScanWithInitialFactory(Func0<R> initialFactory, Func2<R, ? super T, R> accumulator) {
+            this.initialFactory = initialFactory;
+            this.accumulator = accumulator;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public Observable<R> call() {
+            return scan(initialFactory.call(), accumulator);
+        }
+    }
 
+    
     /**
      * Forces an Observable's emissions and notifications to be serialized and for it to obey
      * <a href="http://reactivex.io/documentation/contract.html">the Observable contract</a> in other ways.
diff --git a/src/test/java/rx/internal/operators/OperatorScanTest.java b/src/test/java/rx/internal/operators/OperatorScanTest.java
index e45f32f92c..e956e9025e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/rx/internal/operators/OperatorScanTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/rx/internal/operators/OperatorScanTest.java
@@ -469,4 +469,54 @@ public Integer call(Integer t1, Integer t2) {
         
         assertEquals(Arrays.asList(Long.MAX_VALUE), requests);
     }
+    
+    @Test
+    public void withFactory() {
+        Func0<List<Integer>> factory = new Func0<List<Integer>>() {
+            @Override
+            public List<Integer> call() {
+                return new ArrayList<Integer>();
+            }
+        };
+        
+        Observable<List<Integer>> source = Observable.range(1, 10).scan(new Func2<List<Integer>, Integer, List<Integer>>() {
+            @Override
+            public List<Integer> call(List<Integer> t1, Integer t2) {
+                t1.add(t2);
+                return t1;
+            }
+        }, factory);
+        
+        int n = 10;
+        
+        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+            
+            List<Integer> list = source.toBlocking().last();
+            
+            Assert.assertEquals(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10), list);
+        }
+    }
+    
+    @Test
+    public void withoutFactory() {
+        Observable<List<Integer>> source = Observable.range(1, 3).scan(new ArrayList<Integer>(), new Func2<List<Integer>, Integer, List<Integer>>() {
+            @Override
+            public List<Integer> call(List<Integer> t1, Integer t2) {
+                t1.add(t2);
+                return t1;
+            }
+        });
+        
+        List<Integer> list = source.toBlocking().last();
+        
+        Assert.assertEquals(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3), list);
+        
+        list = source.toBlocking().last();
+        
+        Assert.assertEquals(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3), list);
+
+        list = source.toBlocking().last();
+        
+        Assert.assertEquals(Arrays.asList(1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3), list);
+    }
 }