diff --git a/docs/source/news.rst b/docs/source/news.rst
index eb9fb0e..b5bb22a 100644
--- a/docs/source/news.rst
+++ b/docs/source/news.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
 What's New
 ==========
 
+Unreleased
+^^^^^^^^^^
+
+Features:
+
+* ``Action.continue_task`` now takes ``action_task`` and extra fields to use for the action, so the default ``eliot:remote_task`` can be changed.
+
 1.13.0
 ^^^^^^
 
diff --git a/eliot/_action.py b/eliot/_action.py
index 5b5b519..56d9b4f 100644
--- a/eliot/_action.py
+++ b/eliot/_action.py
@@ -236,7 +236,15 @@ class Action(object):
         ).encode("ascii")
 
     @classmethod
-    def continue_task(cls, logger=None, task_id=_TASK_ID_NOT_SUPPLIED):
+    def continue_task(
+        cls,
+        logger=None,
+        task_id=_TASK_ID_NOT_SUPPLIED,
+        *,
+        action_type="eliot:remote_task",
+        _serializers=None,
+        **fields,
+    ):
         """
         Start a new action which is part of a serialized task.
 
@@ -247,6 +255,15 @@ class Action(object):
             L{Action.serialize_task_id}, either ASCII-encoded bytes or unicode
             string. Required.
 
+        @param action_type: The type of this action,
+            e.g. C{"yourapp:subsystem:dosomething"}.
+
+        @param _serializers: Either a L{eliot._validation._ActionSerializers}
+            instance or C{None}. In the latter case no validation or serialization
+            will be done for messages generated by the L{Action}.
+
+        @param fields: Additional fields to add to the start message.
+
         @return: The new L{Action} instance.
         """
         if task_id is _TASK_ID_NOT_SUPPLIED:
@@ -255,9 +272,9 @@ class Action(object):
             task_id = task_id.decode("ascii")
         uuid, task_level = task_id.split("@")
         action = cls(
-            logger, uuid, TaskLevel.fromString(task_level), "eliot:remote_task"
+            logger, uuid, TaskLevel.fromString(task_level), action_type, _serializers
         )
-        action._start({})
+        action._start(fields)
         return action
 
     # Backwards-compat variants:

diff --git a/eliot/tests/test_action.py b/eliot/tests/test_action.py
index 1d6db7c..9e1d4ea 100644
--- a/eliot/tests/test_action.py
+++ b/eliot/tests/test_action.py
@@ -781,6 +781,27 @@ class SerializationTests(TestCase):
             },
         )
 
+    def test_continueTaskCustomType(self):
+        """
+        L{Action.continue_task} uses the provided action type and extra fields.
+        """
+        originalAction = Action(None, "uniq456", TaskLevel(level=[3, 4]), "mytype")
+        taskId = originalAction.serializeTaskId()
+        logger = MemoryLogger()
+
+        Action.continue_task(logger, taskId, action_type="custom:action", field="value")
+        assertContainsFields(
+            self,
+            logger.messages[0],
+            {
+                "task_uuid": "uniq456",
+                "task_level": [3, 4, 1, 1],
+                "action_type": "custom:action",
+                "action_status": "started",
+                "field": "value",
+            },
+        )
+
     def test_continueTaskNoLogger(self):
         """
         L{Action.continue_task} can be called without a logger.

Let `Action.continue_task` to take `action_type` and `fields`.
I've been experimenting with capturing logs from a eliot-using service in integration tests, and want to have a more descriptive action than `eliot:remote_task` as the root action of the service.
eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_continueTaskCustomType
eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_addSuccessFields eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_child eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_childLevel eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_childSerializers eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_failureFinishSerializer eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_finish eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_finishWithBadException eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_multipleFinishCalls eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_nextTaskLevel eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_per_thread_context eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_run eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_runContext eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_runContextUnsetOnRaise eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_runContextUnsetOnReturn eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_start eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_startFieldsNotInFinish eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_startMessageSerialization eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_successfulFinishSerializer eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_task_uuid eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withContextNoLogging eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withContextReturnsaction eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withContextSetsContext eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withContextUnsetOnRaise eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withContextUnsetOnReturn eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withLogsExceptionMessage eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withLogsSuccessfulFinishMessage eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withReturnValue eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withSetsContext eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withUnsetOnRaise eliot/tests/test_action.py::ActionTests::test_withUnsetOnReturn eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startActionNoLogger eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startActionNoParent eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startActionNoParentLogStart eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startActionSerializers eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startActionWithParent eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startActionWithParentLogStart eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startTaskLogsStart eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startTaskNewAction eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startTaskNewUUID eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startTaskNoLogger eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_startTaskSerializers eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_start_action_default_action_type eliot/tests/test_action.py::StartActionAndTaskTests::test_start_task_default_action_type eliot/tests/test_action.py::PEP8Tests::test_add_success_fields eliot/tests/test_action.py::PEP8Tests::test_continue_task eliot/tests/test_action.py::PEP8Tests::test_serialize_task_id eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_continueTaskNoLogger eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_continueTaskRequiredTaskId eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_continueTaskReturnsAction eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_continueTaskStartsAction eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_continueTaskUnicode eliot/tests/test_action.py::SerializationTests::test_serializeTaskId eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_as_list eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_child_greater_than_parent eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_equality eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_fromString eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_from_string eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_next_sibling eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_next_sibling_greater eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_parent_of_child eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_parent_of_root eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_toString eliot/tests/test_action.py::TaskLevelTests::test_to_string eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_action_type_mismatch eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_children eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_different_task_uuid eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_duplicate_task_level eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_end_has_no_status eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_failed_end eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_from_single_child_message eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_from_single_end_message eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_from_single_start_message eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_invalid_start_message_missing_status eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_invalid_start_message_wrong_status eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_invalid_task_level_in_start_message eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_successful_end eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_wrong_task_level eliot/tests/test_action.py::WrittenActionTests::test_wrong_task_uuid eliot/tests/test_action.py::FailedActionExtractionTests::test_environmenterror eliot/tests/test_action.py::FailedActionExtractionTests::test_error_in_extracter eliot/tests/test_action.py::FailedActionExtractionTests::test_matching_class eliot/tests/test_action.py::FailedActionExtractionTests::test_regular_fields eliot/tests/test_action.py::FailedActionExtractionTests::test_subclass_falls_back_to_parent eliot/tests/test_action.py::FailedActionExtractionTests::test_subclass_matches_first eliot/tests/test_action.py::PreserveContextTests::test_callable_only_once eliot/tests/test_action.py::PreserveContextTests::test_no_context eliot/tests/test_action.py::PreserveContextTests::test_with_context_calls_underlying eliot/tests/test_action.py::PreserveContextTests::test_with_context_preserves_context eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_action_type eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_default_argument_given eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_default_argument_missing eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_exception eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_methods eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_no_args_return eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_no_result eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_pickleable eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_star_args_kwargs eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_whitelist_args eliot/tests/test_action.py::LogCallTests::test_wrong_whitelist_args eliot/tests/test_action.py::IndividualMessageLogTests::test_log_adds_timestamp eliot/tests/test_action.py::IndividualMessageLogTests::test_log_creates_new_dictionary eliot/tests/test_action.py::IndividualMessageLogTests::test_part_of_action