diff --git a/wake_t/beamline_elements/field_element.py b/wake_t/beamline_elements/field_element.py
index 31159d9..891bae6 100644
--- a/wake_t/beamline_elements/field_element.py
+++ b/wake_t/beamline_elements/field_element.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from typing import Optional, Union, List, Literal
+from typing import Optional, Union, Callable, List, Literal
 
 import scipy.constants as ct
 
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ def __init__(
         n_out: Optional[int] = 1,
         name: Optional[str] = 'field element',
         fields: Optional[List[Field]] = [],
-        auto_dt_bunch: Optional[str] = None,
+        auto_dt_bunch: Optional[Callable[[ParticleBunch], float]] = None,
         push_bunches_before_diags: Optional[bool] = True,
     ) -> None:
         self.length = length
diff --git a/wake_t/beamline_elements/plasma_stage.py b/wake_t/beamline_elements/plasma_stage.py
index fd58c86..16fc96e 100644
--- a/wake_t/beamline_elements/plasma_stage.py
+++ b/wake_t/beamline_elements/plasma_stage.py
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 import wake_t.physics_models.plasma_wakefields as wf
 from wake_t.fields.base import Field
 from .field_element import FieldElement
+from wake_t.particles.particle_bunch import ParticleBunch
 
 
 DtBunchType = Union[float, str, List[Union[float, str]]]
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ class PlasmaStage(FieldElement):
         stage. A list of values can also be provided. In this case, the list
         should have the same order as the list of bunches given to the
         ``track`` method.
+    auto_dt_bunch : callable, optional
+        Function used to determine the adaptive time step for bunches in
+        which the time step is set to ``'auto'``. The function should take
+        solely a ``ParticleBunch`` as argument.
     push_bunches_before_diags : bool, optional
         Whether to push the bunches before saving them to the diagnostics.
         Since the time step of the diagnostics can be different from that
@@ -93,6 +98,7 @@ def __init__(
         wakefield_model: Optional[str] = 'simple_blowout',
         bunch_pusher: Optional[Literal['boris', 'rk4']] = 'boris',
         dt_bunch: Optional[DtBunchType] = 'auto',
+        auto_dt_bunch: Optional[Callable[[ParticleBunch], float]] = None,
         push_bunches_before_diags: Optional[bool] = True,
         n_out: Optional[int] = 1,
         name: Optional[str] = 'Plasma stage',
@@ -106,6 +112,9 @@ def __init__(
         if self.wakefield is not None:
             fields.append(self.wakefield)
         fields.extend(self.external_fields)
+        self.auto_dt_bunch = auto_dt_bunch
+        if self.auto_dt_bunch is None:
+            self.auto_dt_bunch = self._get_optimized_dt
         super().__init__(
             length=length,
             dt_bunch=dt_bunch,
@@ -113,7 +122,7 @@ def __init__(
             n_out=n_out,
             name=name,
             fields=fields,
-            auto_dt_bunch=self._get_optimized_dt,
+            auto_dt_bunch=self.auto_dt_bunch,
             push_bunches_before_diags=push_bunches_before_diags,
         )