diff --git a/example/components/DrawerNavigationExample.js b/example/components/DrawerNavigationExample.js
index 98659d7..aa5023e 100644
--- a/example/components/DrawerNavigationExample.js
+++ b/example/components/DrawerNavigationExample.js
@@ -21,68 +21,89 @@ class Heading extends DrawerNavigationChild {
   }
 }
 
-export default class DrawerNavigationExample extends Component {
-
-  _renderHeader = () => {
-    return <Image source={require('../assets/sparkles.jpg')} style={styles.header} />;
+class DrawerItem extends DrawerNavigationItem {
+  renderIcon = (isSelected: bool) => {
+    let extraStyle = {marginTop: 2};
+    if (this.props.icon === 'md-alert') {
+      extraStyle = {...extraStyle, marginLeft: -3};
+    }
+    return (
+      <Ionicons
+        style={[styles.icon, isSelected ? styles.selectedText : null, extraStyle]}
+        name={this.props.icon}
+        size={24}
+      />
+    );
   };
 
-  _renderTitle = (text: string, isSelected: bool) => {
+  renderTitle = (isSelected: bool) => {
     return (
       <Text style={[styles.buttonTitleText, isSelected ? styles.selectedText : null]}>
-        {text}
+        {this.props.title}
       </Text>
     );
   };
 
-  _renderIcon = (name: string, isSelected: bool) => {
-    let extraStyle = {marginTop: 2};
-    if (name === 'md-alert') {
-      extraStyle = {...extraStyle, marginLeft: -3};
-    }
+  get selectedItemStyle() {
+    return styles.selectedItemStyle;
+  }
+
+  get children() {
+    let { defaultRouteConfig } = this.props;
+
     return (
-      <Ionicons
-        style={[styles.icon, isSelected ? styles.selectedText : null, extraStyle]}
-        name={name}
-        size={24}
+      <StackNavigation
+        id="root"
+        defaultRouteConfig={defaultRouteConfig}
+        initialRoute={Router.getRoute('home')}
       />
     );
+  }
+}
+
+export default class DrawerNavigationExample extends Component {
+  renderHeader = () => {
+    return <Image source={require('../assets/sparkles.jpg')} style={styles.header} />;
   };
 
   render() {
     return (
       <DrawerNavigation
         drawerPosition="right"
-        renderHeader={this._renderHeader}
+        renderHeader={this.renderHeader}
         drawerWidth={300}
         initialItem="home">
-        <DrawerNavigationItem
+        <DrawerItem
           id="home"
-          selectedStyle={styles.selectedItemStyle}
-          renderTitle={isSelected => this._renderTitle('Examples', isSelected)}
-          renderIcon={isSelected => this._renderIcon('md-apps', isSelected)}>
-          <StackNavigation
-            id="root"
-            defaultRouteConfig={{
-              navigationBar: {
-                backgroundColor: '#0084FF',
-                tintColor: '#fff',
-              },
-            }}
-            initialRoute={Router.getRoute('home')}
-          />
-        </DrawerNavigationItem>
-        <Heading title='Meta' />
-        <DrawerNavigationItem
+          icon="md-apps"
+          title="Examples"
+          defaultRouteConfig={{
+            navigationBar: {
+              backgroundColor: '#0084FF',
+              tintColor: '#fff',
+            },
+          }}
+          stack={{
+            id: 'root',
+            initialRoute: Router.getRoute('home'),
+          }}
+        />
+        <Heading title="Meta" />
+        <DrawerItem
           id="another"
-          selectedStyle={styles.selectedItemStyle}
-          renderTitle={isSelected => this._renderTitle('About', isSelected)}
-          renderIcon={isSelected => this._renderIcon('md-alert', isSelected)}>
-          <StackNavigation
-            id="about"
-            initialRoute={Router.getRoute('about')}
-          />
-        </DrawerNavigationItem>
+          icon="md-alert"
+          title="About"
+          defaultRouteConfig={{
+            navigationBar: {
+              backgroundColor: '#0084FF',
+              tintColor: '#fff',
+            },
+          }}
+          stack={{
+            id: 'root',
+            initialRoute: Router.getRoute('about'),
+          }}
+        />
       </DrawerNavigation>
     );
   }
diff --git a/src/drawer/ExNavigationDrawerItem.js b/src/drawer/ExNavigationDrawerItem.js
index 54ad118..4f0d26e 100644
--- a/src/drawer/ExNavigationDrawerItem.js
+++ b/src/drawer/ExNavigationDrawerItem.js
@@ -8,11 +8,34 @@ import TouchableNativeFeedbackSafe from '@exponent/react-native-touchable-native
 import ExNavigationDrawerChild from './ExNavigationDrawerChild';
 import type { Props } from './ExNavigationDrawerChild';
 
+function _set(self, name, fn) {
+  // Stop use of `get` from interfering with `renderTitle => ...` in subclasses
+  Object.defineProperty(self, name, {
+    value: fn,
+  });
+}
+
 export default class ExNavigationDrawerItem extends ExNavigationDrawerChild {
   props: Props;
 
+  get showsTouches() { return this.props.showsTouches; }
+  get renderIcon() { return this.props.renderIcon; }
+  get renderTitle() { return this.props.renderTitle; }
+  get renderRight() { return this.props.renderRight; }
+  get onPress() { return this.props.onPress; }
+  get onLongPress() { return this.props.onLongPress; }
+  get children() { return this.props.children; }
+  set showsTouches(fn) { _set(this, 'showsTouches', fn); }
+  set renderIcon(fn) { _set(this, 'renderIcon', fn); }
+  set renderTitle(fn) { _set(this, 'renderTitle', fn); }
+  set renderRight(fn) { _set(this, 'renderRight', fn); }
+  set onPress(fn) { _set(this, 'onPress', fn); }
+  set onLongPress(fn) { _set(this, 'onLongPress', fn); }
+  set children(fn) { _set(this, 'children', fn); }
+
   renderDrawerItem() {
-    let { showsTouches, isSelected, renderIcon, renderTitle, renderRight, onPress, onLongPress } = this.props;
+    let { isSelected } = this.props;
+    let { showsTouches, renderIcon, renderTitle, renderRight, onPress, onLongPress } = this;
     const icon = renderIcon && renderIcon(isSelected);
     const title = renderTitle && renderTitle(isSelected);
     const rightElement = renderRight && renderRight(isSelected);
@@ -60,8 +83,9 @@ export default class ExNavigationDrawerItem extends ExNavigationDrawerChild {
   }
 
   renderContent() {
-    if (React.Children.count(this.props.children) > 0) {
-      return React.Children.only(this.props.children);
+    const children = this.children;
+    if (React.Children.count(children) > 0) {
+      return React.Children.only(children);
     }
 
     return null;