diff --git a/google/auth/credentials.py b/google/auth/credentials.py
index 82c73c3bf..d53c52021 100644
--- a/google/auth/credentials.py
+++ b/google/auth/credentials.py
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ def __init__(self):
 
         self._use_non_blocking_refresh = False
         self._refresh_worker = RefreshThreadManager()
+        self._custom_headers = {}
 
     @property
     def expired(self):
@@ -185,6 +186,7 @@ def apply(self, headers, token=None):
         self._apply(headers, token)
         if self.quota_project_id:
             headers["x-goog-user-project"] = self.quota_project_id
+        headers.update(self._custom_headers)
 
     def _blocking_refresh(self, request):
         if not self.valid:
@@ -233,6 +235,38 @@ def before_request(self, request, method, url, headers):
     def with_non_blocking_refresh(self):
         self._use_non_blocking_refresh = True
 
+    def with_headers(self, headers):
+        """Returns a copy of these credentials with additional custom headers.
+
+        Args:
+            headers (Mapping[str, str]): The custom headers to add.
+
+        Returns:
+            google.auth.credentials.Credentials: A new credentials instance.
+
+        Raises:
+            ValueError: If a protected header is included in the input headers.
+        """
+        import copy
+
+        PROTECTED_HEADERS = {
+            "authorization",
+            "x-goog-user-project",
+            "x-goog-api-client",
+            "x-allowed-locations",
+        }
+
+        for key in headers:
+            if key.lower() in PROTECTED_HEADERS:
+                raise ValueError(
+                    f"Header '{key}' is protected and cannot be set with with_headers. "
+                    "These headers are managed by the library."
+                )
+
+        new_creds = copy.deepcopy(self)
+        new_creds._custom_headers.update(headers)
+        return new_creds
+
 
 class CredentialsWithQuotaProject(Credentials):
     """Abstract base for credentials supporting ``with_quota_project`` factory"""
diff --git a/tests/test_credentials.py b/tests/test_credentials.py
index 1fb880096..a95db9ba3 100644
--- a/tests/test_credentials.py
+++ b/tests/test_credentials.py
@@ -71,6 +71,48 @@ def test_with_non_blocking_refresh():
     assert c._use_non_blocking_refresh
 
 
+def test_with_headers():
+    credentials = CredentialsImpl()
+    request = mock.Mock()
+
+    # 1. Add a new custom header
+    creds_with_header = credentials.with_headers({"X-Custom-Header": "value1"})
+    headers = {}
+    creds_with_header.before_request(request, "http://example.com", "GET", headers)
+    assert headers["X-Custom-Header"] == "value1"
+    assert "authorization" in headers  # Ensure base apply logic ran
+    assert creds_with_header is not credentials
+    assert not hasattr(credentials, "_custom_headers") or not credentials._custom_headers
+
+    # 2. Update an existing custom header
+    creds_updated = creds_with_header.with_headers({"X-Custom-Header": "value2"})
+    headers = {}
+    creds_updated.before_request(request, "http://example.com", "GET", headers)
+    assert headers["X-Custom-Header"] == "value2"
+
+    # 3. Chaining with_headers calls
+    creds_chained = credentials.with_headers({"X-Header-1": "v1"}).with_headers(
+        {"X-Header-2": "v2"}
+    )
+    headers = {}
+    creds_chained.before_request(request, "http://example.com", "GET", headers)
+    assert headers["X-Header-1"] == "v1"
+    assert headers["X-Header-2"] == "v2"
+
+    # 4. Ensure protected headers cannot be set
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        credentials.with_headers({"Authorization": "Bearer token"})
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        credentials.with_headers({"X-Goog-User-Project": "test"})
+    with pytest.raises(ValueError):
+        credentials.with_headers({"authorization": "Bearer token"})  # Case-insensitive
+
+    # 5. Check original credentials are not modified
+    headers = {}
+    credentials.before_request(request, "http://example.com", "GET", headers)
+    assert "X-Custom-Header" not in headers
+
+
 def test_expired_and_valid():
     credentials = CredentialsImpl()
     credentials.token = "token"