diff --git a/lib/pg_search/configuration.rb b/lib/pg_search/configuration.rb
index 2687b57b..24133af9 100644
--- a/lib/pg_search/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/pg_search/configuration.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
 require "pg_search/configuration/association"
+require "pg_search/configuration/arel_association"
 require "pg_search/configuration/column"
 require "pg_search/configuration/foreign_column"
 
@@ -27,6 +28,10 @@ def columns
       regular_columns + associated_columns
     end
 
+    def associations
+      relation_associations + arel_associations
+    end
+
     def regular_columns
       return [] unless options[:against]
 
@@ -35,7 +40,7 @@ def regular_columns
       end
     end
 
-    def associations
+    def relation_associations
       return [] unless options[:associated_against]
 
       options[:associated_against].map do |association, column_names|
@@ -43,6 +48,14 @@ def associations
       end.flatten
     end
 
+    def arel_associations
+      return [] unless options[:associated_arel]
+
+      options[:associated_arel].map do |arel, column_names|
+        ArelAssociation.new(model, arel, column_names)
+      end.flatten
+    end
+
     def associated_columns
       associations.map(&:columns).flatten
     end
@@ -84,7 +97,7 @@ def default_options
     end
 
     VALID_KEYS = %w[
-      against ranked_by ignoring using query associated_against order_within_rank
+      against ranked_by ignoring using query associated_against associated_arel order_within_rank
     ].map(&:to_sym)
 
     VALID_VALUES = {
@@ -92,8 +105,9 @@ def default_options
     }.freeze
 
     def assert_valid_options(options)
-      unless options[:against] || options[:associated_against]
-        raise ArgumentError, "the search scope #{@name} must have :against or :associated_against in its options"
+      unless options[:against] || options[:associated_against] || options[:associated_arel]
+        raise ArgumentError,
+              "the search scope #{@name} must have :against or :associated_against or :associated_arel in its options"
       end
 
       options.assert_valid_keys(VALID_KEYS)
diff --git a/lib/pg_search/configuration/arel_association.rb b/lib/pg_search/configuration/arel_association.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e409dcad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/pg_search/configuration/arel_association.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "digest"
+
+module PgSearch
+  class Configuration
+    class ArelAssociation
+      attr_reader :columns
+
+      # ArelAssociation accepts an Arel::Nodes::TableAlias and pulls specified columns into the search query
+      # For this to work, the TableAlias needs an `id` column that corresponds to the primary key of the root
+      # search model where the associated arel is specified.
+      def initialize(model, arel, column_names)
+        @model = model
+        @arel = arel
+        @columns = Array(column_names).map do |column_name, weight|
+          ForeignColumn.new(column_name, weight, @model, self)
+        end
+      end
+
+      def table_name
+        @arel.name.to_s
+      end
+
+      def join(primary_key)
+        "LEFT OUTER JOIN (#{select_manager.to_sql}) #{subselect_alias} ON #{subselect_alias}.id = #{primary_key}"
+      end
+
+      def subselect_alias
+        Configuration.alias(table_name, "subselect")
+      end
+
+      private
+
+      def selects
+        columns.map do |column|
+          "string_agg(#{column.full_name}::text, ' ') AS #{column.alias}"
+        end.join(", ")
+      end
+
+      def select_manager
+        Arel::SelectManager.new(@arel).project(Arel.sql('id'), Arel.sql(selects)).group(@arel[:id])
+      end
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/integration/associations_spec.rb b/spec/integration/associations_spec.rb
index d4f001f8..d262c51a 100644
--- a/spec/integration/associations_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/associations_spec.rb
@@ -482,4 +482,112 @@
       expect(results).not_to include(*excluded)
     end
   end
+
+  context "when through an Arel Node" do
+    with_model :AssociatedDog do
+      table do |t|
+        t.string 'dog_name'
+      end
+
+      model do
+        def name
+          dog_name
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    with_model :AssociatedCat do
+      table do |t|
+        t.string 'cat_name'
+      end
+
+      model do
+        def name
+          cat_name
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
+    with_model :AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet do
+      table do |t|
+        t.string 'title'
+        t.belongs_to 'ModelWithHasMany', index: false
+        t.references :polymorphic_pet, polymorphic: true, index: false
+      end
+
+      model do
+        belongs_to :polymorphic_pet, polymorphic: true
+      end
+    end
+
+    with_model :ModelWithHasMany do
+      table do |t|
+        t.string 'title'
+      end
+
+      model do
+        include PgSearch::Model
+        has_many :other_models, class_name: 'AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet', foreign_key: 'ModelWithHasMany_id'
+
+        # rubocop:disable Metrics/AbcSize
+        def self.associated_pet_names
+          cat_table = AssociatedCat.arel_table
+          dog_table = AssociatedDog.arel_table
+          bt_table = AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.arel_table
+
+          cat_join = bt_table.join(cat_table).on(bt_table[:polymorphic_pet_id].eq(cat_table[:id]).and(bt_table[:polymorphic_pet_type].eq('AssociatedCat')))
+                             .project(bt_table[:ModelWithHasMany_id].as('id'), cat_table[:cat_name].as('name'))
+          dog_join = bt_table.join(dog_table).on(bt_table[:polymorphic_pet_id].eq(dog_table[:id]).and(bt_table[:polymorphic_pet_type].eq('AssociatedDog')))
+                             .project(bt_table[:ModelWithHasMany_id].as('id'), dog_table[:dog_name].as('name'))
+
+          Arel::Nodes::TableAlias.new(cat_join.union(dog_join), 'associated_pet_names')
+        end
+
+        pg_search_scope :with_associated,
+                        against: :title,
+                        associated_against: {
+                          other_models: [:title]
+                        },
+                        associated_arel: {
+                          associated_pet_names => :name
+                        }
+      end
+    end
+
+    it "returns rows that match the query in either its own columns or the columns of the associated model" do
+      felix = AssociatedCat.create!(cat_name: 'felix')
+      garfield = AssociatedCat.create!(cat_name: 'garfield')
+      snoopy = AssociatedDog.create!(dog_name: 'snoopy')
+      goofy = AssociatedDog.create!(dog_name: 'goofy')
+
+      included = [
+        # covered by polymorphic arel column
+        ModelWithHasMany.create!(title: 'abcdef', other_models: [
+          AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'foo', polymorphic_pet: felix),
+          AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'bar', polymorphic_pet: goofy)
+        ]),
+        # covered by associated column
+        ModelWithHasMany.create!(title: 'ghijkl', other_models: [
+          AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'foo bar', polymorphic_pet: felix),
+          AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'goofy', polymorphic_pet: snoopy)
+        ]),
+        # covered by model column
+        ModelWithHasMany.create!(title: 'felix', other_models: [
+          AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'foo bar', polymorphic_pet: garfield),
+          AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'goofy', polymorphic_pet: snoopy)
+        ])
+      ]
+      excluded = ModelWithHasMany.create!(title: 'stuvwx', other_models: [
+        # not covered
+        AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'foo bar', polymorphic_pet: felix),
+        AssociatedModelWithHasManyAndPolymorphicPet.create!(title: 'mnopqr', polymorphic_pet: snoopy)
+      ])
+
+      results = ModelWithHasMany.with_associated('felix goofy')
+      expect(results.flat_map { |r| r.other_models.map(&:polymorphic_pet).map(&:name) }).to(
+        match_array(included.flat_map { |r| r.other_models.map(&:polymorphic_pet).map(&:name) })
+      )
+      expect(results).not_to include(excluded)
+    end
+  end
 end