diff --git a/docs/extensions/api.txt b/docs/extensions/api.txt
index 66daa8685..6812e55ad 100644
--- a/docs/extensions/api.txt
+++ b/docs/extensions/api.txt
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ accepts two arguments:
     * `md.tab_length`
     * `md.enable_attributes`
     * `md.smart_emphasis`
+    * `md.start_level`
 
 * **`md_globals`**:
 
diff --git a/docs/reference.txt b/docs/reference.txt
index b65f2ddf4..31c8dbf04 100644
--- a/docs/reference.txt
+++ b/docs/reference.txt
@@ -249,6 +249,20 @@ The following options are available on the `markdown.markdown` function:
           <li>Pears</li>
         </ol>
 
+* __`start_level`__{: #start_level }: Start level for headings in the output.
+  Default: 0
+
+    Given the following headers:
+
+        # Header 1
+
+        Header 2
+        --------
+
+    By default markdown will turn Header 1 and Header 2 into `h1` and `h2`
+    elements, respectively. The `start_level` option specifies an offset that
+    will be added to the levels. For example, with a `start_level` of 2,
+    Header 1 would result in a `h3` element and Header 2 in a `h4` element.
 
 ### `markdown.markdownFromFile (**kwargs)` {: #markdownFromFile }
 
diff --git a/markdown/__init__.py b/markdown/__init__.py
index 78ea4cbe6..2010f95b5 100644
--- a/markdown/__init__.py
+++ b/markdown/__init__.py
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ class Markdown(object):
         'enable_attributes':     True,
         'smart_emphasis':        True,
         'lazy_ol':               True,
+        'start_level':           0
     }
 
     output_formats = {
@@ -109,6 +110,7 @@ def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
         * enable_attributes: Enable the conversion of attributes. Default: True
         * smart_emphasis: Treat `_connected_words_` intelligently Default: True
         * lazy_ol: Ignore number of first item of ordered lists. Default: True
+        * start_level: Start level for headings in the output. Default: 0
 
         """
 
diff --git a/markdown/blockprocessors.py b/markdown/blockprocessors.py
index 870151bec..61059e8c8 100644
--- a/markdown/blockprocessors.py
+++ b/markdown/blockprocessors.py
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class BlockProcessor(object):
     def __init__(self, parser):
         self.parser = parser
         self.tab_length = parser.markdown.tab_length
+        self.start_level = parser.markdown.start_level
 
     def lastChild(self, parent):
         """ Return the last child of an etree element. """
@@ -440,7 +441,8 @@ def run(self, parent, blocks):
                 # recursively parse this lines as a block.
                 self.parser.parseBlocks(parent, [before])
             # Create header using named groups from RE
-            h = util.etree.SubElement(parent, 'h%d' % len(m.group('level')))
+            level = self.start_level + len(m.group('level'))
+            h = util.etree.SubElement(parent, 'h%d' % level)
             h.text = m.group('header').strip()
             if after:
                 # Insert remaining lines as first block for future parsing.
@@ -463,9 +465,9 @@ def run(self, parent, blocks):
         lines = blocks.pop(0).split('\n')
         # Determine level. ``=`` is 1 and ``-`` is 2.
         if lines[1].startswith('='):
-            level = 1
+            level = self.start_level + 1
         else:
-            level = 2
+            level = self.start_level + 2
         h = util.etree.SubElement(parent, 'h%d' % level)
         h.text = lines[0].strip()
         if len(lines) > 2:
diff --git a/tests/options/start-level.html b/tests/options/start-level.html
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61873e9f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/options/start-level.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<h3>Header 1</h3>
+<h4>Header 2</h4>
+<h3>Header 3</h3>
+<h4>Header 4</h4>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/options/start-level.txt b/tests/options/start-level.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a65bb63b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/options/start-level.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# Header 1
+
+## Header 2
+
+Header 3
+========
+
+Header 4
+--------
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/options/test.cfg b/tests/options/test.cfg
index 2e14f1f45..067eef79b 100644
--- a/tests/options/test.cfg
+++ b/tests/options/test.cfg
@@ -8,4 +8,7 @@ no-attributes:
     enable_attributes: False
 
 no-smart-emphasis:
-    smart_emphasis: False
\ No newline at end of file
+    smart_emphasis: False
+
+start-level:
+    start_level: 2
\ No newline at end of file