diff --git a/bin/jekyll b/bin/jekyll
index 62d88e1aa8c..2be69ade58c 100755
--- a/bin/jekyll
+++ b/bin/jekyll
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ opts = OptionParser.new do |opts|
     options['markdown'] = 'rdiscount'
   end
 
+  opts.on("--kramdown", "Use kramdown gem for Markdown") do
+    options['markdown'] = 'kramdown'
+  end
+
   opts.on("--time [TIME]", "Time to generate the site for") do |time|
     options['time'] = Time.parse(time)
   end
diff --git a/features/site_configuration.feature b/features/site_configuration.feature
index 38a315aec2d..0681c2f5907 100644
--- a/features/site_configuration.feature
+++ b/features/site_configuration.feature
@@ -48,6 +48,13 @@ Feature: Site configuration
     Then the _site directory should exist
     And I should see "<a href="http://google.com">Google</a>" in "_site/index.html"
 
+  Scenario: Use Kramdown for markup
+    Given I have an "index.markdown" page that contains "[Google](http://google.com)"
+    And I have a configuration file with "markdown" set to "kramdown"
+    When I run jekyll
+    Then the _site directory should exist
+    And I should see "<a href="http://google.com">Google</a>" in "_site/index.html"
+
   Scenario: Use Maruku for markup
     Given I have an "index.markdown" page that contains "[Google](http://google.com)"
     And I have a configuration file with "markdown" set to "maruku"
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb b/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb
index 317b1487e5b..a0ba3ee1e36 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ def setup
       return if @setup
       # Set the Markdown interpreter (and Maruku self.config, if necessary)
       case @config['markdown']
+        when 'kramdown'
+          begin
+            require 'kramdown'
+
+          rescue LoadError
+            STDERR.puts 'You are missing a library required for Markdown. Please run:'
+            STDERR.puts '  $ [sudo] gem install kramdown'
+            raise FatalException.new("Missing dependency: kramdown")
+          end
         when 'rdiscount'
           begin
             require 'rdiscount'
@@ -52,7 +61,7 @@ def setup
           end
         else
           STDERR.puts "Invalid Markdown processor: #{@config['markdown']}"
-          STDERR.puts "  Valid options are [ maruku | rdiscount ]"
+          STDERR.puts "  Valid options are [ maruku | rdiscount | kramdown ]"
           raise FatalException.new("Invalid Markdown process: #{@config['markdown']}")
       end
       @setup = true
@@ -69,6 +78,8 @@ def output_ext(ext)
     def convert(content)
       setup
       case @config['markdown']
+        when 'kramdown'
+          Kramdown::Document.new(content).to_html
         when 'rdiscount'
           RDiscount.new(content, *@rdiscount_extensions).to_html
         when 'maruku'
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index 61636a4e51f..c426b2a0176 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 require 'RedCloth'
 require 'rdiscount'
+require 'kramdown'
 
 require 'test/unit'
 require 'redgreen'
diff --git a/test/test_tags.rb b/test/test_tags.rb
index d25aa705fa5..3f25e5c2967 100644
--- a/test/test_tags.rb
+++ b/test/test_tags.rb
@@ -112,5 +112,16 @@ def fill_post(code, override = {})
         assert_match %r{<em>FINISH HIM</em>}, @result
       end
     end
+
+    context "using Kramdown" do
+      setup do
+        create_post(@content, 'markdown' => 'kramdown')
+      end
+
+      should "parse correctly" do
+        assert_match %r{<em>FIGHT!</em>}, @result
+        assert_match %r{<em>FINISH HIM</em>}, @result
+      end
+    end
   end
 end