diff --git a/jupyter_book/book_template/content/features/markdown.md b/jupyter_book/book_template/content/features/markdown.md
index 3f758bee4..1a793aa35 100644
--- a/jupyter_book/book_template/content/features/markdown.md
+++ b/jupyter_book/book_template/content/features/markdown.md
@@ -1,3 +1,18 @@
+---
+jupyter:
+  jupytext:
+    formats: md
+    text_representation:
+      extension: .md
+      format_name: markdown
+      format_version: '1.1'
+      jupytext_version: 1.2.1
+  kernelspec:
+    display_name: Python 3
+    language: python
+    name: python3
+---
+
 # Creating book content
 
 The two kinds of files that contain course content are:
@@ -10,6 +25,7 @@ Each are contained in the `content/` folder and referenced from `_data/toc.yml`.
 If the file is markdown, it will be copied over with front-matter YAML added so
 that Jekyll can parse it.
 
+<!-- #region -->
 ```python
 print("Python (and any language-specific) code still works as expected")
 ```
@@ -17,6 +33,7 @@ print("Python (and any language-specific) code still works as expected")
 ```
 As does non-language code.
 ```
+<!-- #endregion -->
 
 ## Page navigation Table of Contents
 
@@ -45,6 +62,7 @@ P(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup A_3) ~ = ~ P(B \cup A_3) &= ~ P(B) + P(A_3) - P(BA_3) \\
 
 And here is the code that was used to generate it:
 
+<!-- #region -->
 ```python
 \begin{align*}
 P(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup A_3) ~ = ~ P(B \cup A_3) &= ~ P(B) + P(A_3) - P(BA_3) \\
@@ -52,6 +70,7 @@ P(A_1 \cup A_2 \cup A_3) ~ = ~ P(B \cup A_3) &= ~ P(B) + P(A_3) - P(BA_3) \\
 &= ~ \sum_{i=1}^3 P(A_i) - \mathop{\sum \sum}_{1 \le i < j \le 3} P(A_iA_j) + P(A_1A_2A_3)
 \end{align*}
 ```
+<!-- #endregion -->
 
 <!-- #region {"tags": ["popout"]} -->
 **Note**: If you print your page (using the print button), then mathematics may not show
diff --git a/jupyter_book/page.py b/jupyter_book/page.py
index b79641f77..14606b431 100644
--- a/jupyter_book/page.py
+++ b/jupyter_book/page.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 from nbconvert.exporters import HTMLExporter
 from nbconvert.writers import FilesWriter
 import jupytext as jpt
+import nbformat as nbf
+from ruamel.yaml import YAML
 
-from .utils import _clean_markdown_cells
+from .utils import _clean_markdown_cells, _split_yaml
 from .run import run_ntbk
 
 
@@ -35,8 +37,28 @@ def build_page(path_ntbk, path_html_output, path_media_output=None, execute=Fals
 
     ########################################
     # Load in the notebook
-    notebook_name = op.splitext(op.basename(path_ntbk))[0]
-    ntbk = jpt.read(path_ntbk)
+    notebook_name, suff = op.splitext(op.basename(path_ntbk))
+
+    is_raw_markdown_file = False
+    if suff in ['.md', '.markdown']:
+        # If it's a markdown file, we need to check whether it's a jupytext format
+        with open(path_ntbk, 'r') as ff:
+            lines = ff.readlines()
+            yaml_lines, content = _split_yaml(lines)
+            yaml = YAML().load(''.join(yaml_lines))
+
+        if (yaml is not None) and yaml.get('jupyter', {}).get('jupytext'):
+            # If we have jupytext metadata, then use it to read the markdown file
+            ntbk = jpt.reads(''.join(lines), 'md')
+        else:
+            # Otherwise, create an empty notebook and add all of the file contents as a markdown file
+            is_raw_markdown_file = True
+            ntbk = nbf.v4.new_notebook()
+            ntbk['cells'].append(nbf.v4.new_markdown_cell(source=''.join(content)))
+    else:
+        # If it's not markdown, we assume it's either ipynb or a jupytext format
+        ntbk = jpt.read(path_ntbk)
+
     if _is_jupytext_file(ntbk):
         execute = True
 
@@ -91,6 +113,18 @@ def build_page(path_ntbk, path_html_output, path_media_output=None, execute=Fals
     # Now write the markdown and resources
     writer = FilesWriter(config=c)
     writer.write(html, resources, notebook_name=notebook_name)
+
+    # Add the frontmatter to the yaml file in case it's wanted
+    if is_raw_markdown_file and len(yaml_lines) > 0:
+        with open(op.join(path_html_output, notebook_name + '.html'), 'r') as ff:
+            md_lines = ff.readlines()
+        md_lines.insert(0, '---\n')
+        for iline in yaml_lines[::-1]:
+            md_lines.insert(0, iline + '\n')
+        md_lines.insert(0, '---\n')
+        with open(op.join(path_html_output, notebook_name + '.html'), 'w') as ff:
+            ff.writelines(md_lines)
+
     if verbose:
         print("Finished writing notebook to {}".format(path_html_output))