diff --git a/pandoc.hs b/pandoc.hs
index 639fe2557538..2cb06e815fce 100644
--- a/pandoc.hs
+++ b/pandoc.hs
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ data Opt = Opt
     , optVariables         :: [(String,String)] -- ^ Template variables to set
     , optOutputFile        :: String  -- ^ Name of output file
     , optNumberSections    :: Bool    -- ^ Number sections in LaTeX
-    , optNumberOffset        :: [Int]   -- ^ Starting number for sections
+    , optNumberOffset      :: [Int]   -- ^ Starting number for sections
     , optSectionDivs       :: Bool    -- ^ Put sections in div tags in HTML
     , optIncremental       :: Bool    -- ^ Use incremental lists in Slidy/Slideous/S5
     , optSelfContained     :: Bool    -- ^ Make HTML accessible offline
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ defaultOpts = Opt
     , optVariables             = []
     , optOutputFile            = "-"    -- "-" means stdout
     , optNumberSections        = False
-    , optNumberOffset          = [1,1,1,1,1,1]
+    , optNumberOffset          = [0,0,0,0,0,0]
     , optSectionDivs           = False
     , optIncremental           = False
     , optSelfContained         = False
@@ -1046,7 +1046,7 @@ main = do
                             writerBiblioFiles      = reffiles,
                             writerIgnoreNotes      = False,
                             writerNumberSections   = numberSections,
-                            writerNumberOffset       = numberFrom,
+                            writerNumberOffset     = numberFrom,
                             writerSectionDivs      = sectionDivs,
                             writerReferenceLinks   = referenceLinks,
                             writerWrapText         = wrap,
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs
index 0573da1e03ec..9ed617dc49ac 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/HTML.hs
@@ -266,10 +266,11 @@ showSecNum = concat . intersperse "." . map show
 elementToListItem :: WriterOptions -> Element -> State WriterState (Maybe Html)
 elementToListItem opts (Sec lev num (id',classes,_) headerText subsecs)
   | lev <= writerTOCDepth opts = do
+  let num' = zipWith (+) num (writerNumberOffset opts ++ repeat 0)
   let sectnum = if writerNumberSections opts && not (null num) &&
                    "unnumbered" `notElem` classes
                    then (H.span ! A.class_ "toc-section-number"
-                        $ toHtml $ showSecNum num) >> preEscapedString " "
+                        $ toHtml $ showSecNum num') >> preEscapedString " "
                    else mempty
   txt <- liftM (sectnum >>) $ inlineListToHtml opts headerText
   subHeads <- mapM (elementToListItem opts) subsecs >>= return . catMaybes