diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3ec1ae6..1e17523 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,6 +25,16 @@ plugins:
         'some_file.md': 'http://external.url.com/foobar'
 ```
 
+Alternatively, get the redirects from a seperate `yml` file with `map_file`.
+
+```yaml
+plugins:
+  - redirects:
+      map_file: 'redirect_map.yml'
+```
+
+Where the `map_file` uses the same syntax as above.
+
 > **Note**  
 > Don't forget that specifying the `plugins` setting will override the defaults if you didn't already have it set! See [this page](https://www.mkdocs.org/user-guide/configuration/#plugins) for more information.
 
diff --git a/mkdocs_redirects/plugin.py b/mkdocs_redirects/plugin.py
index 6012a08..740d7f0 100644
--- a/mkdocs_redirects/plugin.py
+++ b/mkdocs_redirects/plugin.py
@@ -73,11 +73,22 @@ class RedirectPlugin(BasePlugin):
     # Any options that this plugin supplies should go here.
     config_scheme = (
         ("redirect_maps", config_options.Type(dict, default={})),  # note the trailing comma
+        ("map_file", config_options.Type(str)),
     )
 
     # Build a list of redirects on file generation
     def on_files(self, files, config, **kwargs):
-        self.redirects = self.config.get("redirect_maps", {})
+        if self.config.get('map_file'):
+            filename = self.config.get('map_file')
+            if os.path.isfile(filename):
+                with open(filename) as f:
+                    self.redirects = utils.yaml_load(f)
+                    log.debug("Loading yaml file: '%s'", filename)
+            else:
+                log.warning("yaml configuration file '%s' was not found!", filename)
+        # If no mapfile, fall back to regular method.
+        if not hasattr(self, 'redirects'):
+            self.redirects = self.config.get('redirect_maps', {})
 
         # Validate user-provided redirect "old files"
         for page_old in self.redirects.keys():