diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/index.js b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/index.js
index 1606286f46..6dc8a9e3fd 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/index.js
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/index.js
@@ -5,12 +5,12 @@
  */
 
 const instantiateOption = require('./override/instantiateOption')
-const { flattenPlugin, normalizePluginsConfig } = require('./util')
+const { flattenPlugin } = require('./util')
 const { PLUGIN_OPTION_MAP } = require('./constants')
 const {
   moduleResolver: { getPluginResolver },
   datatypes: { assertTypes, isPlainObject },
-  logger, chalk
+  logger, chalk, normalizeConfig
 } = require('@vuepress/shared-utils')
 
 /**
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ module.exports = class PluginAPI {
    */
 
   useByPluginsConfig (pluginsConfig) {
-    pluginsConfig = normalizePluginsConfig(pluginsConfig)
+    pluginsConfig = normalizeConfig(pluginsConfig)
     pluginsConfig.forEach(([pluginRaw, pluginOptions]) => {
       this.use(pluginRaw, pluginOptions)
     })
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/util.js b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/util.js
index 706da428a5..af2ede4440 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/util.js
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/core/lib/node/plugin-api/util.js
@@ -57,34 +57,3 @@ exports.flattenPlugin = function (
     $$options: pluginOptions /* used for test */
   })
 }
-
-/**
- * Normalize plugins config in `.vuepress/config.js`
- *
- * @param pluginsConfig
- */
-
-exports.normalizePluginsConfig = function (pluginsConfig) {
-  const { valid, warnMsg } = assertTypes(pluginsConfig, [Object, Array])
-  if (!valid) {
-    if (pluginsConfig !== undefined) {
-      logger.warn(
-        `[${chalk.gray('config')}] `
-        + `Invalid value for "plugin" field : ${warnMsg}`
-      )
-    }
-    pluginsConfig = []
-    return pluginsConfig
-  }
-
-  if (Array.isArray(pluginsConfig)) {
-    pluginsConfig = pluginsConfig.map(item => {
-      return Array.isArray(item) ? item : [item]
-    })
-  } else if (typeof pluginsConfig === 'object') {
-    pluginsConfig = Object.keys(pluginsConfig).map(item => {
-      return [item, pluginsConfig[item]]
-    })
-  }
-  return pluginsConfig
-}
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/markdown/index.js b/packages/@vuepress/markdown/index.js
index dd5271d9fb..fdb0481fbe 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/markdown/index.js
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/markdown/index.js
@@ -18,7 +18,11 @@ const snippetPlugin = require('./lib/snippet')
 const tocPlugin = require('./lib/tableOfContents')
 const emojiPlugin = require('markdown-it-emoji')
 const anchorPlugin = require('markdown-it-anchor')
-const { slugify: _slugify, logger, chalk, hash } = require('@vuepress/shared-utils')
+const {
+  slugify: _slugify,
+  logger, chalk, hash, normalizeConfig,
+  moduleResolver: { getMarkdownItResolver }
+} = require('@vuepress/shared-utils')
 
 /**
  * Create markdown by config.
@@ -29,11 +33,14 @@ module.exports = (markdown = {}) => {
     externalLinks,
     anchor,
     toc,
+    plugins,
     lineNumbers,
     beforeInstantiate,
     afterInstantiate
   } = markdown
 
+  const resolver = getMarkdownItResolver()
+
   // allow user config slugify
   const slugify = markdown.slugify || _slugify
 
@@ -100,6 +107,16 @@ module.exports = (markdown = {}) => {
 
   const md = config.toMd(require('markdown-it'), markdown)
 
+  const pluginsConfig = normalizeConfig(plugins || [])
+  pluginsConfig.forEach(([pluginRaw, pluginOptions]) => {
+    const plugin = resolver.resolve(pluginRaw)
+    if (plugin.entry) {
+      md.use(plugin.entry, pluginOptions)
+    } else {
+      // TODO: error handling
+    }
+  })
+
   afterInstantiate && afterInstantiate(md)
 
   // override parse to allow cache
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/index.ts b/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/index.ts
index 689300274e..ade68a6ed2 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/index.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import * as isIndexFile from './isIndexFile'
 import logger from './logger'
 import * as moduleLoader from './moduleLoader'
 import * as moduleResolver from './moduleResolver'
+import normalizeConfig from './normalizeConfig'
 import * as parseEmojis from './parseEmojis'
 import parseFrontmatter from './parseFrontmatter'
 import parseHeaders from './parseHeaders'
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ export {
   logger,
   moduleLoader,
   moduleResolver,
+  normalizeConfig,
   parseEmojis,
   parseFrontmatter,
   parseHeaders,
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/moduleResolver.ts b/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/moduleResolver.ts
index ecab531b3f..93ab58cde4 100644
--- a/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/moduleResolver.ts
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/moduleResolver.ts
@@ -76,8 +76,12 @@ class ModuleResolver {
     this.allowedTypes = allowedTypes
     this.load = load
     this.cwd = cwd || process.cwd()
-    this.nonScopePrefix = `${org}-${type}-`
-    this.scopePrefix = `@${org}/${type}-`
+    if (org) {
+      this.nonScopePrefix = `${org}-${type}-`
+      this.scopePrefix = `@${org}/${type}-`
+    } else {
+      this.nonScopePrefix = `${type}-`
+    }
     this.typePrefixLength = type.length + 1
     /* - */
     this.prefixSlicePosition = this.typePrefixLength + org.length + 1
@@ -197,7 +201,7 @@ class ModuleResolver {
       const pkg = resolveScopePackage(req)
       if (pkg) {
         // speicial handling for default org.
-        if (pkg.org === this.org) {
+        if (this.org && pkg.org === this.org) {
           shortcut = pkg.name.startsWith(`${this.type}-`)
             ? pkg.name.slice(this.typePrefixLength)
             : pkg.name
@@ -265,6 +269,10 @@ export function resolveScopePackage (name: string) {
   }
 }
 
+export const getMarkdownItResolver = (cwd: string) => new ModuleResolver(
+  'markdown-it', '', [String, Function], true /* load module */, cwd
+)
+
 export const getPluginResolver = (cwd: string): ModuleResolver => new ModuleResolver(
   'plugin', 'vuepress', [String, Function, Object], true /* load module */, cwd
 )
diff --git a/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/normalizeConfig.ts b/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/normalizeConfig.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..4c9a8c41b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/@vuepress/shared-utils/src/normalizeConfig.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import { assertTypes } from './datatypes'
+import logger from './logger'
+import chalk from 'chalk'
+
+export default function normalizeConfig (pluginsConfig: any) {
+  const { valid, warnMsg } = assertTypes(pluginsConfig, [Object, Array])
+  if (!valid) {
+    if (pluginsConfig !== undefined) {
+      logger.warn(
+        `[${chalk.gray('config')}] `
+        + `Invalid value for "plugin" field : ${warnMsg}`
+      )
+    }
+    pluginsConfig = []
+    return pluginsConfig
+  }
+
+  if (Array.isArray(pluginsConfig)) {
+    pluginsConfig = pluginsConfig.map(item => {
+      return Array.isArray(item) ? item : [item]
+    })
+  } else if (typeof pluginsConfig === 'object') {
+    pluginsConfig = Object.keys(pluginsConfig).map(item => {
+      return [item, pluginsConfig[item]]
+    })
+  }
+  return pluginsConfig
+}
diff --git a/packages/docs/docs/config/README.md b/packages/docs/docs/config/README.md
index 84f6ec7b53..f09a0d3818 100644
--- a/packages/docs/docs/config/README.md
+++ b/packages/docs/docs/config/README.md
@@ -240,6 +240,38 @@ This attribute will control the behaviour of `[[TOC]]`. It contains the followin
 
 We also provide a [global component TOC](../guide/using-vue.md#toc) which allows for more free control by passing props directly to `<TOC>`.
 
+### markdown.plugins
+
+You can install any markdown-it plugins through `markdown.plugins` option. It is similar with [using VuePress plugins](../plugin/using-a-plugin.html#using-a-plugin). You can either use Babel style or object style. The `markdown-it-` prefix is optional and can omit in the list.
+
+``` js
+module.exports = {
+  markdown: {
+    plugins: [
+      '@org/foo', // equals to @org/markdown-it-foo if exists
+      ['markdown-it-bar', {
+        // provide options here
+      }]
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+or
+
+``` js
+module.exports = {
+  markdown: {
+    plugins: {
+      '@org/foo': {}
+      'markdown-it-bar': {
+        // provide options here
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ### markdown.extendMarkdown
 
 - Type: `Function`
diff --git a/packages/docs/docs/zh/config/README.md b/packages/docs/docs/zh/config/README.md
index 9a39d0af31..319a3e2d25 100644
--- a/packages/docs/docs/zh/config/README.md
+++ b/packages/docs/docs/zh/config/README.md
@@ -232,6 +232,38 @@ VuePress 提供了一种添加额外样式的简便方法。你可以创建一
 
 此外，我们还提供了[全局组件 TOC](../guide/using-vue.md#toc)，可以通过直接向 `<TOC>` 传递属性实现更加自由的控制。
 
+### markdown.plugins
+
+你可以使用 `markdown.plugins` 来安装 markdown-it 插件。它的使用方法与[安装一个 VuePress 插件](../plugin/using-a-plugin.html#using-a-plugin)类似。你可以使用 Babel 语法或对象语法。`markdown-it-` 前缀同样是可以忽略的。
+
+``` js
+module.exports = {
+  markdown: {
+    plugins: [
+      '@org/foo', // 等价于 @org/markdown-it-foo，如果对应的包存在
+      ['markdown-it-bar', {
+        // 提供你的选项
+      }]
+    ]
+  }
+}
+```
+
+or
+
+``` js
+module.exports = {
+  markdown: {
+    plugins: {
+      '@org/foo': {}
+      'markdown-it-bar': {
+        // 提供你的选项
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
 ### markdown.extendMarkdown
 
 - 类型: `Function`