diff --git a/sphinx/application.py b/sphinx/application.py
index cd9baf9c0..7d4e3cac8 100644
--- a/sphinx/application.py
+++ b/sphinx/application.py
@@ -405,6 +405,13 @@ class Sphinx(object):
             raise ExtensionError('domain %s not yet registered' % domain)
         self.domains[domain].roles[name] = role
 
+    # XXX needs documentation
+    def add_index_to_domain(self, domain, name, localname, shortname, func):
+        if domain not in self.domains:
+            raise ExtensionError('domain %s not yet registered' % domain)
+        self.domains[domain].indices.append((name, longname, shortname))
+        setattr(self.domains[domain], '_get_%s_index' % name, func)
+
     def add_object_type(self, directivename, rolename, indextemplate='',
                         parse_node=None, ref_nodeclass=None, objname=''):
         StandardDomain.object_types[directivename] = \
diff --git a/sphinx/builders/html.py b/sphinx/builders/html.py
index 6dcdc27ec..cc3a56289 100644
--- a/sphinx/builders/html.py
+++ b/sphinx/builders/html.py
@@ -273,7 +273,8 @@ class StandaloneHTMLBuilder(Builder):
         if self.config.html_use_index:
             rellinks.append(('genindex', _('General Index'), 'I', _('index')))
         for index in self.domain_indices:
-            rellinks.append(('%s-%s' % index[0:2], index[2], '', index[3]))
+            if index[3]:
+                rellinks.append(('%s-%s' % index[0:2], index[2], '', index[3]))
 
         if self.config.html_style is not None:
             stylename = self.config.html_style
diff --git a/sphinx/domains/__init__.py b/sphinx/domains/__init__.py
index b67d090c3..a03a74db5 100644
--- a/sphinx/domains/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/domains/__init__.py
@@ -181,8 +181,14 @@ class Domain(object):
         """
         Return True if there are entries for the index given by *name*.  If
         *docnames* is given, restrict to entries referring to these docnames.
+
+        Do not overwrite this method, add a method ``has_<name>_entries(self,
+        docnames=None)`` method for every index.
         """
-        return False
+        func = getattr(self, 'has_%s_entries' % name, None)
+        if not func:
+            return bool(self.get_index(name, docnames))
+        return func(docnames)
 
     def get_index(self, name, docnames=None):
         """
@@ -212,8 +218,14 @@ class Domain(object):
         - `descr` -- description for the entry
 
         Qualifier and description are not rendered e.g. in LaTeX output.
+
+        Do not overwrite this method, add a method ``get_<name>_index(self,
+        docnames=None)`` method for every index.
         """
-        return [], False
+        func = getattr(self, 'get_%s_index' % name, None)
+        if not func:
+            return []
+        return func(docnames)
 
 
 from sphinx.domains.c import CDomain
diff --git a/sphinx/domains/python.py b/sphinx/domains/python.py
index fcd2216db..1678929c5 100644
--- a/sphinx/domains/python.py
+++ b/sphinx/domains/python.py
@@ -459,7 +459,7 @@ class PythonDomain(Domain):
         'modules': {},  # modname -> docname, synopsis, platform, deprecated
     }
     indices = [
-        ('modindex', l_('Global Module Index'), l_('modules')),
+        ('modindex', l_('Python Module Index'), l_('modules')),
     ]
 
     def clear_doc(self, docname):
@@ -545,9 +545,7 @@ class PythonDomain(Domain):
         for refname, (docname, type) in self.data['objects'].iteritems():
             yield (refname, type, docname, refname, 1)
 
-    def has_index_entries(self, name, docnames=None):
-        if name != 'modindex':
-            return False
+    def has_modindex_entries(self, docnames=None):
         if not docnames:
             return bool(self.data['modules'])
         else:
@@ -556,10 +554,7 @@ class PythonDomain(Domain):
                     return True
             return False
 
-    def get_index(self, name, docnames=None):
-        if name != 'modindex':
-            return None, None
-
+    def get_modindex_index(self, docnames=None):
         content = {}
         # list of prefixes to ignore
         ignores = self.env.config['modindex_common_prefix']