diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 9103a9cf8..7400c6440 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ Bugs fixed
   directive or currentclass directive.
 * #1419: Generated i18n sphinx.js files are missing message catalog entries
   from '.js_t' and '.html'. The issue was introduced in Sphinx 1.1.
+* #636: Keep straight single quotes in literal blocks in the LaTeX build.
 
 Documentation
 -------------
diff --git a/sphinx/highlighting.py b/sphinx/highlighting.py
index d9280877d..b5779ab42 100644
--- a/sphinx/highlighting.py
+++ b/sphinx/highlighting.py
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ _LATEX_STYLES = r'''
 \newcommand\PYGZcb{\char`\}}
 '''
 
+# used if Pygments is available
+# use textcomp quote to get a true single quote
+_LATEX_ADD_STYLES = r'''
+\renewcommand\PYGZsq{\textquotesingle}
+'''
+
 
 class PygmentsBridge(object):
     # Set these attributes if you want to have different Pygments formatters
@@ -215,4 +221,4 @@ class PygmentsBridge(object):
         if self.dest == 'html':
             return formatter.get_style_defs('.highlight')
         else:
-            return formatter.get_style_defs()
+            return formatter.get_style_defs() + _LATEX_ADD_STYLES
diff --git a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
index 554845f83..ee0a923d0 100644
--- a/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
+++ b/sphinx/texinputs/sphinx.sty
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@
 \RequirePackage{parskip}
 % For parsed-literal blocks.
 \RequirePackage{alltt}
+% Display "real" single quotes in literal blocks.
+\RequirePackage{upquote}
 
 % Redefine these colors to your liking in the preamble.
 \definecolor{TitleColor}{rgb}{0.126,0.263,0.361}