diff --git a/doc/extdev/appapi.rst b/doc/extdev/appapi.rst
index d1912676a..d16f3a597 100644
--- a/doc/extdev/appapi.rst
+++ b/doc/extdev/appapi.rst
@@ -336,6 +336,12 @@ package.
 
    .. versionadded:: 1.1
 
+.. method:: Sphinx.add_source_parser(name, suffix, parser)
+
+   Register a parser class for specified *suffix*.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 1.4
+
 .. method:: Sphinx.require_sphinx(version)
 
    Compare *version* (which must be a ``major.minor`` version string,
diff --git a/sphinx/application.py b/sphinx/application.py
index 860ea2378..3842b13fa 100644
--- a/sphinx/application.py
+++ b/sphinx/application.py
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@ class Sphinx(object):
         self.next_listener_id = 0
         self._extensions = {}
         self._extension_metadata = {}
+        self._additional_source_parsers = {}
         self._listeners = {}
         self._setting_up_extension = ['?']
         self.domains = BUILTIN_DOMAINS.copy()
@@ -185,6 +186,8 @@ class Sphinx(object):
         self._init_i18n()
         # check all configuration values for permissible types
         self.config.check_types(self.warn)
+        # set up source_parsers
+        self._init_source_parsers()
         # set up the build environment
         self._init_env(freshenv)
         # set up the builder
@@ -211,6 +214,13 @@ class Sphinx(object):
             else:
                 self.info('not available for built-in messages')
 
+    def _init_source_parsers(self):
+        for suffix, parser in iteritems(self._additional_source_parsers):
+            if suffix not in self.config.source_suffix:
+                self.config.source_suffix.append(suffix)
+            if suffix not in self.config.source_parsers:
+                self.config.source_parsers[suffix] = parser
+
     def _init_env(self, freshenv):
         if freshenv:
             self.env = BuildEnvironment(self.srcdir, self.doctreedir,
@@ -752,6 +762,10 @@ class Sphinx(object):
         assert issubclass(cls, SearchLanguage)
         languages[cls.lang] = cls
 
+    def add_source_parser(self, suffix, parser):
+        self.debug('[app] adding search source_parser: %r, %r', (suffix, parser))
+        self._additional_source_parsers[suffix] = parser
+
 
 class TemplateBridge(object):
     """
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting/conf.py b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting/conf.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..db9fe54a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting/conf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import os
+import sys
+from docutils.parsers import Parser
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('.'))
+
+
+class DummyTestParser(Parser):
+    pass
+
+
+extensions = ['test_source_parser']
+source_suffix = ['.rst', '.test']
+source_parsers = {
+    '.test': DummyTestParser
+}
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting/test_source_parser.py b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting/test_source_parser.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0dff7e311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting/test_source_parser.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from docutils.parsers import Parser
+
+
+class TestSourceParser(Parser):
+    pass
+
+
+def setup(app):
+    app.add_source_parser('.test', TestSourceParser)
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser/conf.py b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser/conf.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9969341a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser/conf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+import os
+import sys
+from docutils.parsers import Parser
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.abspath('.'))
+
+
+class DummyMarkdownParser(Parser):
+    pass
+
+
+extensions = ['test_source_parser']
+source_suffix = ['.rst', '.md']
+source_parsers = {
+    '.md': DummyMarkdownParser
+}
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser/test_source_parser.py b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser/test_source_parser.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..0dff7e311
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-add_source_parser/test_source_parser.py
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+from docutils.parsers import Parser
+
+
+class TestSourceParser(Parser):
+    pass
+
+
+def setup(app):
+    app.add_source_parser('.test', TestSourceParser)
diff --git a/tests/test_application.py b/tests/test_application.py
index 3a3ee6728..7bc970c9d 100644
--- a/tests/test_application.py
+++ b/tests/test_application.py
@@ -88,3 +88,18 @@ def test_domain_override(app, status, warning):
     assert app.override_domain(B) is None
     raises_msg(ExtensionError, 'new domain not a subclass of registered '
                'foo domain', app.override_domain, C)
+
+
+@with_app(testroot='add_source_parser')
+def test_add_source_parser(app, status, warning):
+    assert set(app.config.source_suffix) == set(['.rst', '.md', '.test'])
+    assert set(app.config.source_parsers.keys()) == set(['.md', '.test'])
+    assert app.config.source_parsers['.md'].__name__ == 'DummyMarkdownParser'
+    assert app.config.source_parsers['.test'].__name__ == 'TestSourceParser'
+
+
+@with_app(testroot='add_source_parser-conflicts-with-users-setting')
+def test_add_source_parser_conflicts_with_users_setting(app, status, warning):
+    assert set(app.config.source_suffix) == set(['.rst', '.test'])
+    assert set(app.config.source_parsers.keys()) == set(['.test'])
+    assert app.config.source_parsers['.test'].__name__ == 'DummyTestParser'