diff --git a/sphinx/writers/html.py b/sphinx/writers/html.py
index ba26628d8..f67169575 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/html.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/html.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import sys
 import posixpath
 import os
+import copy
 
 from docutils import nodes
 from docutils.writers.html4css1 import Writer, HTMLTranslator as BaseTranslator
@@ -32,6 +33,13 @@ except ImportError:
 # http://www.arnebrodowski.de/blog/write-your-own-restructuredtext-writer.html
 
 class HTMLWriter(Writer):
+
+    # override embed-stylesheet default value to 0.
+    settings_spec = copy.deepcopy(Writer.settings_spec)
+    for _setting in settings_spec[2]:
+        if '--embed-stylesheet' in _setting[1]:
+            _setting[2]['default'] = 0
+
     def __init__(self, builder):
         Writer.__init__(self)
         self.builder = builder
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/conf.py b/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/conf.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..67074ec64
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/conf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+
+project = 'Sphinx docutils conf <Tests>'
+source_suffix = '.txt'
+keep_warnings = True
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/contents.txt b/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/contents.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3d0003b8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/contents.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+docutils conf
+=============
+
+field-name-limit
+----------------
+
+:short: desc
+:long long long long: long title
+
+option-limit
+------------
+
+--short                short desc
+--long-long-long-long  long desc
+
diff --git a/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/docutils.conf b/tests/roots/test-docutilsconf/docutils.conf
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e69de29bb
diff --git a/tests/test_docutilsconf.py b/tests/test_docutilsconf.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..08534ed72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_docutilsconf.py
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+"""
+    test_docutilsconf
+    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+    Test docutils.conf support for several writers.
+
+    :copyright: Copyright 2007-2013 by the Sphinx team, see AUTHORS.
+    :license: BSD, see LICENSE for details.
+"""
+
+import os
+import re
+from StringIO import StringIO
+from functools import wraps
+
+from util import test_roots, TestApp
+
+
+html_warnfile = StringIO()
+root = test_roots / 'test-docutilsconf'
+
+
+# need cleanenv to rebuild everytime.
+# docutils.conf change did not effect to rebuild.
+def with_conf_app(docutilsconf='', *args, **kwargs):
+    default_kw = {
+        'srcdir': root,
+        'cleanenv': True,
+    }
+    default_kw.update(kwargs)
+    def generator(func):
+        @wraps(func)
+        def deco(*args2, **kwargs2):
+            app = TestApp(*args, **default_kw)
+            (app.srcdir / 'docutils.conf').write_text(docutilsconf)
+            try:
+                cwd = os.getcwd()
+                os.chdir(app.srcdir)
+                func(app, *args2, **kwargs2)
+            finally:
+                os.chdir(cwd)
+            # don't execute cleanup if test failed
+            app.cleanup()
+        return deco
+    return generator
+
+
+def regex_count(expr, result):
+    return len(re.findall(expr, result))
+
+
+@with_conf_app(buildername='html')
+def test_html_with_default_docutilsconf(app):
+    app.builder.build(['contents'])
+    result = (app.outdir / 'contents.html').text(encoding='utf-8')
+
+    assert regex_count(r'<th class="field-name">', result) == 1
+    assert regex_count(r'<th class="field-name" colspan="2">', result) == 1
+    assert regex_count(r'<td class="option-group">', result) == 1
+    assert regex_count(r'<td class="option-group" colspan="2">', result) == 1
+
+
+@with_conf_app(buildername='html', docutilsconf=(
+    '\n[html4css1 writer]'
+    '\noption-limit:1'
+    '\nfield-name-limit:1'
+    '\n')
+)
+def test_html_with_docutilsconf(app):
+    app.builder.build(['contents'])
+    result = (app.outdir / 'contents.html').text(encoding='utf-8')
+
+    assert regex_count(r'<th class="field-name">', result) == 0
+    assert regex_count(r'<th class="field-name" colspan="2">', result) == 2
+    assert regex_count(r'<td class="option-group">', result) == 0
+    assert regex_count(r'<td class="option-group" colspan="2">', result) == 2
+
+
+@with_conf_app(buildername='html', warning=html_warnfile)
+def test_html(app):
+    app.builder.build(['contents'])
+    assert html_warnfile.getvalue() == ''
+
+
+@with_conf_app(buildername='latex', warning=html_warnfile)
+def test_latex(app):
+    app.builder.build(['contents'])
+    assert html_warnfile.getvalue() == ''
+
+
+@with_conf_app(buildername='man', warning=html_warnfile)
+def test_man(app):
+    app.builder.build(['contents'])
+    assert html_warnfile.getvalue() == ''
+
+
+@with_conf_app(buildername='texinfo', warning=html_warnfile)
+def test_texinfo(app):
+    app.builder.build(['contents'])
+    assert html_warnfile.getvalue() == ''