diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
index cdf7eae1a..adc1892cb 100644
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -1720,8 +1720,13 @@ These options influence LaTeX output. See further :doc:`latex`.
         the "Bjarne" style uses numbers spelled out in English).  Other
         "fncychap" styles you can try are "Lenny", "Glenn", "Conny", "Rejne" and
         "Bjornstrup".  You can also set this to ``''`` to disable fncychap.
+     ``'packages'``
+        Extra user specified ``\\usepackage{<foo>}`` commands, default empty,
+        executed *after* the loading of :file:`sphinx.sty` and *before* the
+        loading of "hyperref".
      ``'preamble'``
-        Additional preamble content, default empty. See :doc:`latex`.
+        Additional preamble content, default empty. Executed *after*
+        the loading of "hyperref" package. See :doc:`latex`.
      ``'postamble'``
         Additional postamble content (before the indices), default empty.
      ``'figure_align'``
diff --git a/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t b/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t
index 1e0028503..6a3fb444d 100644
--- a/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t
+++ b/sphinx/templates/latex/content.tex_t
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 \usepackage{multirow}
 \usepackage{eqparbox}
 <%= usepackages %>
+<%= packages %>
 <%= hyperref %>
 <%= contentsname %>
 <%= numfig_format %>
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index a47864443..e46285300 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -278,6 +278,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
         'fontpkg':         '\\usepackage{times}',
         'fncychap':        '\\usepackage[Bjarne]{fncychap}',
         'longtable':       '\\usepackage{longtable}',
+        'packages':        '',
         'hyperref':        ('% Include hyperref last.\n'
                             '\\usepackage[colorlinks,breaklinks,%\n'
                             '            '