diff --git a/doc/domains.rst b/doc/domains.rst
index 2aaf218c0..a259cbccd 100644
--- a/doc/domains.rst
+++ b/doc/domains.rst
@@ -359,6 +359,18 @@ single word, like this::
    :param int priority: The priority of the message, can be a number 1-5
 
 
+.. versionadded:: 1.5
+
+Container types such as lists and dictionaries can be linked automatically
+using the following syntax::
+
+   :type priorities: list(int)
+   :type priorities: list[int]
+   :type mapping: dict(str, int)
+   :type mapping: dict[str, int]
+   :type point: tuple(float, float)
+   :type point: tuple[float, float]
+
 .. _python-roles:
 
 Cross-referencing Python objects
diff --git a/doc/ext/example_google.py b/doc/ext/example_google.py
index c3ba273b8..34a720e36 100644
--- a/doc/ext/example_google.py
+++ b/doc/ext/example_google.py
@@ -211,14 +211,14 @@ class ExampleClass(object):
             param1 (str): Description of `param1`.
             param2 (:obj:`int`, optional): Description of `param2`. Multiple
                 lines are supported.
-            param3 (:obj:`list` of :obj:`str`): Description of `param3`.
+            param3 (list(str)): Description of `param3`.
 
         """
         self.attr1 = param1
         self.attr2 = param2
         self.attr3 = param3  #: Doc comment *inline* with attribute
 
-        #: list of str: Doc comment *before* attribute, with type specified
+        #: list(str): Doc comment *before* attribute, with type specified
         self.attr4 = ['attr4']
 
         self.attr5 = None
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ class ExampleClass(object):
 
     @property
     def readwrite_property(self):
-        """:obj:`list` of :obj:`str`: Properties with both a getter and setter
+        """list(str): Properties with both a getter and setter
         should only be documented in their getter method.
 
         If the setter method contains notable behavior, it should be
diff --git a/doc/ext/example_numpy.py b/doc/ext/example_numpy.py
index 0e71008e1..7a2db94cc 100644
--- a/doc/ext/example_numpy.py
+++ b/doc/ext/example_numpy.py
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ class ExampleClass(object):
         ----------
         param1 : str
             Description of `param1`.
-        param2 : :obj:`list` of :obj:`str`
+        param2 : list(str)
             Description of `param2`. Multiple
             lines are supported.
         param3 : :obj:`int`, optional
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ class ExampleClass(object):
         self.attr2 = param2
         self.attr3 = param3  #: Doc comment *inline* with attribute
 
-        #: list of str: Doc comment *before* attribute, with type specified
+        #: list(str): Doc comment *before* attribute, with type specified
         self.attr4 = ["attr4"]
 
         self.attr5 = None
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ class ExampleClass(object):
 
     @property
     def readwrite_property(self):
-        """:obj:`list` of :obj:`str`: Properties with both a getter and setter
+        """list(str): Properties with both a getter and setter
         should only be documented in their getter method.
 
         If the setter method contains notable behavior, it should be
diff --git a/sphinx/domains/python.py b/sphinx/domains/python.py
index 06a6b3002..3d7e10467 100644
--- a/sphinx/domains/python.py
+++ b/sphinx/domains/python.py
@@ -101,6 +101,27 @@ class PyXrefMixin(object):
                 break
         return result
 
+    def make_xrefs(self, rolename, domain, target, innernode=nodes.emphasis,
+                   contnode=None):
+        delims = '(\s*[\[\]\(\),]\s*)'
+        delims_re = re.compile(delims)
+        sub_targets = re.split(delims, target)
+
+        split_contnode = bool(contnode and contnode.astext() == target)
+
+        results = []
+        for sub_target in sub_targets:
+            if split_contnode:
+                contnode = nodes.Text(sub_target)
+
+            if delims_re.match(sub_target):
+                results.append(contnode or innernode(sub_target, sub_target))
+            else:
+                results.append(self.make_xref(rolename, domain, sub_target,
+                                              innernode, contnode))
+
+        return results
+
 
 class PyField(PyXrefMixin, Field):
     pass
diff --git a/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py b/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py
index c3d5bb3d0..f306b4ddc 100644
--- a/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py
+++ b/sphinx/ext/napoleon/docstring.py
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ from sphinx.util.pycompat import UnicodeMixin
 
 _directive_regex = re.compile(r'\.\. \S+::')
 _google_section_regex = re.compile(r'^(\s|\w)+:\s*$')
-_google_typed_arg_regex = re.compile(r'\s*(.+?)\s*\(\s*(.+?)\s*\)')
+_google_typed_arg_regex = re.compile(r'\s*(.+?)\s*\(\s*(.*[^\s]+)\s*\)')
 _numpy_section_regex = re.compile(r'^[=\-`:\'"~^_*+#<>]{2,}\s*$')
 _single_colon_regex = re.compile(r'(?<!:):(?!:)')
 _xref_regex = re.compile(r'(:\w+:\S+:`.+?`|:\S+:`.+?`|`.+?`)')
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ class GoogleDocstring(UnicodeMixin):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        :obj:`list` of :obj:`str`
+        list(str)
             The lines of the docstring in a list.
 
         """
@@ -254,12 +254,7 @@ class GoogleDocstring(UnicodeMixin):
                 else:
                     _desc = lines[1:]
 
-                match = _google_typed_arg_regex.match(before)
-                if match:
-                    _name = match.group(1)
-                    _type = match.group(2)
-                else:
-                    _type = before
+                _type = before
 
             _desc = self.__class__(_desc, self._config).lines()
             return [(_name, _type, _desc,)]
@@ -817,7 +812,7 @@ class NumpyDocstring(GoogleDocstring):
 
         Returns
         -------
-        :obj:`list` of :obj:`str`
+        list(str)
             The lines of the docstring in a list.
 
     """
diff --git a/sphinx/util/docfields.py b/sphinx/util/docfields.py
index f4eb703ce..798645b46 100644
--- a/sphinx/util/docfields.py
+++ b/sphinx/util/docfields.py
@@ -62,6 +62,10 @@ class Field(object):
         refnode += contnode or innernode(target, target)
         return refnode
 
+    def make_xrefs(self, rolename, domain, target,
+                   innernode=addnodes.literal_emphasis, contnode=None):
+        return [self.make_xref(rolename, domain, target, innernode, contnode)]
+
     def make_entry(self, fieldarg, content):
         return (fieldarg, content)
 
@@ -70,14 +74,15 @@ class Field(object):
         fieldname = nodes.field_name('', self.label)
         if fieldarg:
             fieldname += nodes.Text(' ')
-            fieldname += self.make_xref(self.rolename, domain,
-                                        fieldarg, nodes.Text)
+            fieldname.extend(self.make_xrefs(self.rolename, domain,
+                                             fieldarg, nodes.Text))
+
         if len(content) == 1 and (
                 isinstance(content[0], nodes.Text) or
                 (isinstance(content[0], nodes.inline) and len(content[0]) == 1 and
                  isinstance(content[0][0], nodes.Text))):
-            content = [self.make_xref(self.bodyrolename, domain,
-                                      content[0].astext(), contnode=content[0])]
+            content = self.make_xrefs(self.bodyrolename, domain,
+                                      content[0].astext(), contnode=content[0])
         fieldbody = nodes.field_body('', nodes.paragraph('', '', *content))
         return nodes.field('', fieldname, fieldbody)
 
@@ -108,14 +113,16 @@ class GroupedField(Field):
         listnode = self.list_type()
         for fieldarg, content in items:
             par = nodes.paragraph()
-            par += self.make_xref(self.rolename, domain, fieldarg,
-                                  addnodes.literal_strong)
+            par.extend(self.make_xrefs(self.rolename, domain, fieldarg,
+                                       addnodes.literal_strong))
             par += nodes.Text(' -- ')
             par += content
             listnode += nodes.list_item('', par)
+
         if len(items) == 1 and self.can_collapse:
             fieldbody = nodes.field_body('', listnode[0][0])
             return nodes.field('', fieldname, fieldbody)
+
         fieldbody = nodes.field_body('', listnode)
         return nodes.field('', fieldname, fieldbody)
 
@@ -150,8 +157,8 @@ class TypedField(GroupedField):
     def make_field(self, types, domain, items):
         def handle_item(fieldarg, content):
             par = nodes.paragraph()
-            par += self.make_xref(self.rolename, domain, fieldarg,
-                                  addnodes.literal_strong)
+            par.extend(self.make_xrefs(self.rolename, domain, fieldarg,
+                                       addnodes.literal_strong))
             if fieldarg in types:
                 par += nodes.Text(' (')
                 # NOTE: using .pop() here to prevent a single type node to be
@@ -160,8 +167,8 @@ class TypedField(GroupedField):
                 fieldtype = types.pop(fieldarg)
                 if len(fieldtype) == 1 and isinstance(fieldtype[0], nodes.Text):
                     typename = u''.join(n.astext() for n in fieldtype)
-                    par += self.make_xref(self.typerolename, domain, typename,
-                                          addnodes.literal_emphasis)
+                    par.extend(self.make_xrefs(self.typerolename, domain, typename,
+                                               addnodes.literal_emphasis))
                 else:
                     par += fieldtype
                 par += nodes.Text(')')
diff --git a/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py b/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py
index b6f16b26b..c320a7fec 100644
--- a/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py
+++ b/tests/test_ext_napoleon_docstring.py
@@ -222,6 +222,24 @@ class GoogleDocstringTest(BaseDocstringTest):
         """
         Single line summary
 
+        Args:
+          arg1 (list(int)): Description
+          arg2 (list[int]): Description
+          arg3 (dict(str, int)): Description
+          arg4 (dict[str, int]): Description
+        """,
+        """
+        Single line summary
+
+        :Parameters: * **arg1** (*list(int)*) -- Description
+                     * **arg2** (*list[int]*) -- Description
+                     * **arg3** (*dict(str, int)*) -- Description
+                     * **arg4** (*dict[str, int]*) -- Description
+        """
+    ), (
+        """
+        Single line summary
+
         Yield:
           str:Extended
           description of yielded value