diff --git a/doc/extdev/index.rst b/doc/extdev/index.rst
index 2d0c9162e..ed3307619 100644
--- a/doc/extdev/index.rst
+++ b/doc/extdev/index.rst
@@ -216,6 +216,11 @@ The following is a list of deprecated interface.
      - 3.0
      - N/A
 
+   * - ``sphinx.writers.latex.ExtBabel.get_shorthandoff()``
+     - 1.8
+     - 2.0
+     - N/A
+
    * - ``sphinx.application.CONFIG_FILENAME``
      - 1.8
      - 3.0
diff --git a/doc/usage/configuration.rst b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
index cf0c2ddad..10556b063 100644
--- a/doc/usage/configuration.rst
+++ b/doc/usage/configuration.rst
@@ -2114,6 +2114,7 @@ information.
      ``'author'``
      ``'logo'``
      ``'makeindex'``
+     ``'shorthandoff'``
 
 .. confval:: latex_docclass
 
diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 079d8b153..841d4d227 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -44,14 +44,17 @@ logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
 BEGIN_DOC = r'''
 \begin{document}
-\ifdefined\shorthandoff
-  \ifnum\catcode`\=\string=\active\shorthandoff{=}\fi
-  \ifnum\catcode`\"=\active\shorthandoff{"}\fi
-\fi
+%(shorthandoff)s
 %(maketitle)s
 %(tableofcontents)s
 '''
 
+SHORTHANDOFF = r'''
+\ifdefined\shorthandoff
+  \ifnum\catcode`\=\string=\active\shorthandoff{=}\fi
+  \ifnum\catcode`\"=\active\shorthandoff{"}\fi
+\fi
+'''
 
 MAX_CITATION_LABEL_LENGTH = 8
 LATEXSECTIONNAMES = ["part", "chapter", "section", "subsection",
@@ -104,6 +107,7 @@ DEFAULT_SETTINGS = {
     'logo':            '\\vbox{}',
     'releasename':     '',
     'makeindex':       '\\makeindex',
+    'shorthandoff':    '',
     'maketitle':       '\\maketitle',
     'tableofcontents': '\\sphinxtableofcontents',
     'atendofbody':     '',
@@ -201,16 +205,6 @@ class LaTeXWriter(writers.Writer):
 
 class ExtBabel(Babel):
     cyrillic_languages = ('bulgarian', 'kazakh', 'mongolian', 'russian', 'ukrainian')
-    shorthands = {
-        'ngerman': '"',
-        'slovene': '"',
-        'portuges': '"',
-        'brazil': '"',
-        'spanish': '"',
-        'dutch': '"',
-        'polish': '"',
-        'italian': '"',
-    }
 
     def __init__(self, language_code, use_polyglossia=False):
         # type: (unicode, bool) -> None
@@ -219,6 +213,12 @@ class ExtBabel(Babel):
         self.supported = True
         super(ExtBabel, self).__init__(language_code or '')
 
+    def get_shorthandoff(self):
+        # type: () -> unicode
+        warnings.warn('ExtBabel.get_shorthandoff() is deprecated.',
+                      RemovedInSphinx20Warning)
+        return SHORTHANDOFF
+
     def uses_cyrillic(self):
         # type: () -> bool
         return self.language in self.cyrillic_languages
@@ -574,6 +574,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
             # this branch is not taken for xelatex/lualatex if default settings
             self.elements['multilingual'] = self.elements['babel']
             if builder.config.language:
+                self.elements['shorthandoff'] = SHORTHANDOFF
 
                 # Times fonts don't work with Cyrillic languages
                 if self.babel.uses_cyrillic() \
@@ -586,6 +587,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
                     self.elements['classoptions'] = ',dvipdfmx'
                     # disable babel which has not publishing quality in Japanese
                     self.elements['babel'] = ''
+                    self.elements['shorthandoff'] = ''
                     self.elements['multilingual'] = ''
                     # disable fncychap in Japanese documents
                     self.elements['fncychap'] = ''
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index 0f6f7ca09..bfe8e9f61 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ def test_babel_with_no_language_settings(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsenglish{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsenglish{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\extrasenglish{\\def\\pageautorefname{page}}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' not in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -444,6 +445,7 @@ def test_babel_with_language_de(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsngerman{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsngerman{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\extrasngerman{\\def\\pageautorefname{Seite}}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff{"}' in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -465,6 +467,7 @@ def test_babel_with_language_ru(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsrussian{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert (u'\\addto\\extrasrussian{\\def\\pageautorefname'
             u'{\u0441\u0442\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0446\u0430}}\n' in result)
+    assert '\\shorthandoff{"}' in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -485,6 +488,7 @@ def test_babel_with_language_tr(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsturkish{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsturkish{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\extrasturkish{\\def\\pageautorefname{sayfa}}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff{=}' in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -504,6 +508,7 @@ def test_babel_with_language_ja(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}\n' in result
     assert '\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}\n' in result
     assert u'\\def\\pageautorefname{ページ}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' not in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -524,6 +529,7 @@ def test_babel_with_unknown_language(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsenglish{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsenglish{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\extrasenglish{\\def\\pageautorefname{page}}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' in result
 
     assert "WARNING: no Babel option known for language 'unknown'" in warning.getvalue()
 
@@ -547,6 +553,7 @@ def test_polyglossia_with_language_de(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsgerman{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsgerman{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\def\\pageautorefname{Seite}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' not in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx(
@@ -568,6 +575,7 @@ def test_polyglossia_with_language_de_1901(app, status, warning):
     assert '\\addto\\captionsgerman{\\renewcommand{\\figurename}{Fig.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\addto\\captionsgerman{\\renewcommand{\\tablename}{Table.}}\n' in result
     assert '\\def\\pageautorefname{page}\n' in result
+    assert '\\shorthandoff' not in result
 
 
 @pytest.mark.sphinx('latex')