diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 1d05abd57..d7250ae15 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ Features added
 --------------
 
 * #4181: autodoc: Sort dictionary keys when possible
+* Add :confval:`smart_quotes` to disable smart quotes through ``conf.py``
+  (refs: #3967)
 
 Bugs fixed
 ----------
diff --git a/doc/config.rst b/doc/config.rst
index b615dc45a..dca199652 100644
--- a/doc/config.rst
+++ b/doc/config.rst
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ and output behavior.
 The configuration file is executed as Python code at build time (using
 :func:`execfile`, and with the current directory set to its containing
 directory), and therefore can execute arbitrarily complex code.  Sphinx then
-reads simple names from the file's namespace as its configuration.
 
 Important points to note:
 
@@ -345,6 +344,14 @@ General configuration
 
    .. versionadded:: 1.3
 
+.. confval:: smart_quotes
+
+   If true, `SmartyPants <https://daringfireball.net/projects/smartypants/>`_
+   will be used to convert quotes and dashes to typographically correct
+   entities.  Default: ``True``.
+
+   .. versionadded:: 1.6.6
+
 .. confval:: tls_verify
 
    If true, Sphinx verifies server certifications.  Default is ``True``.
@@ -781,8 +788,9 @@ that use Sphinx's HTMLWriter class.
    entities.  Default: ``True``.
 
    .. deprecated:: 1.6
-      To disable or customize smart quotes, use the Docutils configuration file
-      (``docutils.conf``) instead to set there its `smart_quotes option`_.
+      To disable smart quotes, use :confval:`smart_quotes` or the Docutils
+      configuration file (``docutils.conf``) instead to set there its
+      `smart_quotes option`_.
 
       .. _`smart_quotes option`: http://docutils.sourceforge.net/docs/user/config.html#smart-quotes
 
diff --git a/sphinx/config.py b/sphinx/config.py
index 02ee529a3..5308c52bf 100644
--- a/sphinx/config.py
+++ b/sphinx/config.py
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ class Config(object):
 
         tls_verify = (True, 'env'),
         tls_cacerts = (None, 'env'),
+        smart_quotes = (True, 'env'),
     )  # type: Dict[unicode, Tuple]
 
     def __init__(self, dirname, filename, overrides, tags):
diff --git a/sphinx/environment/__init__.py b/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
index f522bd576..553ab794c 100644
--- a/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
+++ b/sphinx/environment/__init__.py
@@ -677,14 +677,15 @@ class BuildEnvironment(object):
         language = self.config.language or 'en'
         self.settings['language_code'] = language
         if 'smart_quotes' not in self.settings:
-            self.settings['smart_quotes'] = True
             if self.config.html_use_smartypants is not None:
                 warnings.warn("html_use_smartypants option is deprecated. Smart "
                               "quotes are on by default; if you want to disable "
-                              "or customize them, use the smart_quotes option in "
-                              "docutils.conf.",
+                              "them, use the smart_quotes option",
                               RemovedInSphinx17Warning)
                 self.settings['smart_quotes'] = self.config.html_use_smartypants
+            else:
+                self.settings['smart_quotes'] = self.config.smart_quotes
+
             for tag in normalize_language_tag(language):
                 if tag in smartchars.quotes:
                     break