diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index a4b42e1e4..16756798c 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ HEADER = r'''%% Generated by Sphinx.
 %(longtable)s
 \usepackage{sphinx}
 \usepackage{multirow}
+\usepackage{eqparbox}
 %(usepackages)s
 %(contentsname)s
 %(numfig_format)s
@@ -396,6 +397,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
         self.in_caption = 0
         self.in_container_literal_block = 0
         self.in_term = 0
+        self.in_merged_cell = 0
         self.first_document = 1
         self.this_is_the_title = 1
         self.literal_whitespace = 0
@@ -1074,6 +1076,13 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
             if 'morerows' in node:
                 self.remember_multirowcol[self.table.col] = node.get('morecols')
             self.table.col += node.get('morecols')
+        if (('morecols' in node or 'morerows' in node) and
+           (len(node) > 2 or len(node.astext().split('\n')) > 2)):
+            self.in_merged_cell = 1
+            self.literal_whitespace += 1
+            self.body.append('\\eqparbox{%d}{\\vspace{.5\\baselineskip}\n' % id(node))
+            self.pushbody([])
+            context += '}'
         if isinstance(node.parent.parent, nodes.thead):
             if len(node) == 1 and isinstance(node[0], nodes.paragraph) and node.astext() == '':
                 pass
@@ -1093,6 +1102,16 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
         self.context.append(context)
 
     def depart_entry(self, node):
+        if self.in_merged_cell:
+            self.in_merged_cell = 0
+            self.literal_whitespace -= 1
+            body = self.popbody()
+            # Remove empty lines from top of merged cell
+            while body and body[0] == "\n":
+                body.pop(0)
+            for line in body:
+                line = re.sub(u'(?<!~\\\\\\\\)\n', u'~\\\\\\\\\n', line)  # escape return code
+                self.body.append(line)
         self.body.append(self.context.pop())  # header
 
     def visit_acks(self, node):