diff --git a/middleware/markdown/markdown.go b/middleware/markdown/markdown.go
index 70c3f825a..5c34cfc26 100644
--- a/middleware/markdown/markdown.go
+++ b/middleware/markdown/markdown.go
@@ -49,6 +49,9 @@ type Config struct {
 
 	// List of JavaScript files to load for each markdown file
 	Scripts []string
+
+	// Map of registered templates
+	Templates map[string] string
 }
 
 // ServeHTTP implements the http.Handler interface.
diff --git a/middleware/markdown/metadata.go b/middleware/markdown/metadata.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..83919fb4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleware/markdown/metadata.go
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
+package markdown
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+
+	"github.com/BurntSushi/toml"
+	"gopkg.in/yaml.v2"
+)
+
+var (
+	parsers = []MetadataParser{
+		&JSONMetadataParser{},
+		&TOMLMetadataParser{},
+		&YAMLMetadataParser{},
+	}
+)
+
+// Metadata stores a page's metadata
+type Metadata struct {
+	Template  string
+	Variables map[string]interface{}
+}
+
+// Load loads parsed metadata into m
+func (m *Metadata) load(parsedMap map[string]interface{}) {
+	if template, ok := parsedMap["template"]; ok {
+		m.Template, _ = template.(string)
+	}
+	if variables, ok := parsedMap["variables"]; ok {
+		m.Variables, _ = variables.(map[string]interface{})
+	}
+}
+
+// MetadataParser parses the page metadata
+// into Metadata
+type MetadataParser interface {
+	// Identifiers
+	Opening() []byte
+	Closing() []byte
+	Parse([]byte) error
+	Metadata() Metadata
+}
+
+// JSONMetadataParser is the MetdataParser for JSON
+type JSONMetadataParser struct {
+	metadata Metadata
+}
+
+// Parse parses b into metadata
+func (j *JSONMetadataParser) Parse(b []byte) error {
+	m := make(map[string]interface{})
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(b, &m); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	j.metadata.load(m)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Metadata returns the metadata parsed by this parser
+func (j *JSONMetadataParser) Metadata() Metadata {
+	return j.metadata
+}
+
+// Opening returns the opening identifier JSON metadata
+func (j *JSONMetadataParser) Opening() []byte {
+	return []byte("{")
+}
+
+// Closing returns the closing identifier JSON metadata
+func (j *JSONMetadataParser) Closing() []byte {
+	return []byte("}")
+}
+
+// TOMLMetadataParser is the MetadataParser for TOML
+type TOMLMetadataParser struct {
+	metadata Metadata
+}
+
+// Parse parses b into metadata
+func (t *TOMLMetadataParser) Parse(b []byte) error {
+	m := make(map[string]interface{})
+	if err := toml.Unmarshal(b, &m); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	t.metadata.load(m)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Metadata returns the metadata parsed by this parser
+func (t *TOMLMetadataParser) Metadata() Metadata {
+	return t.metadata
+}
+
+// Opening returns the opening identifier TOML metadata
+func (t *TOMLMetadataParser) Opening() []byte {
+	return []byte("+++")
+}
+
+// Closing returns the closing identifier TOML metadata
+func (t *TOMLMetadataParser) Closing() []byte {
+	return []byte("+++")
+}
+
+// YAMLMetadataParser is the MetdataParser for YAML
+type YAMLMetadataParser struct {
+	metadata Metadata
+}
+
+// Parse parses b into metadata
+func (y *YAMLMetadataParser) Parse(b []byte) error {
+	m := make(map[string]interface{})
+	if err := yaml.Unmarshal(b, &m); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	y.metadata.load(m)
+	return nil
+}
+
+// Metadata returns the metadata parsed by this parser
+func (y *YAMLMetadataParser) Metadata() Metadata {
+	return y.metadata
+}
+
+// Opening returns the opening identifier TOML metadata
+func (y *YAMLMetadataParser) Opening() []byte {
+	return []byte("---")
+}
+
+// Closing returns the closing identifier TOML metadata
+func (y *YAMLMetadataParser) Closing() []byte {
+	return []byte("---")
+}
diff --git a/middleware/markdown/process.go b/middleware/markdown/process.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..68db4188f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/middleware/markdown/process.go
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+package markdown
+
+import (
+	"bufio"
+	"bytes"
+	"fmt"
+	"io/ioutil"
+	"text/template"
+)
+
+// Process the contents of a page.
+// It parses the metadata if any and uses the template if found
+func Process(c Config, b []byte) ([]byte, error) {
+	metadata, markdown, err := extractMetadata(b)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	// if metadata template is included
+	var tmpl []byte
+	if metadata.Template != "" {
+		if t, ok := c.Templates[metadata.Template]; ok {
+			tmpl, err = loadTemplate(t)
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
+	// if no template loaded
+	// use default template
+	if tmpl == nil {
+		tmpl = []byte(htmlTemplate)
+	}
+
+	// process markdown
+	if markdown, err = processMarkdown(markdown, metadata.Variables); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	tmpl = bytes.Replace(tmpl, []byte("{{body}}"), markdown, 1)
+
+	return tmpl, nil
+}
+
+// extractMetadata extracts metadata content from a page.
+// it returns the metadata, the remaining bytes (markdown),
+// and an error if any
+func extractMetadata(b []byte) (metadata Metadata, markdown []byte, err error) {
+	b = bytes.TrimSpace(b)
+	reader := bytes.NewBuffer(b)
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+	var parser MetadataParser
+	//	if scanner.Scan() &&
+	// Read first line
+	if scanner.Scan() {
+		line := scanner.Bytes()
+		parser = findParser(line)
+		// if no parser found
+		// assume metadata not present
+		if parser == nil {
+			return metadata, b, nil
+		}
+	}
+
+	// buffer for metadata contents
+	buf := bytes.Buffer{}
+
+	// Read remaining lines until closing identifier is found
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		line := scanner.Bytes()
+		// closing identifier found
+		if bytes.Equal(bytes.TrimSpace(line), parser.Closing()) {
+			if err := parser.Parse(buf.Bytes()); err != nil {
+				return metadata, nil, err
+			}
+			return parser.Metadata(), reader.Bytes(), nil
+		}
+		buf.Write(line)
+	}
+	return metadata, nil, fmt.Errorf("Metadata not closed. '%v' not found", string(parser.Closing()))
+}
+
+// findParser locates the parser for an opening identifier
+func findParser(line []byte) MetadataParser {
+	line = bytes.TrimSpace(line)
+	for _, parser := range parsers {
+		if bytes.Equal(parser.Opening(), line) {
+			return parser
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func loadTemplate(tmpl string) ([]byte, error) {
+	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(tmpl)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if !bytes.Contains(b, []byte("{{body}}")) {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("template missing {{body}}")
+	}
+	return b, nil
+}
+
+func processMarkdown(b []byte, vars map[string]interface{}) ([]byte, error) {
+	buf := &bytes.Buffer{}
+	t, err := template.New("markdown").Parse(string(b))
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	if err := t.Execute(buf, vars); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return buf.Bytes(), nil
+}