diff --git a/lib/jekyll.rb b/lib/jekyll.rb
index 8a27e161..cbf7c446 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll.rb
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ require 'jekyll/filters'
 require 'jekyll/tags/highlight'
 require 'jekyll/tags/include'
 require 'jekyll/albino'
+require 'jekyll/static_file'
 
 module Jekyll
   # Default options. Overriden by values in _config.yml or command-line opts.
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/site.rb b/lib/jekyll/site.rb
index 18b6664d..3d47d16e 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/site.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/site.rb
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 module Jekyll
 
   class Site
-    attr_accessor :config, :layouts, :posts, :categories, :exclude,
+    attr_accessor :config, :layouts, :posts, :pages, :static_files, :categories, :exclude,
                   :source, :dest, :lsi, :pygments, :permalink_style, :tags
 
     # Initialize the site
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ module Jekyll
     def reset
       self.layouts         = {}
       self.posts           = []
+      self.pages           = []
+      self.static_files    = []
       self.categories      = Hash.new { |hash, key| hash[key] = [] }
       self.tags            = Hash.new { |hash, key| hash[key] = [] }
     end
@@ -87,21 +89,29 @@ module Jekyll
     end
 
     # Do the actual work of processing the site and generating the
-    # real deal.
+    # real deal.  Now has 4 phases; reset, read, render, write.  This allows
+    # rendering to have full site payload available.
     #
     # Returns nothing
     def process
       self.reset
-      self.read_layouts
-      self.transform_pages
-      self.write_posts
+      self.read
+      self.render
+      self.write
     end
 
-    # Read all the files in <source>/_layouts into memory for later use.
+    def read
+      self.read_layouts # existing implementation did this at top level only so preserved that
+      self.read_directories
+    end
+
+    # Read all the files in <source>/<dir>/_layouts and create a new Layout
+    # object with each one.
     #
     # Returns nothing
-    def read_layouts
-      base = File.join(self.source, "_layouts")
+    def read_layouts(dir = '')
+      base = File.join(self.source, dir, "_layouts")
+      return unless File.exists?(base)
       entries = []
       Dir.chdir(base) { entries = filter_entries(Dir['*.*']) }
 
@@ -109,17 +119,16 @@ module Jekyll
         name = f.split(".")[0..-2].join(".")
         self.layouts[name] = Layout.new(self, base, f)
       end
-    rescue Errno::ENOENT => e
-      # ignore missing layout dir
     end
 
-    # Read all the files in <base>/_posts and create a new Post object with each one.
+    # Read all the files in <source>/<dir>/_posts and create a new Post
+    # object with each one.
     #
     # Returns nothing
     def read_posts(dir)
       base = File.join(self.source, dir, '_posts')
-      entries = []
-      Dir.chdir(base) { entries = filter_entries(Dir['**/*']) }
+      return unless File.exists?(base)
+      entries = Dir.chdir(base) { filter_entries(Dir['**/*']) }
 
       # first pass processes, but does not yet render post content
       entries.each do |f|
@@ -135,10 +144,11 @@ module Jekyll
       end
 
       self.posts.sort!
+    end
 
-      # second pass renders each post now that full site payload is available
-      self.posts.each do |post|
-        post.render(self.layouts, site_payload)
+    def render
+      [self.posts, self.pages].flatten.each do |convertible|
+        convertible.render(self.layouts, site_payload)
       end
 
       self.categories.values.map { |ps| ps.sort! { |a, b| b <=> a} }
@@ -147,55 +157,50 @@ module Jekyll
       # ignore missing layout dir
     end
 
-    # Write each post to <dest>/<year>/<month>/<day>/<slug>
+    # Write static files, pages and posts
     #
     # Returns nothing
-    def write_posts
+    def write
       self.posts.each do |post|
         post.write(self.dest)
       end
+      self.pages.each do |page|
+        page.write(self.dest)
+      end
+      self.static_files.each do |sf|
+        sf.write(self.dest)
+      end
     end
 
-    # Copy all regular files from <source> to <dest>/ ignoring
-    # any files/directories that are hidden or backup files (start
-    # with "." or "#" or end with "~") or contain site content (start with "_")
-    # unless they are "_posts" directories or web server files such as
-    # '.htaccess'
+    # Reads the directories and finds posts, pages and static files that will 
+    # become part of the valid site according to the rules in +filter_entries+.
     #   The +dir+ String is a relative path used to call this method
     #            recursively as it descends through directories
     #
     # Returns nothing
-    def transform_pages(dir = '')
+    def read_directories(dir = '')
       base = File.join(self.source, dir)
       entries = filter_entries(Dir.entries(base))
-      directories = entries.select { |e| File.directory?(File.join(base, e)) }
-      files = entries.reject { |e| File.directory?(File.join(base, e)) || File.symlink?(File.join(base, e)) }
 
-      # we need to make sure to process _posts *first* otherwise they
-      # might not be available yet to other templates as {{ site.posts }}
-      if directories.include?('_posts')
-        directories.delete('_posts')
-        read_posts(dir)
-      end
+      self.read_posts(dir)
 
-      [directories, files].each do |entries|
-        entries.each do |f|
-          if File.directory?(File.join(base, f))
-            next if self.dest.sub(/\/$/, '') == File.join(base, f)
-            transform_pages(File.join(dir, f))
-          elsif Pager.pagination_enabled?(self.config, f)
+      entries.each do |f|
+        f_abs = File.join(base, f)
+        f_rel = File.join(dir, f)
+        if File.directory?(f_abs)
+          next if self.dest.sub(/\/$/, '') == f_abs
+          read_directories(f_rel)
+        elsif !File.symlink?(f_abs)
+          if Pager.pagination_enabled?(self.config, f)
             paginate_posts(f, dir)
           else
-            first3 = File.open(File.join(self.source, dir, f)) { |fd| fd.read(3) }
+            first3 = File.open(f_abs) { |fd| fd.read(3) }
             if first3 == "---"
               # file appears to have a YAML header so process it as a page
-              page = Page.new(self, self.source, dir, f)
-              page.render(self.layouts, site_payload)
-              page.write(self.dest)
+              pages << Page.new(self, self.source, dir, f)
             else
-              # otherwise copy the file without transforming it
-              FileUtils.mkdir_p(File.join(self.dest, dir))
-              FileUtils.cp(File.join(self.source, dir, f), File.join(self.dest, dir, f))
+              # otherwise treat it as a static file
+              static_files << StaticFile.new(self, self.source, dir, f)
             end
           end
         end
@@ -228,19 +233,19 @@ module Jekyll
     end
 
     # Filter out any files/directories that are hidden or backup files (start
-    # with "." or "#" or end with "~") or contain site content (start with "_")
-    # unless they are "_posts" directories or web server files such as
-    # '.htaccess'
+    # with "." or "#" or end with "~"), or contain site content (start with "_"),
+    # or are excluded in the site configuration, unless they are web server
+    # files such as '.htaccess'
     def filter_entries(entries)
       entries = entries.reject do |e|
-        unless ['_posts', '.htaccess'].include?(e)
+        unless ['.htaccess'].include?(e)
           ['.', '_', '#'].include?(e[0..0]) || e[-1..-1] == '~' || self.exclude.include?(e)
         end
       end
     end
 
     # Paginates the blog's posts. Renders the index.html file into paginated directories, ie: page2, page3...
-    # and adds more wite-wide data
+    # and adds more site-wide data
     #
     # {"paginator" => { "page" => <Number>,
     #                   "per_page" => <Number>,
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb b/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7dfd6b97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+module Jekyll
+
+  class StaticFile
+    # Initialize a new StaticFile.
+    #   +site+ is the Site
+    #   +base+ is the String path to the <source>
+    #   +dir+ is the String path between <source> and the file
+    #   +name+ is the String filename of the file
+    #
+    # Returns <StaticFile>
+    def initialize(site, base, dir, name)
+      @site = site
+      @base = base
+      @dir  = dir
+      @name = name
+    end
+
+    # Write the static file to the destination directory.
+    #   +dest+ is the String path to the destination dir
+    #
+    # Returns nothing
+    def write(dest)
+      FileUtils.mkdir_p(File.join(dest, @dir))
+      FileUtils.cp(File.join(@base, @dir, @name), File.join(dest, @dir, @name))
+    end
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/test/test_site.rb b/test/test_site.rb
index f2202c8b..b92bc496 100644
--- a/test/test_site.rb
+++ b/test/test_site.rb
@@ -19,11 +19,17 @@ class TestSite < Test::Unit::TestCase
       before_posts = @site.posts.length
       before_layouts = @site.layouts.length
       before_categories = @site.categories.length
+      before_tags = @site.tags.length
+      before_pages = @site.pages.length
+      before_static_files = @site.static_files.length
 
       @site.process
       assert_equal before_posts, @site.posts.length
       assert_equal before_layouts, @site.layouts.length
       assert_equal before_categories, @site.categories.length
+      assert_equal before_tags, @site.tags.length
+      assert_equal before_pages, @site.pages.length
+      assert_equal before_static_files, @site.static_files.length
     end
 
     should "read layouts" do
@@ -52,10 +58,10 @@ class TestSite < Test::Unit::TestCase
     should "filter entries" do
       ent1 = %w[foo.markdown bar.markdown baz.markdown #baz.markdown#
               .baz.markdow foo.markdown~]
-      ent2 = %w[.htaccess _posts bla.bla]
+      ent2 = %w[.htaccess _posts _pages bla.bla]
 
       assert_equal %w[foo.markdown bar.markdown baz.markdown], @site.filter_entries(ent1)
-      assert_equal ent2, @site.filter_entries(ent2)
+      assert_equal %w[.htaccess bla.bla], @site.filter_entries(ent2)
     end
 
     should "filter entries with exclude" do