diff --git a/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb b/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb
index 454f1247..48fa34c5 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/static_file.rb
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ module Jekyll
 
     def destination_rel_dir
       if @collection
-        @dir.gsub(/\A_/, '')
+        File.dirname(url)
       else
         @dir
       end
@@ -61,9 +61,10 @@ module Jekyll
 
     # Whether to write the file to the filesystem
     #
-    # Returns true.
+    # Returns true unless the defaults for the destination path from
+    # _config.yml contain `published: false`.
     def write?
-      true
+      defaults.fetch('published', true)
     end
 
     # Write the static file to the destination directory (if modified).
@@ -100,5 +101,41 @@ module Jekyll
         "path"          => File.join("", relative_path)
       }
     end
+
+    def placeholders
+      {
+        collection: @collection.label,
+        path: relative_path[
+          @collection.relative_directory.size..relative_path.size],
+        output_ext: '',
+        name: '',
+        title: '',
+      }
+    end
+
+    # Applies a similar URL-building technique as Jekyll::Document that takes
+    # the collection's URL template into account. The default URL template can
+    # be overriden in the collection's configuration in _config.yml.
+    def url
+      @url ||= if @collection.nil?
+        relative_path
+      else
+        ::Jekyll::URL.new({
+          template:  @collection.url_template,
+          placeholders: placeholders,
+        })
+      end.to_s.gsub /\/$/, ''
+    end
+
+    # Returns the type of the collection if present, nil otherwise.
+    def type
+      @type ||= @collection.nil? ? nil : @collection.label.to_sym
+    end
+
+    # Returns the front matter defaults defined for the file's URL and/or type
+    # as defined in _config.yml.
+    def defaults
+      @defaults ||= @site.frontmatter_defaults.all url, type
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/test/test_static_file.rb b/test/test_static_file.rb
index 3285f952..3af7a1f0 100644
--- a/test/test_static_file.rb
+++ b/test/test_static_file.rb
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@ class TestStaticFile < JekyllUnitTest
     StaticFile.new(@site, base, dir, name)
   end
 
+  def setup_static_file_with_collection(base, dir, name, label, metadata)
+    site = fixture_site 'collections' => {label => metadata}
+    StaticFile.new(site, base, dir, name, site.collections[label])
+  end
+
+  def setup_static_file_with_defaults(base, dir, name, defaults)
+    site = fixture_site 'defaults' => defaults
+    StaticFile.new(site, base, dir, name)
+  end
+
   context "A StaticFile" do
     setup do
       clear_dest
@@ -46,7 +56,44 @@ class TestStaticFile < JekyllUnitTest
 
     should "have a destination relative directory without a collection" do
       static_file = setup_static_file("root", "dir/subdir", "file.html")
-      assert "dir/subdir", static_file.destination_rel_dir
+      assert_equal nil, static_file.type
+      assert_equal "dir/subdir/file.html", static_file.url
+      assert_equal "dir/subdir", static_file.destination_rel_dir
+    end
+
+    should "have a destination relative directory with a collection" do
+      static_file = setup_static_file_with_collection(
+        "root", "_foo/dir/subdir", "file.html", "foo", {"output" => true})
+      assert_equal :foo, static_file.type
+      assert_equal "/foo/dir/subdir/file.html", static_file.url
+      assert_equal "/foo/dir/subdir", static_file.destination_rel_dir
+    end
+
+    should "use its collection's permalink template for the destination relative directory" do
+      static_file = setup_static_file_with_collection(
+        "root", "_foo/dir/subdir", "file.html", "foo",
+        {"output" => true, "permalink" => "/:path/"})
+      assert_equal :foo, static_file.type
+      assert_equal "/dir/subdir/file.html", static_file.url
+      assert_equal "/dir/subdir", static_file.destination_rel_dir
+    end
+
+    should "be writable by default" do
+      static_file = setup_static_file("root", "dir/subdir", "file.html")
+      assert(static_file.write?,
+        "static_file.write? should return true by default")
+    end
+
+    should "use the _config.yml defaults to determine writability" do
+      defaults = [{
+        "scope" => {"path" => "private"},
+        "values" => {"published" => false}
+      }]
+      static_file = setup_static_file_with_defaults(
+        "root", "private/dir/subdir", "file.html", defaults)
+      assert(!static_file.write?,
+        "static_file.write? should return false when _config.yml sets " +
+        "`published: false`")
     end
 
     should "know its last modification time" do