diff --git a/bin/jekyll b/bin/jekyll
index c025a623..b81ba73e 100755
--- a/bin/jekyll
+++ b/bin/jekyll
@@ -82,6 +82,10 @@ opts = OptionParser.new do |opts|
   opts.on("--rdiscount", "Use rdiscount gem for Markdown") do
     options['markdown'] = 'rdiscount'
   end
+  
+  opts.on("--redcarpet", "Use redcarpet gem for Markdown") do
+    options['markdown'] = 'redcarpet'
+  end
 
   opts.on("--kramdown", "Use kramdown gem for Markdown") do
     options['markdown'] = 'kramdown'
diff --git a/features/site_configuration.feature b/features/site_configuration.feature
index 0681c2f5..8d3bee5d 100644
--- a/features/site_configuration.feature
+++ b/features/site_configuration.feature
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ Feature: Site configuration
     Then the _site directory should exist
     And I should see "<a href="http://google.com">Google</a>" in "_site/index.html"
 
+  Scenario: Use Redcarpet for markup
+    Given I have an "index.markdown" page that contains "[Google](http://google.com)"
+    And I have a configuration file with "markdown" set to "redcarpet"
+    When I run jekyll
+    Then the _site directory should exist
+    And I should see "<a href="http://google.com">Google</a>" in "_site/index.html"
+
   Scenario: Use Maruku for markup
     Given I have an "index.markdown" page that contains "[Google](http://google.com)"
     And I have a configuration file with "markdown" set to "maruku"
diff --git a/jekyll.gemspec b/jekyll.gemspec
index 2bb856f0..66dd8c2f 100644
--- a/jekyll.gemspec
+++ b/jekyll.gemspec
@@ -36,7 +36,8 @@ Gem::Specification.new do |s|
   s.add_development_dependency('cucumber', ">= 0.10.0")
   s.add_development_dependency('RedCloth', ">= 4.2.1")
   s.add_development_dependency('rdiscount', ">= 1.6.5")
-
+  s.add_development_dependency('redcarpet', ">= 1.9.0")
+  
   # = MANIFEST =
   s.files = %w[
     History.txt
diff --git a/lib/jekyll.rb b/lib/jekyll.rb
index 65bdd7fe..7b1964fb 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll.rb
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ module Jekyll
     'rdiscount'    => {
       'extensions' => []
     },
+    'redcarpet'    => {
+      'extensions' => []
+    },
     'kramdown'        => {
       'auto_ids'      => true,
       'footnote_nr'   => 1,
diff --git a/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb b/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb
index 00c56d7c..2721f02c 100644
--- a/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb
+++ b/lib/jekyll/converters/markdown.rb
@@ -10,6 +10,15 @@ module Jekyll
       return if @setup
       # Set the Markdown interpreter (and Maruku self.config, if necessary)
       case @config['markdown']
+        when 'redcarpet'
+          begin
+            require 'redcarpet'
+            @redcarpet_extensions = @config['redcarpet']['extensions'].map { |e| e.to_sym }
+          rescue LoadError
+            STDERR.puts 'You are missing a library required for Markdown. Please run:'
+            STDERR.puts '  $ [sudo] gem install redcarpet'
+            raise FatalException.new("Missing dependency: redcarpet")
+          end
         when 'kramdown'
           begin
             require 'kramdown'
@@ -77,6 +86,8 @@ module Jekyll
     def convert(content)
       setup
       case @config['markdown']
+        when 'redcarpet'
+          Redcarpet.new(content, *@redcarpet_extensions).to_html
         when 'kramdown'
           # Check for use of coderay
           if @config['kramdown']['use_coderay']
diff --git a/test/helper.rb b/test/helper.rb
index c426b2a0..80825c07 100644
--- a/test/helper.rb
+++ b/test/helper.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ require File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__), *%w[.. lib jekyll])
 require 'RedCloth'
 require 'rdiscount'
 require 'kramdown'
+require 'redcarpet'
 
 require 'test/unit'
 require 'redgreen'
diff --git a/test/test_redcarpet.rb b/test/test_redcarpet.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1359c449
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_redcarpet.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/helper'
+
+class TestRedcarpet < Test::Unit::TestCase
+  context "redcarpet" do
+    setup do
+      config = {
+        'redcarpet' => { 'extensions' => ['smart'] },
+        'markdown' => 'redcarpet'
+      }
+      @markdown = MarkdownConverter.new config
+    end
+
+    should "pass redcarpet options" do
+      assert_equal "<h1>Some Header</h1>", @markdown.convert('# Some Header #').strip
+    end
+    
+    should "pass redcarpet extensions" do
+      assert_equal "<p>&ldquo;smart&rdquo;</p>", @markdown.convert('"smart"').strip
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/test_tags.rb b/test/test_tags.rb
index 3f25e5c2..c3c19a83 100644
--- a/test/test_tags.rb
+++ b/test/test_tags.rb
@@ -123,5 +123,16 @@ CONTENT
         assert_match %r{<em>FINISH HIM</em>}, @result
       end
     end
+    
+    context "using Redcarpet" do
+      setup do
+        create_post(@content, 'markdown' => 'redcarpet')
+      end
+
+      should "parse correctly" do
+        assert_match %r{<em>FIGHT!</em>}, @result
+        assert_match %r{<em>FINISH HIM</em>}, @result
+      end
+    end
   end
 end