diff --git a/datasette/app.py b/datasette/app.py
index 2a5d569e..2d02e705 100644
--- a/datasette/app.py
+++ b/datasette/app.py
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ from markupsafe import Markup
 import jinja2
 from jinja2 import ChoiceLoader, Environment, FileSystemLoader, PrefixLoader, escape
 from jinja2.environment import Template
+from jinja2.exceptions import TemplateNotFound
 import uvicorn
 
 from .views.base import DatasetteError, ureg, AsgiRouter
@@ -745,7 +746,7 @@ class DatasetteRouter(AsgiRouter):
             path = "/" + path[len(base_url) :]
         return await super().route_path(scope, receive, send, path)
 
-    async def handle_404(self, scope, receive, send):
+    async def handle_404(self, scope, receive, send, exception=None):
         # If URL has a trailing slash, redirect to URL without it
         path = scope.get("raw_path", scope["path"].encode("utf8"))
         if path.endswith(b"/"):
@@ -754,7 +755,20 @@ class DatasetteRouter(AsgiRouter):
                 path += b"?" + scope["query_string"]
             await asgi_send_redirect(send, path.decode("latin1"))
         else:
-            await super().handle_404(scope, receive, send)
+            # Is there a pages/* template matching this path?
+            template_path = os.path.join("pages", *scope["path"].split("/")) + ".html"
+            try:
+                template = self.ds.jinja_env.select_template([template_path])
+            except TemplateNotFound:
+                template = None
+            if template:
+                await asgi_send_html(
+                    send, await self.ds.render_template(template), status=200
+                )
+            else:
+                await self.handle_500(
+                    scope, receive, send, exception or NotFound("404")
+                )
 
     async def handle_500(self, scope, receive, send, exception):
         title = None
diff --git a/datasette/utils/asgi.py b/datasette/utils/asgi.py
index 817c7dd8..ed3138d0 100644
--- a/datasette/utils/asgi.py
+++ b/datasette/utils/asgi.py
@@ -119,11 +119,13 @@ class AsgiRouter:
                 new_scope = dict(scope, url_route={"kwargs": match.groupdict()})
                 try:
                     return await view(new_scope, receive, send)
+                except NotFound as exception:
+                    return await self.handle_404(scope, receive, send, exception)
                 except Exception as exception:
                     return await self.handle_500(scope, receive, send, exception)
         return await self.handle_404(scope, receive, send)
 
-    async def handle_404(self, scope, receive, send):
+    async def handle_404(self, scope, receive, send, exception=None):
         await send(
             {
                 "type": "http.response.start",
diff --git a/datasette/views/base.py b/datasette/views/base.py
index 2478bd84..c81af938 100644
--- a/datasette/views/base.py
+++ b/datasette/views/base.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ from datasette.utils.asgi import (
     AsgiRouter,
     AsgiView,
     NotFound,
+    NotFound,
     Response,
 )
 
diff --git a/tests/test_html.py b/tests/test_html.py
index 1b675d3c..785d2d97 100644
--- a/tests/test_html.py
+++ b/tests/test_html.py
@@ -1241,3 +1241,20 @@ def test_base_url_config(base_url, path):
                     "href_or_src": href,
                     "element_parent": str(el.parent),
                 }
+
+
+def test_custom_template_page(tmpdir):
+    template_dir = tmpdir.mkdir("page-templates")
+    pages_dir = template_dir.mkdir("pages")
+    (pages_dir / "about.html").write_text("ABOUT!", "utf-8")
+    nested_dir = pages_dir.mkdir("nested")
+    (nested_dir / "nest.html").write_text("Nest!", "utf-8")
+    for client in make_app_client(template_dir=str(template_dir)):
+        response = client.get("/about")
+        assert 200 == response.status
+        assert "ABOUT!" == response.text
+        response = client.get("/nested/nest")
+        assert 200 == response.status
+        assert "Nest!" == response.text
+        response = client.get("/nested/nest2")
+        assert 404 == response.status