diff --git a/docs/settings.rst b/docs/settings.rst
index e5ce19f5..d32a9869 100644
--- a/docs/settings.rst
+++ b/docs/settings.rst
@@ -699,6 +699,10 @@ Template pages
                          'src/resume.html': 'dest/resume.html',
                          'src/contact.html': 'dest/contact.html'}
 
+.. data:: TEMPLATE_EXTENSION = ['.html']
+
+   The extensions to use when looking up template files from template names.
+
 .. data:: DIRECT_TEMPLATES = ['index', 'categories', 'authors', 'archives']
 
    List of templates that are used directly to render content. Typically direct
diff --git a/pelican/generators.py b/pelican/generators.py
index eb97c115..b9e40243 100644
--- a/pelican/generators.py
+++ b/pelican/generators.py
@@ -86,12 +86,19 @@ class Generator(object):
         templates ready to use with Jinja2.
         """
         if name not in self._templates:
-            try:
-                self._templates[name] = self.env.get_template(name + '.html')
-            except TemplateNotFound:
+            for ext in self.settings['TEMPLATE_EXTENSIONS']:
+                try:
+                    self._templates[name] = self.env.get_template(name + ext)
+                    break
+                except TemplateNotFound:
+                    continue
+
+            if name not in self._templates:
                 raise PelicanTemplateNotFound(
-                    '[templates] unable to load {}.html from {}'.format(
-                        name, self._templates_path))
+                    '[templates] unable to load {}[{}] from {}'.format(
+                        name, ', '.join(self.settings['TEMPLATE_EXTENSIONS']),
+                        self._templates_path))
+
         return self._templates[name]
 
     def _include_path(self, path, extensions=None):
diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index 417de79a..0d09340b 100644
--- a/pelican/settings.py
+++ b/pelican/settings.py
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
     'PLUGINS': [],
     'PYGMENTS_RST_OPTIONS': {},
     'TEMPLATE_PAGES': {},
+    'TEMPLATE_EXTENSIONS': ['.html'],
     'IGNORE_FILES': ['.#*'],
     'SLUG_SUBSTITUTIONS': (),
     'INTRASITE_LINK_REGEX': '[{|](?P<what>.*?)[|}]',