diff --git a/pelican/generators.py b/pelican/generators.py
index 0d2209be..d7476850 100644
--- a/pelican/generators.py
+++ b/pelican/generators.py
@@ -307,6 +307,7 @@ class ArticlesGenerator(Generator):
                 article_path,
                 exclude=self.settings['ARTICLE_EXCLUDES']):
             try:
+                signals.article_generate_preread.send(self)
                 content, metadata = read_file(f, settings=self.settings)
             except Exception, e:
                 logger.warning(u'Could not process %s\n%s' % (f, str(e)))
diff --git a/pelican/signals.py b/pelican/signals.py
index 73e718b5..241c2da2 100644
--- a/pelican/signals.py
+++ b/pelican/signals.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from blinker import signal
 
 initialized = signal('pelican_initialized')
 finalized = signal('pelican_finalized')
+article_generate_preread = signal('article_generate_preread')
 article_generate_context = signal('article_generate_context')
 article_generator_init = signal('article_generator_init')
 article_generator_finalized = signal('article_generate_finalized')