diff --git a/pelican/readers.py b/pelican/readers.py
index 61255dee..6bd2822d 100644
--- a/pelican/readers.py
+++ b/pelican/readers.py
@@ -133,16 +133,27 @@ class MarkdownReader(Reader):
     file_extensions = ['md', 'markdown', 'mkd']
     extensions = ['codehilite', 'extra']
 
+    def _parse_metadata(self, meta):
+        """Return the dict containing document metadata"""
+        md = Markdown(extensions=set(self.extensions + ['meta']))
+        output = {}
+        for name, value in meta.items():
+            name = name.lower()
+            if name == "summary":
+                summary_values = "\n".join(str(item) for item in value)
+                summary = md.convert(summary_values)
+                output[name] = self.process_metadata(name, summary)
+            else:
+                output[name] = self.process_metadata(name, value[0])
+        return output
+
     def read(self, filename):
         """Parse content and metadata of markdown files"""
         text = pelican_open(filename)
         md = Markdown(extensions=set(self.extensions + ['meta']))
         content = md.convert(text)
 
-        metadata = {}
-        for name, value in md.Meta.items():
-            name = name.lower()
-            metadata[name] = self.process_metadata(name, value[0])
+        metadata = self._parse_metadata(md.Meta)
         return content, metadata
 
 
diff --git a/tests/content/article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_multi.md b/tests/content/article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_multi.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6ef666c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/content/article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_multi.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Title: Article with markdown and summary metadata multi
+Date: 2012-10-31
+Summary:
+    A multi-line summary should be supported
+    as well as **inline markup**.
+
+This is some content.
diff --git a/tests/content/article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_single.md b/tests/content/article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_single.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a7d6f09b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/content/article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_single.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Title: Article with markdown and summary metadata single
+Date: 2012-10-30
+Summary: A single-line summary should be supported as well as **inline markup**.
+
+This is some content.
diff --git a/tests/test_generators.py b/tests/test_generators.py
index 90b19227..fb1dbe9c 100644
--- a/tests/test_generators.py
+++ b/tests/test_generators.py
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ class TestArticlesGenerator(unittest.TestCase):
         articles = self.distill_articles(generator.articles)
         articles_expected = [
             [u'Article title', 'published', 'Default', 'article'],
+            [u'Article with markdown and summary metadata single', 'published', u'Default', 'article'],
+            [u'Article with markdown and summary metadata multi', 'published', u'Default', 'article'],
             [u'Article with template', 'published', 'Default', 'custom'],
             [u'Test md File', 'published', 'test', 'article'],
             [u'Rst with filename metadata', 'published', u'yeah', 'article'],
diff --git a/tests/test_readers.py b/tests/test_readers.py
index 937a98e3..ae325d62 100644
--- a/tests/test_readers.py
+++ b/tests/test_readers.py
@@ -203,6 +203,20 @@ class MdReaderTest(unittest.TestCase):
         for key, value in expected.items():
             self.assertEquals(value, metadata[key], key)
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(readers.Markdown, "markdown isn't installed")
+    def test_article_with_summary_metadata(self):
+        reader = readers.MarkdownReader({})
+        content, metadata = reader.read(
+            _filename('article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_single.md'))
+        expected_summary = u'<p>A single-line summary should be supported'\
+                           u' as well as <strong>inline markup</strong>.</p>'
+        self.assertEquals(expected_summary, metadata['summary'], 'summary')
+        content, metadata = reader.read(
+            _filename('article_with_markdown_and_summary_metadata_multi.md'))
+        expected_summary =  u'<p>A multi-line summary should be supported'\
+                            u'\nas well as <strong>inline markup</strong>.</p>'
+        self.assertEquals(expected_summary, metadata['summary'], 'summary')
+
 class AdReaderTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
     @unittest.skipUnless(readers.asciidoc, "asciidoc isn't installed")