diff --git a/pelican/readers.py b/pelican/readers.py
index f04b4a03..ad2b0f74 100644
--- a/pelican/readers.py
+++ b/pelican/readers.py
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
+import os
+import re
 try:
     import docutils
     import docutils.core
@@ -207,8 +209,9 @@ for cls in Reader.__subclasses__():
 
 def read_file(filename, fmt=None, settings=None):
     """Return a reader object using the given format."""
+    base, ext = os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(filename))
     if not fmt:
-        fmt = filename.split('.')[-1]
+        fmt = ext[1:]
 
     if fmt not in _EXTENSIONS:
         raise TypeError('Pelican does not know how to parse %s' % filename)
@@ -230,4 +233,13 @@ def read_file(filename, fmt=None, settings=None):
         content = typogrify(content)
         metadata['title'] = typogrify(metadata['title'])
 
+    filename_metadata = settings and settings.get('FILENAME_METADATA')
+    if filename_metadata:
+        match = re.match(filename_metadata, base)
+        if match:
+            for k, v in match.groupdict().iteritems():
+                if k not in metadata:
+                    k = k.lower()  # metadata must be lowercase
+                    metadata[k] = reader.process_metadata(k, v)
+
     return content, metadata
diff --git a/pelican/settings.py b/pelican/settings.py
index d2c0cef5..a98f3538 100644
--- a/pelican/settings.py
+++ b/pelican/settings.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import inspect
 import os
 import locale
 import logging
+import re
 
 from os.path import isabs
 
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ _DEFAULT_CONFIG = {'PATH': '.',
                    'TAG_CLOUD_STEPS': 4,
                    'TAG_CLOUD_MAX_ITEMS': 100,
                    'DIRECT_TEMPLATES': ('index', 'tags', 'categories', 'archives'),
-                   'EXTRA_TEMPLATES_PATHS' : [],
+                   'EXTRA_TEMPLATES_PATHS': [],
                    'PAGINATED_DIRECT_TEMPLATES': ('index', ),
                    'PELICAN_CLASS': 'pelican.Pelican',
                    'DEFAULT_DATE_FORMAT': '%a %d %B %Y',
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ _DEFAULT_CONFIG = {'PATH': '.',
                    'DEFAULT_PAGINATION': False,
                    'DEFAULT_ORPHANS': 0,
                    'DEFAULT_METADATA': (),
+                   'FILENAME_METADATA': '(?P<date>\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}).*',
                    'FILES_TO_COPY': (),
                    'DEFAULT_STATUS': 'published',
                    'ARTICLE_PERMALINK_STRUCTURE': '',
@@ -205,4 +207,12 @@ def configure_settings(settings):
                        " falling back to the default extension " +
                        _DEFAULT_CONFIG['OUTPUT_SOURCES_EXTENSION'])
 
+    filename_metadata = settings.get('FILENAME_METADATA')
+    if filename_metadata and not isinstance(filename_metadata, basestring):
+        logger.error("Detected misconfiguration with FILENAME_METADATA"
+                " setting (must be string or compiled pattern), falling"
+                "back to the default")
+        settings['FILENAME_METADATA'] = \
+                _DEFAULT_CONFIG['FILENAME_METADATA']
+
     return settings