diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..42b799523
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*           text=auto
+*crlf.txt   text eol=crlf
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6572957f4..62202845d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ nosetests.xml
 coverage.xml
 *,cover
 .hypothesis/
+.pytest_cache
 
 # Translations
 *.mo
diff --git a/cookiecutter/generate.py b/cookiecutter/generate.py
index 7f96dbb23..50081799a 100644
--- a/cookiecutter/generate.py
+++ b/cookiecutter/generate.py
@@ -170,9 +170,14 @@ def generate_file(project_dir, infile, context, env, skip_if_file_exists=False):
             raise
         rendered_file = tmpl.render(**context)
 
+        # Detect original file newline to output the rendered file
+        with io.open(infile, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as rd:
+            rd.readline()  # Read the first line to load 'newlines' value
+            newline = getattr(rd, 'newlines')
+
         logger.debug('Writing contents to file %s', outfile)
 
-        with io.open(outfile, 'w', encoding='utf-8') as fh:
+        with io.open(outfile, 'w', encoding='utf-8', newline=newline) as fh:
             fh.write(rendered_file)
 
     # Apply file permissions to output file
diff --git a/tests/test-generate-files/input{{cookiecutter.food}}/simple-with-newline-crlf.txt b/tests/test-generate-files/input{{cookiecutter.food}}/simple-with-newline-crlf.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..865888417
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test-generate-files/input{{cookiecutter.food}}/simple-with-newline-crlf.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+I eat {{ cookiecutter.food }}
diff --git a/tests/test_generate_files.py b/tests/test_generate_files.py
index cae50bd24..f56c3d6bf 100644
--- a/tests/test_generate_files.py
+++ b/tests/test_generate_files.py
@@ -84,6 +84,25 @@ def test_generate_files_with_trailing_newline():
     with io.open(newline_file, 'r', encoding='utf-8') as f:
         simple_text = f.read()
     assert simple_text == 'I eat pizzä\n'
+    assert f.newlines == '\n'
+
+
+@pytest.mark.usefixtures('clean_system', 'remove_additional_folders')
+def test_generate_files_with_windows_newline():
+    generate.generate_files(
+        context={
+            'cookiecutter': {'food': 'pizzä'}
+        },
+        repo_dir='tests/test-generate-files'
+    )
+
+    newline_file = 'inputpizzä/simple-with-newline-crlf.txt'
+    assert os.path.isfile(newline_file)
+
+    with io.open(newline_file, 'r') as f:
+        f.read()
+
+    assert f.newlines == '\r\n'
 
 
 @pytest.mark.usefixtures('clean_system', 'remove_additional_folders')