diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index a3e749f776..2620251661 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -17,7 +17,9 @@ addons:
   - ubuntu-toolchain-r-test
   packages:
   - g++-4.8
-
+ homebrew:
+  packages:
+  - pandoc
 rvm:
   - 2.2.10
   - 2.3.8
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index 13bee90de0..af675416d6 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ if RUBY_ENGINE == "ruby"
   gem 'sass'
   gem 'reel-rack'
   gem 'celluloid', '~> 0.16.0'
+  gem 'pandoc-ruby', '~> 2.0.2'
   gem 'simplecov', require: false
 end
 
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 336ac2b994..effb719297 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -750,6 +750,8 @@ template, you almost always want to pass locals to it.
         <a href="https://github.com/ged/bluecloth" title="BlueCloth">BlueCloth</a>,
         <a href="https://kramdown.gettalong.org/" title="kramdown">kramdown</a>,
         <a href="https://github.com/bhollis/maruku" title="maruku">maruku</a>
+        <a href="https://github.com/gjtorikian/commonmarker" title="commonmarker">commonmarker</a>
+        <a href="https://github.com/alphabetum/pandoc-ruby" title="pandoc">pandoc</a>
     </td>
   </tr>
   <tr>
diff --git a/lib/sinatra/base.rb b/lib/sinatra/base.rb
index d9c3164a1e..312764ada5 100644
--- a/lib/sinatra/base.rb
+++ b/lib/sinatra/base.rb
@@ -722,6 +722,7 @@ def liquid(template, options = {}, locals = {}, &block)
     end
 
     def markdown(template, options = {}, locals = {})
+      options[:default_outvar] = false
       render :markdown, template, options, locals
     end
 
@@ -825,10 +826,11 @@ def render(engine, data, options = {}, locals = {}, &block)
       content_type    = options.delete(:content_type)   || content_type
       layout_engine   = options.delete(:layout_engine)  || engine
       scope           = options.delete(:scope)          || self
+      default_outvar  = options.delete(:default_outvar) != false
       options.delete(:layout)
 
       # set some defaults
-      options[:outvar]           ||= '@_out_buf'
+      options[:outvar] ||= '@_out_buf' if default_outvar
       options[:default_encoding] ||= settings.default_encoding
 
       # compile and render template