diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index db98df6..27b06cc 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -79,16 +79,6 @@ fancyindex_header
   If set to an empty string, the default header supplied by the module will
   be sent.
 
-fancyindex_header_pre
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-:Syntax: *fancyindex_header_pre* [*on* | *off*]
-:Default: fancyindex_header_pre on
-:Context: http, server, location
-:Description:
-  Wrap contents of the file being sent as header in a ``<pre>`` element,
-  after the module's own header. This is suitable for including
-  preformatting text.
-
 fancyindex_footer
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 :Syntax: *fancyindex_footer path*
@@ -99,15 +89,40 @@ fancyindex_footer
   If set to an empty string, the default footer supplied by the module will
   be sent.
 
-fancyindex_footer_pre
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-:Syntax: *fancyindex_footer_pre* [*on* | *off*]
-:Default: fancyindex_footer_pre on
+fancyindex_readme
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+:Syntax: *fancyindex_readme path*
+:Default: fancyindex_readme ""
 :Context: http, server, location
 :Description:
-  Wrap contents of the file being sent as footer in a ``<pre>`` element,
-  after the module's own header. This is suitable for including
-  preformatting text.
+  Specifies which file should be inserted alongside with directory listings.
+  If set to an empty string, no extra textual content is included. See
+  `fancyindex_readme_options` in order to learn more about how the readme
+  file may be included.
+
+fancyindex_readme_options
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+:Syntax:
+  *fancyindex_readme_options* *pre* | *asis* | *top* | *bottom* | *div* ...
+:Default: fancyindex_readme_options top pre
+:Context: http, server, location
+  Controls how to include the readme file specified by `fancyindex_readme`.
+  Available options are:
+
+    pre
+      Send included readme file inside a preformatted text block (i.e. an
+      HTML ``<pre>`` element.
+    asis
+      Send included readme file “as-is”, i.e. without altering its contents.
+      This is useful to include raw HTML snippets in the generated listings.
+    top
+      Place readme file contents at the top, before the listings.
+    bottom
+      Place readme file contents at the bottom, after the listings.
+    div
+      Wrap up all the text generated for the readme (including the enclosing
+      ``<pre>`` element, if configured) inside a ``<div>`` element. The
+      layer will have the ``readme`` CSS class set.
 
 .. _nginx: http://nginx.net
 
diff --git a/ngx_http_fancyindex_module.c b/ngx_http_fancyindex_module.c
index 06a0854..f001db4 100644
--- a/ngx_http_fancyindex_module.c
+++ b/ngx_http_fancyindex_module.c
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ typedef struct {
 #endif
 
 
+#define NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_PRE    0x00
+#define NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_ASIS   0x01
+#define NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_TOP    0x00
+#define NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_BOTTOM 0x02
+#define NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_DIV    0x03
+
+
 typedef struct {
     ngx_str_t      name;
     size_t         utf_len;
@@ -52,10 +59,10 @@ typedef struct {
     ngx_flag_t     exact_size;
 
     ngx_str_t      header;
-    ngx_flag_t     header_pre;
-
     ngx_str_t      footer;
-    ngx_flag_t     footer_pre;
+    ngx_str_t      readme;
+
+    ngx_uint_t     readme_flags;
 } ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t;
 
 
@@ -73,6 +80,17 @@ static char *ngx_http_fancyindex_merge_loc_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf,
     void *parent, void *child);
 
 
+
+static ngx_conf_bitmask_t ngx_http_fancyindex_readme_flags[] = {
+    { ngx_string("pre"),    NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_PRE    },
+    { ngx_string("asis"),   NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_ASIS   },
+    { ngx_string("top"),    NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_TOP    },
+    { ngx_string("bottom"), NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_BOTTOM },
+    { ngx_string("div"),    NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_DIV    },
+    { ngx_null_string,      0                                 },
+};
+
+
 static ngx_command_t  ngx_http_fancyindex_commands[] = {
 
     { ngx_string("fancyindex"),
@@ -103,13 +121,6 @@ static ngx_command_t  ngx_http_fancyindex_commands[] = {
       offsetof(ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t, header),
       NULL },
 
-    { ngx_string("fancyindex_header_pre"),
-      NGX_HTTP_MAIN_CONF|NGX_HTTP_SRV_CONF|NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF|NGX_CONF_FLAG,
-      ngx_conf_set_flag_slot,
-      NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF_OFFSET,
-      offsetof(ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t, header_pre),
-      NULL },
-
     { ngx_string("fancyindex_footer"),
       NGX_HTTP_MAIN_CONF|NGX_HTTP_SRV_CONF|NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF|NGX_CONF_FLAG,
       ngx_conf_set_str_slot,
@@ -117,13 +128,20 @@ static ngx_command_t  ngx_http_fancyindex_commands[] = {
       offsetof(ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t, footer),
       NULL },
 
-    { ngx_string("fancyindex_footer_pre"),
-      NGX_HTTP_MAIN_CONF|NGX_HTTP_SRV_CONF|NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF|NGX_CONF_FLAG,
-      ngx_conf_set_flag_slot,
+    { ngx_string("fancyindex_readme"),
+      NGX_HTTP_MAIN_CONF|NGX_HTTP_SRV_CONF|NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF|NGX_CONF_TAKE1,
+      ngx_conf_set_str_slot,
       NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF_OFFSET,
-      offsetof(ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t, footer_pre),
+      offsetof(ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t, readme),
       NULL },
 
+    { ngx_string("fancyindex_readme_options"),
+      NGX_HTTP_MAIN_CONF|NGX_HTTP_SRV_CONF|NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF|NGX_CONF_TAKE1,
+      ngx_conf_set_bitmask_slot,
+      NGX_HTTP_LOC_CONF_OFFSET,
+      offsetof(ngx_http_fancyindex_loc_conf_t, readme_flags),
+      &ngx_http_fancyindex_readme_flags },
+
       ngx_null_command
 };
 
@@ -667,11 +685,12 @@ ngx_http_fancyindex_merge_loc_conf(ngx_conf_t *cf, void *parent, void *child)
     ngx_conf_merge_value(conf->localtime, prev->localtime, 0);
     ngx_conf_merge_value(conf->exact_size, prev->exact_size, 1);
 
-    ngx_conf_merge_value(conf->footer_pre, prev->footer_pre, 1);
-    ngx_conf_merge_value(conf->header_pre, prev->header_pre, 1);
-
     ngx_conf_merge_str_value(conf->header, prev->header, "");
     ngx_conf_merge_str_value(conf->footer, prev->footer, "");
+    ngx_conf_merge_str_value(conf->readme, prev->readme, "");
+
+    ngx_conf_merge_bitmask_value(conf->readme_flags, prev->readme_flags,
+            (NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_TOP | NGX_HTTP_FANCYINDEX_README_PRE));
 
     return NGX_CONF_OK;
 }