diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9f011518..a2365ba6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ node widdershins --search false --language_tabs 'ruby:Ruby' 'python:Python' --su
 | --omitHeader | options.omitHeader | `boolean` | `false` | Omit the header / YAML front-matter in the generated Markdown file. |
 | --resolve | options.resolve | `boolean` | `false` | Resolve external $refs, using the `source` parameter or the input file as the base location. |
 | --shallowSchemas | options.shallowSchemas | `boolean` | `false` | When referring to a schema with a $ref, don't show the full contents of the schema. |
+| --loadMdPrefix | options.loadMdPrefix | `string` | `x-md-`| Prefix of OpenAPI extension that indicates MD files paths to load and can be injected anywhere in the output MD 
 | N/A | options.source | `string` | None | The absolute location or URL of the source file to use as the base to resolve relative references ($refs) from; required if options.resolve is set to true. For CLI commands, Widdershins uses the input file as the base for the $refs. |
 | --summary | options.tocSummary | `boolean` | `false` | Use the operation summary as the TOC entry instead of the ID. |
 | --useBodyName | options.useBodyName | `boolean` | Use original param name for OpenAPI 2.0 body parameter. |
diff --git a/lib/common.js b/lib/common.js
index 25173a18..e3f77074 100644
--- a/lib/common.js
+++ b/lib/common.js
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const fs = require('fs');
-
 const jptr = require('reftools/lib/jptr.js').jptr;
 const sampler = require('openapi-sampler');
 const safejson = require('fast-safe-stringify');
@@ -526,6 +525,21 @@ function html(markdown,header,options) {
     return preface+md.render(markdown);
 }
 
+function loadMD(sourceSection, destSection, mdFieldPrefix) {
+    for (let field in sourceSection) {
+        if (field.startsWith(mdFieldPrefix)) {
+            //Replacing '-' so that field can be used in dot templates
+            let newFieldName = field.split("-").join("_");
+            try {
+                destSection[newFieldName] = md.render(fs.readFileSync(sourceSection[field],'utf8'));
+            }
+            catch (ex) {
+                console.log(ex.message);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 module.exports = {
     statusCodes : statusCodes,
     doContentType : doContentType,
@@ -541,6 +555,7 @@ module.exports = {
     schemaToArray : schemaToArray,
     removeDupeBlankLines: removeDupeBlankLines,
     toPrimitive: toPrimitive,
-    html : html
+    html : html,
+    loadMD: loadMD
 };
 
diff --git a/lib/openapi3.js b/lib/openapi3.js
index 343ee9ea..e53290b1 100644
--- a/lib/openapi3.js
+++ b/lib/openapi3.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const swagger2openapi = require('swagger2openapi');
 const common = require('./common.js');
 
 let templates;
+let loadMdPrefix;
 
 function convertToToc(source, data) {
     let resources = {};
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ function convertToToc(source, data) {
     if (source.tags) {
         for (let tag of source.tags) {
             resources[tag.name] = { count: 0, methods: {}, description: tag.description, externalDocs: tag.externalDocs };
+            //Load MD for tags
+            common.loadMD(tag, resources[tag.name], loadMdPrefix);
         }
     }
     for (var p in source.paths) {
@@ -36,6 +39,8 @@ function convertToToc(source, data) {
                 if ((m !== 'parameters') && (m !== 'summary') && (m !== 'description') && (!m.startsWith('x-'))) {
                     var method = {};
                     method.operation = source.paths[p][m];
+                    ///load operation level MD
+                    common.loadMD(method.operation, method.operation, loadMdPrefix);
                     method.pathItem = source.paths[p];
                     method.verb = m;
                     method.path = p;
@@ -57,6 +62,8 @@ function convertToToc(source, data) {
                     }
                     resources[tagName].count++;
                     resources[tagName].methods[sMethodUniqueName] = method;
+                    //load MD for paths
+                    common.loadMD(source.paths[p], resources[tagName], loadMdPrefix);
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -275,9 +282,11 @@ function getParameters(data) {
         for (let ess of effSecurity) {
             if (data.api.components.securitySchemes[ess]) {
                 let secScheme = data.api.components.securitySchemes[ess];
+                let authHeader = {};
+                //load Security Scheme level MD
+                common.loadMD(secScheme, authHeader, loadMdPrefix);
                 if (!existingAuth && ((secScheme.type === 'oauth2') || (secScheme.type === 'openIdConnect') ||
                     ((secScheme.type === 'http') && (secScheme.scheme === 'bearer')))) {
-                    let authHeader = {};
                     authHeader.name = 'Authorization';
                     authHeader.type = 'string';
                     authHeader.in = 'header';
@@ -288,7 +297,6 @@ function getParameters(data) {
                     data.allHeaders.push(authHeader);
                 }
                 else if ((secScheme.type === 'apiKey') && (secScheme.in === 'header')) {
-                    let authHeader = {};
                     authHeader.name = secScheme.name;
                     authHeader.type = 'string';
                     authHeader.in = 'header';
@@ -456,6 +464,8 @@ function getResponses(data) {
             }
             entry.content = response.content;
             entry.links = response.links;
+            //load response level MD
+            common.loadMD(response, entry, loadMdPrefix);
             responses.push(entry);
         }
     }
@@ -615,10 +625,10 @@ function convertInner(api, options) {
         defaults.theme = 'darkula';
         defaults.headings = 2;
         defaults.templateCallback = function (template, stage, data) { return data; };
+        defaults.loadMdPrefix = 'x-md-';
         defaults.sample = true;
-
         options = Object.assign({}, defaults, options);
-
+        loadMdPrefix = options.loadMdPrefix;
         let data = {};
         if (options.verbose) console.warn('starting deref', api.info.title);
         if (api.components) {
@@ -633,6 +643,8 @@ function convertInner(api, options) {
         if (data.api.components && data.api.components.schemas && data.api.components.schemas["x-widdershins-oldRef"]) {
             delete data.api.components.schemas["x-widdershins-oldRef"];
         }
+        //Load root level MD
+        common.loadMD(api, data, loadMdPrefix);
 
         if (typeof templates === 'undefined') {
             templates = dot.process({ path: path.join(__dirname, '..', 'templates', 'openapi3') });
diff --git a/widdershins.js b/widdershins.js
index b967d4e6..db6dad20 100755
--- a/widdershins.js
+++ b/widdershins.js
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@ var argv = require('yargs')
     .describe('lang','Generate the list of languages for code samples based on the languages used in the source file\'s `x-code-samples` examples.')
     .array('language_tabs')
     .describe('language_tabs', 'List of language tabs for code samples using "language[:label[:client]]" format, such as `javascript:JavaScript:request`.')
+    .string('loadMdPrefix')
+    .describe('loadMdPrefix', 'Prefix of OpenAPI extension that indicates MD files paths to load and can be injected anywhere in the output MD')
+    .default('loadMdPrefix', 'x-md')
     .number('maxLevel')
     .alias('m','maxDepth')
     .describe('maxDepth','Maximum depth to show for schema examples.')
@@ -166,6 +169,7 @@ options.customApiKeyValue = argv.customApiKeyValue;
 options.html = argv.html;
 options.respec = argv.respec;
 options.useBodyName = argv.useBodyName;
+options.loadMdPrefix = argv.loadMdPrefix;
 if (argv.search === false) options.search = false;
 if (argv.includes) options.includes = argv.includes.split(',');
 if (argv.respec) {