diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
line changes: +105/-36
index 7685d17..c9a234b
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs

@@ -12,6 +12,17 @@ use std::io::Write;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 use tera::{Context, Filter, Function, Tera, Value, to_value, try_get_value};
 
+#[cfg(feature = "markdown")]
+use pulldown_cmark::{html, Options, Parser as MdParser};
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "highlight", feature = "highlight_fast"))]
+use syntect::{
+    html::{ClassedHTMLGenerator, ClassStyle, css_for_theme_with_class_style},
+    parsing::SyntaxSet,
+    highlighting::ThemeSet,
+    util::LinesWithEndings,
+};
+
 fn ts_to_date(ts: i64, offset: Option<i64>, format: Option<String>) -> String {
     let offset = offset.unwrap_or(0);
     let dt = NaiveDateTime::from_timestamp_opt(ts + offset, 0).expect("Invalid timestamp");

@@ -97,6 +108,8 @@ struct GitFile {
     is_binary: bool,
     size: usize,
     contents: Option<String>,
+    contents_safe: bool,
+    contents_preformatted: bool,
 }
 
 #[derive(Serialize, Default)]

@@ -164,6 +177,8 @@ fn walk_file_tree(repo: &git2::Repository, rev: &str, files: &mut Vec<GitFile>,
             is_binary,
             size,
             contents: None,
+            contents_safe: false,
+            contents_preformatted: true,
         });
         if recurse && entry.kind() == Some(git2::ObjectType::Tree) {
             let prefix = name + "/";

@@ -455,12 +470,61 @@ fn parse_commit(repo: &Repository, refr: &str) -> Result<GitObject, Error> {
     Ok(summary)
 }
 
-fn fill_file_contents(repo: &Repository, file: &GitFile) -> Result<GitFile, Error> {
+#[cfg(feature = "markdown")]
+fn parse_markdown(contents: &str) -> String {
+    let mut options = Options::empty();
+    options.insert(Options::ENABLE_STRIKETHROUGH);
+    options.insert(Options::ENABLE_TABLES);
+    let parser = MdParser::new_ext(contents, options);
+    let mut html_output: String = String::with_capacity(contents.len() * 3 / 2);
+    html::push_html(&mut html_output, parser);
+    html_output
+}
+
+#[cfg(any(feature = "highlight", feature = "highlight_fast"))]
+fn syntax_highlight(contents: &str, extension: &str) -> String {
+    let syntax_set = SyntaxSet::load_defaults_newlines();
+    let syntax = match syntax_set.find_syntax_by_extension(extension) {
+        Some(s) => s,
+        _ => { return contents.to_string(); },
+    };
+    let mut html_generator = ClassedHTMLGenerator::new_with_class_style(syntax, &syntax_set, ClassStyle::Spaced);
+    for line in LinesWithEndings::from(contents) {
+        match html_generator.parse_html_for_line_which_includes_newline(line) {
+            Ok(_) => {},
+            Err(_) => {
+                println!("Warning: failed to apply syntax highlighting.");
+                return contents.to_string();
+            },
+        }
+    }
+    html_generator.finalize()
+}
+
+fn fill_file_contents(repo: &Repository, file: &GitFile, settings: &GitsySettingsRepo) -> Result<GitFile, Error> {
     let mut file = file.clone();
     if file.kind == "file" {
         let blob = repo.find_blob(git2::Oid::from_str(&file.id)?)?;
         file.contents = match blob.is_binary() {
-            false => Some(String::from_utf8_lossy(blob.content()).to_string()),
+            false => {
+                let path = Path::new(&file.path);
+                let cstr = String::from_utf8_lossy(blob.content()).to_string();
+                let (content, rendered, pre) = match path.extension() {
+                    #[cfg(feature = "markdown")]
+                    Some(x) if settings.render_markdown.unwrap_or(false) && x == "md" => {
+                        let (cstr, rendered, pre) = (parse_markdown(&cstr), true, false);
+                        (cstr, rendered, pre)
+                    },
+                    #[cfg(any(feature = "highlight", feature = "highlight_fast"))]
+                    Some(x) if settings.syntax_highlight.unwrap_or(false) => {
+                        (syntax_highlight(&cstr, x.to_string_lossy().to_string().as_str()), true, true)
+                    },
+                    _ => (cstr, false, true),
+                };
+                file.contents_safe = rendered;
+                file.contents_preformatted = pre;
+                Some(content)
+            },
             true => Some(format!("[Binary data ({} bytes)]", blob.content().len())),
         };
     }

@@ -570,6 +634,9 @@ struct GitsySettings {
     site_description: Option<String>,
     #[serde(rename(deserialize = "gitsy_templates"))]
     templates: GitsySettingsTemplates,
+    render_markdown: Option<bool>,
+    syntax_highlight: Option<bool>,
+    syntax_highlight_theme: Option<String>,
     #[serde(rename(deserialize = "gitsy_extra"))]
     extra: Option<BTreeMap<String, toml::Value>>,
 }

@@ -577,8 +644,6 @@ struct GitsySettings {
 #[derive(Deserialize)]
 struct GitsySettingsTemplates {
     path: PathBuf,
-    header: Option<String>,
-    footer: Option<String>,
     repo_list: Option<String>,
     repo_summary: Option<String>,
     commit: Option<String>,

@@ -595,6 +660,9 @@ struct GitsySettingsRepo {
     name: Option<String>,
     description: Option<String>,
     website: Option<String>,
+    render_markdown: Option<bool>,
+    syntax_highlight: Option<bool>,
+    syntax_highlight_theme: Option<String>,
     attributes: BTreeMap<String, toml::Value>,
 }
 

@@ -611,14 +679,8 @@ impl PartialEq for GitsySettingsRepo {
 }
 impl Eq for GitsySettingsRepo {}
 
-fn write_rendered(file: &mut File, rendered: &str, header: Option<&str>, footer: Option<&str>) {
-    if let Some(header) = header {
-        file.write(header.as_bytes()).expect("failed to save rendered html");
-    }
+fn write_rendered(file: &mut File, rendered: &str) {
     file.write(rendered.as_bytes()).expect("failed to save rendered html");
-    if let Some(footer) = footer {
-        file.write(footer.as_bytes()).expect("failed to save rendered html");
-    }
 }
 
 fn main() {

@@ -667,6 +729,9 @@ fn main() {
                     let dir = dir.expect("Repo contains invalid entries");
                     repo_descriptions.insert(GitsySettingsRepo {
                         path: dir.path().clone(),
+                        render_markdown: settings.render_markdown.clone(),
+                        syntax_highlight: settings.syntax_highlight.clone(),
+                        syntax_highlight_theme: settings.syntax_highlight_theme.clone(),
                         ..Default::default()
                     });
                 }

@@ -729,14 +794,6 @@ fn main() {
         }
         local_ctx.insert("site_generated_ts", &generated_dt.timestamp());
         local_ctx.insert("site_generated_offset", &generated_dt.offset().local_minus_utc());
-        let header: Option<String> = match &settings.templates.header {
-            Some(header) => Some(tera.render(header, &local_ctx).expect("Unable to templatize header file")),
-            _ => None,
-        };
-        let footer: Option<String> = match &settings.templates.footer {
-            Some(footer) => Some(tera.render(footer, &local_ctx).expect("Unable to templatize footer file")),
-            _ => None,
-        };
 
         match tera.render(&settings.templates.repo_summary.as_deref().unwrap_or("summary.html"), &local_ctx) {
             Ok(rendered) => {

@@ -745,7 +802,7 @@ fn main() {
                 let _ = std::fs::create_dir(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!"));
                 output_path.push("summary.html");
                 let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-                write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+                write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
             },
             Err(x) => match x.kind {
                 tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.repo_summary.is_none() => {},

@@ -763,7 +820,7 @@ fn main() {
                     let _ = std::fs::create_dir(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!"));
                     output_path.push(format!("{}.html", branch.full_hash));
                     let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
                 },
                 Err(x) => match x.kind {
                     tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.branch.is_none() => {},

@@ -786,7 +843,7 @@ fn main() {
                     let _ = std::fs::create_dir(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!"));
                     output_path.push(format!("{}.html", tag.full_hash));
                     let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
                 },
                 Err(x) => match x.kind {
                     tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.tag.is_none() => {},

@@ -807,7 +864,7 @@ fn main() {
                     let _ = std::fs::create_dir(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!"));
                     output_path.push(format!("{}.html", commit.full_hash));
                     let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
                 },
                 Err(x) => match x.kind {
                     tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.commit.is_none() => {},

@@ -817,8 +874,28 @@ fn main() {
             local_ctx.remove("commit");
         }
 
+        // TODO: most of these generation blocks can be done in
+        // parallel.  This one is particularly costly, especially with
+        // markdown+highlighting, and would probably benefit from it.
+        // A potential drawback is that each parallel run needs a
+        // clone of the Tera context.
+        #[cfg(any(feature = "highlight", feature = "highlight_fast"))]
+        {
+            let ts = ThemeSet::load_defaults();
+            let theme = ts.themes.get(repo_desc.syntax_highlight_theme.as_deref()
+                                      .unwrap_or("base16-ocean.light")).expect("Invalid syntax highlighting theme specified.");
+            let css: String = css_for_theme_with_class_style(theme, syntect::html::ClassStyle::Spaced)
+                .expect("Invalid syntax highlighting theme specified.");
+            let mut output_path = settings.output_dir.clone();
+            output_path.push(&summary.name);
+            output_path.push("file");
+            output_path.push("syntax.css");
+            let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("CSS filename invalid!")).expect("CSS path not writeable!");
+            file.write(css.as_bytes()).expect("Failed to write CSS file!");
+        }
+
         for file in summary.all_files.iter().filter(|x| x.kind == "file") {
-            let file = fill_file_contents(&repo, &file).expect("Failed to parse file.");
+            let file = fill_file_contents(&repo, &file, &repo_desc).expect("Failed to parse file.");
             local_ctx.try_insert("file", &file).expect("Failed to add file to template engine.");
             match tera.render(&settings.templates.file.as_deref().unwrap_or("file.html"), &local_ctx) {
                 Ok(rendered) => {

@@ -828,7 +905,7 @@ fn main() {
                     let _ = std::fs::create_dir(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!"));
                     output_path.push(format!("{}.html", file.id));
                     let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
                 },
                 Err(x) => match x.kind {
                     tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.file.is_none() => {},

@@ -849,7 +926,7 @@ fn main() {
                     let _ = std::fs::create_dir(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!"));
                     output_path.push(format!("{}.html", dir.id));
                     let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+                    write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
                 },
                 Err(x) => match x.kind {
                     tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.dir.is_none() => {},

@@ -878,21 +955,13 @@ fn main() {
     }
     global_ctx.insert("site_generated_ts", &generated_dt.timestamp());
     global_ctx.insert("site_generated_offset", &generated_dt.offset().local_minus_utc());
-    let header: Option<String> = match &settings.templates.header {
-        Some(header) => Some(tera.render(header, &global_ctx).expect("Unable to templatize header file")),
-        _ => None,
-    };
-    let footer: Option<String> = match &settings.templates.footer {
-        Some(footer) => Some(tera.render(footer, &global_ctx).expect("Unable to templatize footer file")),
-        _ => None,
-    };
 
     match tera.render(&settings.templates.repo_list.as_deref().unwrap_or("repos.html"), &global_ctx) {
         Ok(rendered) => {
             let mut output_path = settings.output_dir.clone();
             output_path.push("repos.html");
             let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-            write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+            write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
         },
         Err(x) => match x.kind {
             tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.repo_list.is_none() => {},

@@ -905,7 +974,7 @@ fn main() {
             let mut output_path = settings.output_dir.clone();
             output_path.push("404.html");
             let mut file = std::fs::File::create(output_path.to_str().expect("Output path not set!")).unwrap();
-            write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered, header.as_deref(), footer.as_deref());
+            write_rendered(&mut file, &rendered);
         },
         Err(x) => match x.kind {
             tera::ErrorKind::TemplateNotFound(_) if settings.templates.error.is_none() => {},

diff --git a/templates/404.html b/templates/404.html
line changes: +4/-0
index bb95dd8..6811ef0
--- a/templates/404.html
+++ b/templates/404.html

@@ -1 +1,5 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 The page you are seeking does not exist.
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/base.html b/templates/base.html
line changes: +17/-0
index 0000000..ee9c416
--- /dev/null
+++ b/templates/base.html

@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+<html>
+<head>
+{% block html_head -%}
+<title>{{site_name}}</title>
+{% block html_head_extra -%}
+{% endblock html_head_extra -%}
+{% endblock html_head -%}
+</head>
+
+<body style="font-family: monospace;">
+{% block header -%}{% include "header.html" -%}{% endblock header -%}
+
+{% block content %}{% endblock content %}
+
+{% block footer -%}{% include "footer.html" -%}{% endblock footer -%}
+</body>
+</html>

diff --git a/templates/branch.html b/templates/branch.html
line changes: +4/-0
index d349372..0731947
--- a/templates/branch.html
+++ b/templates/branch.html

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 branch: {{branch.ref_name}}<br/>
 hash: {{branch.full_hash}} ({{branch.short_hash}})<br/>
 author: {{branch.author.name}}<br/>

@@ -5,3 +8,4 @@ committer: {{branch.committer.name}}<br/>
 date: {{ts_to_date(ts=branch.ts_utc, tz=branch.ts_offset)}}<br/>
 summary: {{branch.summary}}<br/>
 <pre>{{branch.message}}</pre>
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/commit.html b/templates/commit.html
line changes: +4/-0
index c399d17..9afc401
--- a/templates/commit.html
+++ b/templates/commit.html

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 <strong>
   commit: {{commit.full_hash}}<br/>
   author: {{commit.author.name}}<br/>

@@ -25,3 +28,4 @@
 </pre>
 {% endfor -%}
 {% endfor -%}
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/dir.html b/templates/dir.html
line changes: +4/-0
index 44afb19..a56436a
--- a/templates/dir.html
+++ b/templates/dir.html

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 <table class="files">
   <tr>
     <th>File</th>

@@ -15,3 +18,4 @@
     <td class="file-size">{{file.size}}</td>
   </tr>
   {% endfor -%}
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/file.html b/templates/file.html
line changes: +18/-1
index 7f00ee5..26de15b
--- a/templates/file.html
+++ b/templates/file.html

@@ -1,3 +1,20 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block html_head_extra %}
+<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="syntax.css" />
+{% endblock html_head_extra %}
+
+
+{% block content %}
 {{file.path}} ({{file.name}}) [{{file.id}}]<br/>
--------
+-------<br/>
+{% if file.contents_safe -%}
+{% if file.contents_preformatted -%}
+<pre>{{file.contents | safe }}</pre>
+{%- else -%}
+{{file.contents | safe }}
+{%- endif -%}
+{%- else -%}
 <pre style="margin: 0">{{file.contents}}</pre>
+{%- endif -%}
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/footer.html b/templates/footer.html
line changes: +2/-2
index b605728..f29b415
--- a/templates/footer.html
+++ b/templates/footer.html

@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-  </body>
-</html>
+<hr/>
+Generated by Itsy-Gitsy on {{ts_to_git_timestamp(ts=site_generated_ts, tz=site_generated_offset)}}<br/>

diff --git a/templates/header.html b/templates/header.html
line changes: +3/-9
index 6beb4f4..24dc11d
--- a/templates/header.html
+++ b/templates/header.html

@@ -1,9 +1,3 @@
-<html>
-  <head>
-    <title>{{site_name}}</title>
-  </head>
-  <body style="font-family: monospace;">
-    Site: {{site_name}}<br/>
-    Generated: {{ts_to_git_timestamp(ts=site_generated_ts, tz=site_generated_offset)}}<br/>
-    Extra settings: {{extra.global_user_defined_vars}}<br/>
-    <hr/>
+Site: {{site_name}}<br/>
+Extra settings: {{extra.global_user_defined_vars}}<br/>
+<hr/>

diff --git a/templates/repos.html b/templates/repos.html
line changes: +4/-0
index 693da4f..fa0a79d
--- a/templates/repos.html
+++ b/templates/repos.html

@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 {% for repo in repos | sort(attribute="name") -%}
 <a href="{{repo.name}}/summary.html">{{ repo.name }}</a> ({{repo.metadata.website}}) [{{repo.metadata.attributes | get(key="some_extra_thing", default="")}}] ({{ts_to_date(ts=repo.history[0].ts_utc, tz=repo.history[0].ts_offset)}})<br/>
 {% endfor -%}
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/summary.html b/templates/summary.html
line changes: +4/-0
index dcc8b6a..4d81e08
--- a/templates/summary.html
+++ b/templates/summary.html

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 <table class="commits">
   <tr>
     <th>Commit ID</th>

@@ -77,3 +80,4 @@
   </tr>
   {% endfor -%}
 </table>
+{% endblock content %}

diff --git a/templates/tag.html b/templates/tag.html
line changes: +4/-0
index df2ff89..c21f6b9
--- a/templates/tag.html
+++ b/templates/tag.html

@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+{% extends "base.html" %}
+
+{% block content %}
 branch: {{tag.ref_name}}<br/>
 hash: {{tag.full_hash}} ({{tag.short_hash}})<br/>
 author: {{tag.author.name}}<br/>

@@ -9,3 +12,4 @@ summary: {{tag.summary}}<br/>
 commit: {%- if commit -%}<a href="../commit/{{commit.full_hash}}.html">{{commit.full_hash}}</a>
 <pre>{{commit.message}}</pre>
 {%-else-%}{{tag.tagged_id}}{%-endif-%}<br/>
+{% endblock content %}