diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table.go
index ec346a86..44bfb1b0 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table.go
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ package html5
 const (
 	// TODO: These class settings need to be overridable via attributes
 	tableTmpl = "<table class=\"tableblock frame-all grid-all stretch{{ if .Roles }} {{ .Roles }}{{ end }}\">\n" +
-		"{{ if .Title }}<caption class=\"title\">Table {{ .TableNumber }}. {{ .Title }}</caption>\n{{ end }}" +
+		"{{ if .Title }}<caption class=\"title\">{{ .Caption }}{{ .Title }}</caption>\n{{ end }}" +
 		"{{ if .Body }}" +
 		"<colgroup>\n" +
 		"{{ range $i, $w := .CellWidths }}<col style=\"width: {{ $w }}%;\">\n{{ end}}" +
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ const (
 
 	tableRowTmpl = "<tr>\n{{ .Content }}</tr>\n"
 
+	tableCaptionTmpl = "Table {{ .TableNumber }}. "
+
 	// TODO: review these alignment choices ... should they be overrideable?
 
 	tableHeaderCellTmpl = "<th class=\"tableblock halign-left valign-top\">{{ .Content }}</th>\n"
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go
index a0095e04..8a09e666 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/table_test.go
@@ -86,6 +86,44 @@ var _ = Describe("tables", func() {
 		Expect(RenderHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
 	})
 
+	It("table with title, custom caption", func() {
+		source := `.table title
+[caption="Example I. "]
+|===
+|Column heading 1 |Column heading 2
+
+|Column 1, row 1
+|Column 2, row 1
+
+|Column 1, row 2
+|Column 2, row 2
+|===`
+		expected := `<table class="tableblock frame-all grid-all stretch">
+<caption class="title">Example I. table title</caption>
+<colgroup>
+<col style="width: 50%;">
+<col style="width: 50%;">
+</colgroup>
+<thead>
+<tr>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top">Column heading 1</th>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top">Column heading 2</th>
+</tr>
+</thead>
+<tbody>
+<tr>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 1, row 1</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 2, row 1</p></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 1, row 2</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 2, row 2</p></td>
+</tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>`
+		Expect(RenderHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
+	})
+
 	It("empty table ", func() {
 		source := `|===
 |===`
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/templates.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/templates.go
index 1c6561bc..e0c2d833 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/templates.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/html5/templates.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ var templates = sgml.Templates{
 	SuperscriptText:           superscriptTextTmpl,
 	Table:                     tableTmpl,
 	TableBody:                 tableBodyTmpl,
+	TableCaption:              tableCaptionTmpl,
 	TableCell:                 tableCellTmpl,
 	TableHeader:               tableHeaderTmpl,
 	TableHeaderCell:           tableHeaderCellTmpl,
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/image.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/image.go
index a596f40e..c4333f95 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/image.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/image.go
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) renderImageBlock(ctx *renderer.Context, img types.ImageBl
 	if _, found := img.Attributes.GetAsString(types.AttrTitle); found {
 		number = ctx.GetAndIncrementImageCounter()
 
-		if s, ok := img.Attributes.GetAsString(types.AttrImageCaption); ok {
+		if s, ok := img.Attributes.GetAsString(types.AttrCaption); ok {
 			caption.WriteString(s)
 		} else {
 			err := r.imageCaption.Execute(caption, struct {
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/sgml_renderer.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/sgml_renderer.go
index 774f86c1..1bbb0ca9 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/sgml_renderer.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/sgml_renderer.go
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ type sgmlRenderer struct {
 	superscriptText           *textTemplate
 	table                     *textTemplate
 	tableBody                 *textTemplate
+	tableCaption              *textTemplate
 	tableCell                 *textTemplate
 	tableHeader               *textTemplate
 	tableHeaderCell           *textTemplate
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) prepareTemplates() error {
 		r.superscriptText, err = r.newTemplate("superscript", tmpls.SuperscriptText, err)
 		r.table, err = r.newTemplate("table", tmpls.Table, err)
 		r.tableBody, err = r.newTemplate("table-body", tmpls.TableBody, err)
+		r.tableCaption, err = r.newTemplate("table-caption", tmpls.TableCaption, err)
 		r.tableCell, err = r.newTemplate("table-cell", tmpls.TableCell, err)
 		r.tableHeader, err = r.newTemplate("table-header", tmpls.TableHeader, err)
 		r.tableHeaderCell, err = r.newTemplate("table-header-cell", tmpls.TableHeaderCell, err)
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go
index 56fcc275..8bf13d11 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/table.go
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import (
 
 func (r *sgmlRenderer) renderTable(ctx *renderer.Context, t types.Table) (string, error) {
 	result := &strings.Builder{}
+	caption := &strings.Builder{}
+
 	// inspect first line to obtain cell width ratio
 	widths := []string{}
 	if len(t.Lines) > 0 {
@@ -33,8 +35,24 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) renderTable(ctx *renderer.Context, t types.Table) (string
 		log.Debugf("current total width: %v -> %v", total, widths[n-1])
 	}
 	number := 0
+	title := r.renderElementTitle(t.Attributes)
+
 	if t.Attributes.Has(types.AttrTitle) {
 		number = ctx.GetAndIncrementTableCounter()
+		if s, ok := t.Attributes.GetAsString(types.AttrCaption); ok {
+			caption.WriteString(s)
+		} else {
+			err := r.tableCaption.Execute(caption, struct {
+				TableNumber int
+				Title       sanitized
+			}{
+				TableNumber: number,
+				Title:       title,
+			})
+			if err != nil {
+				return "", errors.Wrap(err, "unable to format table caption")
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	header, err := r.renderTableHeader(ctx, t.Header)
@@ -52,6 +70,7 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) renderTable(ctx *renderer.Context, t types.Table) (string
 		Title       sanitized
 		CellWidths  []string
 		TableNumber int
+		Caption     string
 		Roles       sanitized
 		Header      string
 		Body        string
@@ -60,6 +79,7 @@ func (r *sgmlRenderer) renderTable(ctx *renderer.Context, t types.Table) (string
 		Title:       r.renderElementTitle(t.Attributes),
 		CellWidths:  widths,
 		TableNumber: number,
+		Caption:     caption.String(),
 		Roles:       r.renderElementRoles(t.Attributes),
 		Header:      header,
 		Body:        body,
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/templates.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/templates.go
index cf03764c..0e361277 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/templates.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/templates.go
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ type Templates struct {
 	SuperscriptText           string
 	Table                     string
 	TableBody                 string
+	TableCaption              string
 	TableCell                 string
 	TableHeader               string
 	TableHeaderCell           string
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table.go
index 4bb7df47..2edfeec4 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table.go
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ package xhtml5
 
 const (
 	tableTmpl = "<table class=\"tableblock frame-all grid-all stretch{{ if .Roles }} {{ .Roles }}{{ end }}\">\n" +
-		"{{ if .Title }}<caption class=\"title\">Table {{ .TableNumber }}. {{ .Title }}</caption>\n{{ end }}" +
+		"{{ if .Title }}<caption class=\"title\">{{ .Caption }}{{ .Title }}</caption>\n{{ end }}" +
 		"{{ if .Body }}" +
 		"<colgroup>\n" +
 		"{{ range $i, $w := .CellWidths }}<col style=\"width: {{ $w }}%;\"/>\n{{ end}}" +
diff --git a/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table_test.go b/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table_test.go
index 3eecdf4f..a487abcf 100644
--- a/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table_test.go
+++ b/pkg/renderer/sgml/xhtml5/table_test.go
@@ -86,6 +86,44 @@ var _ = Describe("tables", func() {
 		Expect(RenderXHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
 	})
 
+	It("table with title, custom caption", func() {
+		source := `.table title
+[caption="Example I. "]
+|===
+|Column heading 1 |Column heading 2
+
+|Column 1, row 1
+|Column 2, row 1
+
+|Column 1, row 2
+|Column 2, row 2
+|===`
+		expected := `<table class="tableblock frame-all grid-all stretch">
+<caption class="title">Example I. table title</caption>
+<colgroup>
+<col style="width: 50%;"/>
+<col style="width: 50%;"/>
+</colgroup>
+<thead>
+<tr>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top">Column heading 1</th>
+<th class="tableblock halign-left valign-top">Column heading 2</th>
+</tr>
+</thead>
+<tbody>
+<tr>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 1, row 1</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 2, row 1</p></td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 1, row 2</p></td>
+<td class="tableblock halign-left valign-top"><p class="tableblock">Column 2, row 2</p></td>
+</tr>
+</tbody>
+</table>`
+		Expect(RenderXHTML(source)).To(MatchHTML(expected))
+	})
+
 	It("empty table ", func() {
 		source := `|===
 |===`
diff --git a/pkg/types/attributes.go b/pkg/types/attributes.go
index c3c7d28d..85acac4f 100644
--- a/pkg/types/attributes.go
+++ b/pkg/types/attributes.go
@@ -79,8 +79,6 @@ const (
 	AttrImageTitle = "title"
 	// AttrImageWindow the `window` attribute, which becomes the target for the link
 	AttrImageWindow = "window"
-	// AttrImageCaption is the image caption for block images
-	AttrImageCaption = "caption"
 	// AttrImageFloat is for image float
 	AttrImageFloat = "float"
 	// AttrImageAlign is for image alignment
@@ -97,6 +95,8 @@ const (
 	AttrOptions = "options"
 	// AttrOpts alias for AttrOptions
 	AttrOpts = "opts"
+	// AttrCaption is the caption for block images, tables, and so forth
+	AttrCaption = "caption"
 	// AttrStyle block or list style
 	AttrStyle = "style"
 	// AttrPositional2 positional parameter 2