diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository.go b/github/resource_github_repository.go
index d9a6b6dfe6..91aa5371e3 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository.go
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ func resourceGithubRepository() *schema.Resource {
 				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
 				Optional: true,
 			},
+			"is_template": {
+				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
+				Optional: true,
+			},
 			"allow_merge_commit": {
 				Type:     schema.TypeBool,
 				Optional: true,
@@ -175,6 +179,7 @@ func resourceGithubRepositoryObject(d *schema.ResourceData) *github.Repository {
 		HasIssues:           github.Bool(d.Get("has_issues").(bool)),
 		HasProjects:         github.Bool(d.Get("has_projects").(bool)),
 		HasWiki:             github.Bool(d.Get("has_wiki").(bool)),
+		IsTemplate:          github.Bool(d.Get("is_template").(bool)),
 		AllowMergeCommit:    github.Bool(d.Get("allow_merge_commit").(bool)),
 		AllowSquashMerge:    github.Bool(d.Get("allow_squash_merge").(bool)),
 		AllowRebaseMerge:    github.Bool(d.Get("allow_rebase_merge").(bool)),
@@ -297,6 +302,7 @@ func resourceGithubRepositoryRead(d *schema.ResourceData, meta interface{}) erro
 	d.Set("has_issues", repo.HasIssues)
 	d.Set("has_projects", repo.HasProjects)
 	d.Set("has_wiki", repo.HasWiki)
+	d.Set("is_template", repo.IsTemplate)
 	d.Set("allow_merge_commit", repo.AllowMergeCommit)
 	d.Set("allow_squash_merge", repo.AllowSquashMerge)
 	d.Set("allow_rebase_merge", repo.AllowRebaseMerge)
diff --git a/github/resource_github_repository_test.go b/github/resource_github_repository_test.go
index a4bed6f120..960004df12 100644
--- a/github/resource_github_repository_test.go
+++ b/github/resource_github_repository_test.go
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepository_basic(t *testing.T) {
 						Homepage:            "http://example.com/",
 						HasIssues:           true,
 						HasWiki:             true,
+						IsTemplate:          false,
 						AllowMergeCommit:    true,
 						AllowSquashMerge:    false,
 						AllowRebaseMerge:    false,
@@ -95,6 +96,7 @@ func TestAccGithubRepository_basic(t *testing.T) {
 						AllowMergeCommit: false,
 						AllowSquashMerge: true,
 						AllowRebaseMerge: true,
+						IsTemplate:       true,
 						DefaultBranch:    "master",
 						HasProjects:      false,
 						Archived:         false,
@@ -564,6 +566,7 @@ type testAccGithubRepositoryExpectedAttributes struct {
 	HasIssues           bool
 	HasProjects         bool
 	HasWiki             bool
+	IsTemplate          bool
 	AllowMergeCommit    bool
 	AllowSquashMerge    bool
 	AllowRebaseMerge    bool
@@ -600,6 +603,9 @@ func testAccCheckGithubRepositoryAttributes(repo *github.Repository, want *testA
 		if *repo.HasWiki != want.HasWiki {
 			return fmt.Errorf("got has wiki %#v; want %#v", *repo.HasWiki, want.HasWiki)
 		}
+		if *repo.IsTemplate != want.IsTemplate {
+			return fmt.Errorf("got has IsTemplate %#v; want %#v", *repo.IsTemplate, want.IsTemplate)
+		}
 		if *repo.AllowMergeCommit != want.AllowMergeCommit {
 			return fmt.Errorf("got allow merge commit %#v; want %#v", *repo.AllowMergeCommit, want.AllowMergeCommit)
 		}
@@ -753,6 +759,7 @@ resource "github_repository" "foo" {
 
   has_issues         = true
   has_wiki           = true
+  is_template        = false
   allow_merge_commit = true
   allow_squash_merge = false
   allow_rebase_merge = false
@@ -784,6 +791,7 @@ resource "github_repository" "foo" {
 
   has_issues         = false
   has_wiki           = false
+  is_template        = true
   allow_merge_commit = false
   allow_squash_merge = true
   allow_rebase_merge = true
diff --git a/website/docs/r/repository.html.markdown b/website/docs/r/repository.html.markdown
index cf65a3bf79..76d550c601 100644
--- a/website/docs/r/repository.html.markdown
+++ b/website/docs/r/repository.html.markdown
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ The following arguments are supported:
 
 * `has_wiki` - (Optional) Set to `true` to enable the GitHub Wiki features on
   the repository.
+  
+* `is_template` - (Optional) Set to `true` to tell GitHub that this is a template repository.
 
 * `allow_merge_commit` - (Optional) Set to `false` to disable merge commits on the repository.