diff --git a/docs/guides/RouteMatching.md b/docs/guides/RouteMatching.md
index 0ed1259d47..1f7ab697de 100644
--- a/docs/guides/RouteMatching.md
+++ b/docs/guides/RouteMatching.md
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ React Router uses the concept of nested routes to let you declare nested sets of
 A route path is [a string pattern](/docs/Glossary.md#routepattern) that is used to match a URL (or a portion of one). Route paths are interpreted literally, except for the following special symbols:
 
   - `:paramName` – matches a URL segment up to the next `/`, `?`, or `#`. The matched string is called a [param](/docs/Glossary.md#params)
-  - `()` – Wraps a portion of the URL that is optional
+  - `()` – Wraps a portion of the URL that is optional. You may escape parentheses if you want to use them in a url using a blackslash \
   - `*` – Matches all characters (non-greedy) up to the next character in the pattern, or to the end of the URL if there is none, and creates a `splat` [param](/docs/Glossary.md#params)
   - `**` - Matches all characters (greedy) until the next `/`, `?`, or `#` and creates a `splat` [param](/docs/Glossary.md#params)
 
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ A route path is [a string pattern](/docs/Glossary.md#routepattern) that is used
 <Route path="/hello(/:name)">       // matches /hello, /hello/michael, and /hello/ryan
 <Route path="/files/*.*">           // matches /files/hello.jpg and /files/hello.html
 <Route path="/**/*.jpg">            // matches /files/hello.jpg and /files/path/to/file.jpg
+<Route path="/hello\\(:name\\)">    // matches /hello(michael)
 ```
 
 If a route uses a relative `path`, it builds upon the accumulated `path` of its ancestors. Nested routes may opt-out of this behavior by [using an absolute `path`](RouteConfiguration.md#decoupling-the-ui-from-the-url).
diff --git a/modules/PatternUtils.js b/modules/PatternUtils.js
index 57a4f964c0..41d5e1e644 100644
--- a/modules/PatternUtils.js
+++ b/modules/PatternUtils.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ function _compilePattern(pattern) {
   const paramNames = []
   const tokens = []
 
-  let match, lastIndex = 0, matcher = /:([a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$]*)|\*\*|\*|\(|\)/g
+  let match, lastIndex = 0, matcher = /:([a-zA-Z_$][a-zA-Z0-9_$]*)|\*\*|\*|\(|\)|\\\(|\\\)/g
   while ((match = matcher.exec(pattern))) {
     if (match.index !== lastIndex) {
       tokens.push(pattern.slice(lastIndex, match.index))
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@ function _compilePattern(pattern) {
       regexpSource += '(?:'
     } else if (match[0] === ')') {
       regexpSource += ')?'
+    } else if (match[0] === '\\(') {
+      regexpSource += '\\('
+    } else if (match[0] === '\\)') {
+      regexpSource += '\\)'
     }
 
     tokens.push(match[0])
@@ -177,6 +181,10 @@ export function formatPattern(pattern, params) {
         parenHistory[parenCount - 1] += parenText
       else
         pathname += parenText
+    } else if (token === '\\(') {
+      pathname += '('
+    } else if (token === '\\)') {
+      pathname += ')'
     } else if (token.charAt(0) === ':') {
       paramName = token.substring(1)
       paramValue = params[paramName]
diff --git a/modules/__tests__/formatPattern-test.js b/modules/__tests__/formatPattern-test.js
index 4daf43d393..07ddc4e0be 100644
--- a/modules/__tests__/formatPattern-test.js
+++ b/modules/__tests__/formatPattern-test.js
@@ -159,6 +159,22 @@ describe('formatPattern', function () {
       })
     })
 
+    describe('and a param is parentheses escaped', function () {
+      const pattern = '/comments\\(:id\\)'
+
+      it('returns the correct path when param is supplied', function () {
+        expect(formatPattern(pattern, { id:'123' })).toEqual('/comments(123)')
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('and a param is parentheses escaped with additional param', function () {
+      const pattern = '/comments\\(:id\\)/:mode'
+
+      it('returns the correct path when param is supplied', function () {
+        expect(formatPattern(pattern, { id:'123', mode: 'edit' })).toEqual('/comments(123)/edit')
+      })
+    })
+
     describe('and all params are present', function () {
       it('returns the correct path', function () {
         expect(formatPattern(pattern, { id: 'abc' })).toEqual('/comments/abc/edit')
diff --git a/modules/__tests__/getParams-test.js b/modules/__tests__/getParams-test.js
index 336be565f3..2b9a50aadb 100644
--- a/modules/__tests__/getParams-test.js
+++ b/modules/__tests__/getParams-test.js
@@ -179,4 +179,36 @@ describe('getParams', function () {
       })
     })
   })
+
+  describe('and the pattern is parentheses escaped', function () {
+    const pattern = '/comments\\(test\\)'
+
+    describe('and the path matches with supplied param', function () {
+      it('returns an object with the params', function () {
+        expect(getParams(pattern, '/comments(test)')).toEqual({ })
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('and the path does not match without parentheses', function () {
+      it('returns an object with an undefined param', function () {
+        expect(getParams(pattern, '/commentstest')).toBe(null)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+
+  describe('and the pattern is parentheses escaped', function () {
+    const pattern = '/comments\\(:id\\)'
+
+    describe('and the path matches with supplied param', function () {
+      it('returns an object with the params', function () {
+        expect(getParams(pattern, '/comments(123)')).toEqual({ id: '123' })
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('and the path does not match without parentheses', function () {
+      it('returns an object with an undefined param', function () {
+        expect(getParams(pattern, '/commentsedit')).toBe(null)
+      })
+    })
+  })
 })