diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index 8960d9bc3..cdfdcda2c 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -1624,12 +1624,22 @@ Variables for ConTeXt
 `lof`, `lot`
 :   include list of figures, list of tables
 
+`pdfa`
+:   adds to the preamble the setup necessary to generate PDF/A-1b:2005.
+    To successfully generate PDF/A the required ICC color profiles have to
+    be available and the content and all included files (such as images)
+    have to be standard conforming.  The ICC profiles can be obtained
+    from [ConTeXt ICC Profiles].  See also [ConTeXt PDFA] for more
+    details.
+
 [ConTeXt Paper Setup]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/PaperSetup
 [ConTeXt Layout]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Layout
 [ConTeXt Font Switching]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Font_Switching
 [ConTeXt Color]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Color
 [ConTeXt Headers and Footers]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Headers_and_Footers
 [ConTeXt Indentation]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Indentation
+[ConTeXt ICC Profiles]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/PDFX#ICC_profiles
+[ConTeXt PDFA]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/PDF/A
 [`setupwhitespace`]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Command/setupwhitespace
 [`setupinterlinespace`]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Command/setupinterlinespace
 [`setuppagenumbering`]: http://wiki.contextgarden.net/Command/setuppagenumbering
diff --git a/data/templates/default.context b/data/templates/default.context
index 56f4e9cf7..039b6cdaf 100644
--- a/data/templates/default.context
+++ b/data/templates/default.context
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ $endif$
 $if(pagenumbering)$
 \setuppagenumbering[$for(pagenumbering)$$pagenumbering$$sep$,$endfor$]
 $endif$
+$if(pdfa)$
+% attempt to generate PDF/A
+\setupbackend
+  [format=PDF/A-1b:2005,
+   intent=sRGB IEC61966-2.1,
+   profile=sRGB.icc]
+$endif$
 
 % use microtypography
 \definefontfeature[default][default][script=latn, protrusion=quality, expansion=quality, itlc=yes, textitalics=yes, onum=yes, pnum=yes]