diff --git a/MANUAL.txt b/MANUAL.txt
index f337e0808..28030ae46 100644
--- a/MANUAL.txt
+++ b/MANUAL.txt
@@ -479,9 +479,26 @@ General options {.options}
 Reader options {.options}
 --------------
 
+`--shift-heading-level-by=`*NUMBER*
+
+    Shift heading levels by a positive or negative integer.
+    For example, with `--shift-heading-level-by=-1`, level 2
+    headings become level 1 headings, and level 3 headings
+    become level 2 headings.  Headings cannot have a level
+    less than 1, so a heading that would be shifted below level 1
+    becomes a regular paragraph.  Exception: with a shift of -1,
+    a level-1 heading at the beginning of the document
+    replaces the metadata title. Conversely, with a shift
+    of +1, a nonempty metadata title becomes a level-1 heading at
+    the beginning of the document.  `--shift-heading-level-by=-1`
+    is a good choice when converting HTML or Markdown documents that
+    use an initial level-1 heading for the document title and
+    level-2+ headings for sections.
+
 `--base-header-level=`*NUMBER*
 
-:   Specify the base level for headings (defaults to 1).
+:   *Deprecated.  Use `--shift-heading-level-by` instead.*
+    Specify the base level for headings (defaults to 1).
 
 `--strip-empty-paragraphs`
 
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs
index 49b20f9dc..12f5de537 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/App.hs
@@ -241,6 +241,9 @@ convertWithOpts opts = do
     let transforms = (case optBaseHeaderLevel opts of
                           x | x > 1     -> (headerShift (x - 1) :)
                             | otherwise -> id) .
+                     (case optShiftHeadingLevel opts of
+                          0             -> id
+                          x             -> (headerShift x :)) .
                      (if optStripEmptyParagraphs opts
                          then (stripEmptyParagraphs :)
                          else id) .
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs
index ae12ba42c..cffe69eca 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/CommandLineOptions.hs
@@ -436,9 +436,22 @@ options =
                   "SCRIPTPATH")
                  "" -- "Lua filter"
 
-    , Option "" ["base-header-level"]
+    , Option "" ["shift-heading-level-by"]
                  (ReqArg
                   (\arg opt ->
+                      case safeRead arg of
+                           Just t ->
+                               return opt{ optShiftHeadingLevel = t }
+                           _              -> E.throwIO $ PandocOptionError
+                                               "shift-heading-level-by takes an integer argument")
+                  "NUMBER")
+                 "" -- "Shift heading level"
+
+    , Option "" ["base-header-level"]
+                 (ReqArg
+                  (\arg opt -> do
+                      deprecatedOption "--base-header-level"
+                        "Use --shift-heading-level-by instead."
                       case safeRead arg of
                            Just t | t > 0 && t < 6 ->
                                return opt{ optBaseHeaderLevel = t }
@@ -450,7 +463,7 @@ options =
     , Option "" ["strip-empty-paragraphs"]
                  (NoArg
                   (\opt -> do
-                      deprecatedOption "--stripEmptyParagraphs"
+                      deprecatedOption "--strip-empty-paragraphs"
                         "Use +empty_paragraphs extension."
                       return opt{ optStripEmptyParagraphs = True }))
                  "" -- "Strip empty paragraphs"
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/Opt.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/Opt.hs
index 0b7bb7f2c..1111a5457 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/App/Opt.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/App/Opt.hs
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ data Opt = Opt
     , optReader                :: Maybe String  -- ^ Reader format
     , optWriter                :: Maybe String  -- ^ Writer format
     , optTableOfContents       :: Bool    -- ^ Include table of contents
+    , optShiftHeadingLevel     :: Int     -- ^ Shift heading level by
     , optBaseHeaderLevel       :: Int     -- ^ Base header level
     , optTemplate              :: Maybe FilePath  -- ^ Custom template
     , optVariables             :: [(String,String)] -- ^ Template variables to set
@@ -124,6 +125,7 @@ defaultOpts = Opt
     , optReader                = Nothing
     , optWriter                = Nothing
     , optTableOfContents       = False
+    , optShiftHeadingLevel     = 0
     , optBaseHeaderLevel       = 1
     , optTemplate              = Nothing
     , optVariables             = []
diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Shared.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Shared.hs
index 06715145e..e169ccb82 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Shared.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Shared.hs
@@ -565,10 +565,23 @@ isHeaderBlock _        = False
 
 -- | Shift header levels up or down.
 headerShift :: Int -> Pandoc -> Pandoc
-headerShift n = walk shift
-  where shift :: Block -> Block
-        shift (Header level attr inner) = Header (level + n) attr inner
-        shift x                         = x
+headerShift n (Pandoc meta (Header m _ ils : bs))
+  | n < 0
+  , m + n == 0 = headerShift n $
+                 B.setTitle (B.fromList ils) $ Pandoc meta bs
+headerShift n (Pandoc meta bs)
+  | n > 0
+  , not (null (docTitle meta))
+    = Pandoc meta' (Header n nullAttr (docTitle meta) : bs')
+ where
+   Pandoc meta' bs' = headerShift n $ B.deleteMeta "title" $ Pandoc meta bs
+headerShift n (Pandoc meta bs) = Pandoc meta (walk shift bs)
+ where
+   shift :: Block -> Block
+   shift (Header level attr inner)
+     | level + n > 0  = Header (level + n) attr inner
+     | otherwise      = Para inner
+   shift x            = x
 
 -- | Remove empty paragraphs.
 stripEmptyParagraphs :: Pandoc -> Pandoc
diff --git a/test/command/shift-heading-level-by.md b/test/command/shift-heading-level-by.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1d8b8bdd0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/command/shift-heading-level-by.md
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+```
+% pandoc --shift-heading-level-by 1 -t native -s
+---
+title: My title
+...
+
+# First heading
+
+## Second
+^D
+Pandoc (Meta {unMeta = fromList []})
+[Header 1 ("",[],[]) [Str "My",Space,Str "title"]
+,Header 2 ("first-heading",[],[]) [Str "First",Space,Str "heading"]
+,Header 3 ("second",[],[]) [Str "Second"]]
+```
+
+```
+% pandoc --shift-heading-level-by -1 -t native -s
+---
+title: Old title
+...
+
+# First heading
+
+## Second
+
+# Another top-level heading
+^D
+Pandoc (Meta {unMeta = fromList [("title",MetaInlines [Str "First",Space,Str "heading"])]})
+[Header 1 ("second",[],[]) [Str "Second"]
+,Para [Str "Another",Space,Str "top-level",Space,Str "heading"]]
+```
+