diff --git a/src/pkg/text/template/doc.go b/src/pkg/text/template/doc.go
index b952789d1c..ab18f9ab1a 100644
--- a/src/pkg/text/template/doc.go
+++ b/src/pkg/text/template/doc.go
@@ -63,6 +63,12 @@ data, defined in detail below.
 		If the value of the pipeline is empty, T0 is executed;
 		otherwise, T1 is executed.  Dot is unaffected.
 
+	{{if pipeline}} T1 {{else if pipeline}} T0 {{end}}
+		To simplify the appearance of if-else chains, the else action
+		of an if may include another if directly; the effect is exactly
+		the same as writing
+			{{if pipeline}} T1 {{else}}{{if pipeline}} T0 {{end}}{{end}}
+
 	{{range pipeline}} T1 {{end}}
 		The value of the pipeline must be an array, slice, map, or channel.
 		If the value of the pipeline has length zero, nothing is output;
diff --git a/src/pkg/text/template/exec_test.go b/src/pkg/text/template/exec_test.go
index be1a2d23d8..bc8aee6f3c 100644
--- a/src/pkg/text/template/exec_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/text/template/exec_test.go
@@ -374,6 +374,8 @@ var execTests = []execTest{
 	{"if map not unset", "{{if not .MXI.none}}ZERO{{else}}NON-ZERO{{end}}", "ZERO", tVal, true},
 	{"if $x with $y int", "{{if $x := true}}{{with $y := .I}}{{$x}},{{$y}}{{end}}{{end}}", "true,17", tVal, true},
 	{"if $x with $x int", "{{if $x := true}}{{with $x := .I}}{{$x}},{{end}}{{$x}}{{end}}", "17,true", tVal, true},
+	{"if else if", "{{if false}}FALSE{{else if true}}TRUE{{end}}", "TRUE", tVal, true},
+	{"if else chain", "{{if eq 1 3}}1{{else if eq 2 3}}2{{else if eq 3 3}}3{{end}}", "3", tVal, true},
 
 	// Print etc.
 	{"print", `{{print "hello, print"}}`, "hello, print", tVal, true},
diff --git a/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse.go b/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse.go
index 2919124d3b..be83e77cf5 100644
--- a/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse.go
+++ b/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse.go
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ func (t *Tree) pipeline(context string) (pipe *PipeNode) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (t *Tree) parseControl(context string) (pos Pos, line int, pipe *PipeNode, list, elseList *ListNode) {
+func (t *Tree) parseControl(allowElseIf bool, context string) (pos Pos, line int, pipe *PipeNode, list, elseList *ListNode) {
 	defer t.popVars(len(t.vars))
 	line = t.lex.lineNumber()
 	pipe = t.pipeline(context)
@@ -418,6 +418,23 @@ func (t *Tree) parseControl(context string) (pos Pos, line int, pipe *PipeNode,
 	switch next.Type() {
 	case nodeEnd: //done
 	case nodeElse:
+		if allowElseIf {
+			// Special case for "else if". If the "else" is followed immediately by an "if",
+			// the elseControl will have left the "if" token pending. Treat
+			//	{{if a}}_{{else if b}}_{{end}}
+			// as
+			//	{{if a}}_{{else}}{{if b}}_{{end}}{{end}}.
+			// To do this, parse the if as usual and stop at it {{end}}; the subsequent{{end}}
+			// is assumed. This technique works even for long if-else-if chains.
+			// TODO: Should we allow else-if in with and range?
+			if t.peek().typ == itemIf {
+				t.next() // Consume the "if" token.
+				elseList = newList(next.Position())
+				elseList.append(t.ifControl())
+				// Do not consume the next item - only one {{end}} required.
+				break
+			}
+		}
 		elseList, next = t.itemList()
 		if next.Type() != nodeEnd {
 			t.errorf("expected end; found %s", next)
@@ -431,7 +448,7 @@ func (t *Tree) parseControl(context string) (pos Pos, line int, pipe *PipeNode,
 //	{{if pipeline}} itemList {{else}} itemList {{end}}
 // If keyword is past.
 func (t *Tree) ifControl() Node {
-	return newIf(t.parseControl("if"))
+	return newIf(t.parseControl(true, "if"))
 }
 
 // Range:
@@ -439,7 +456,7 @@ func (t *Tree) ifControl() Node {
 //	{{range pipeline}} itemList {{else}} itemList {{end}}
 // Range keyword is past.
 func (t *Tree) rangeControl() Node {
-	return newRange(t.parseControl("range"))
+	return newRange(t.parseControl(false, "range"))
 }
 
 // With:
@@ -447,7 +464,7 @@ func (t *Tree) rangeControl() Node {
 //	{{with pipeline}} itemList {{else}} itemList {{end}}
 // If keyword is past.
 func (t *Tree) withControl() Node {
-	return newWith(t.parseControl("with"))
+	return newWith(t.parseControl(false, "with"))
 }
 
 // End:
@@ -461,6 +478,12 @@ func (t *Tree) endControl() Node {
 //	{{else}}
 // Else keyword is past.
 func (t *Tree) elseControl() Node {
+	// Special case for "else if".
+	peek := t.peekNonSpace()
+	if peek.typ == itemIf {
+		// We see "{{else if ... " but in effect rewrite it to {{else}}{{if ... ".
+		return newElse(peek.pos, t.lex.lineNumber())
+	}
 	return newElse(t.expect(itemRightDelim, "else").pos, t.lex.lineNumber())
 }
 
diff --git a/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse_test.go b/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse_test.go
index 0e5c1448c8..c35f4ac5df 100644
--- a/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse_test.go
+++ b/src/pkg/text/template/parse/parse_test.go
@@ -194,6 +194,10 @@ var parseTests = []parseTest{
 		`{{if .X}}"hello"{{end}}`},
 	{"if with else", "{{if .X}}true{{else}}false{{end}}", noError,
 		`{{if .X}}"true"{{else}}"false"{{end}}`},
+	{"if with else if", "{{if .X}}true{{else if .Y}}false{{end}}", noError,
+		`{{if .X}}"true"{{else}}{{if .Y}}"false"{{end}}{{end}}`},
+	{"if else chain", "+{{if .X}}X{{else if .Y}}Y{{else if .Z}}Z{{end}}+", noError,
+		`"+"{{if .X}}"X"{{else}}{{if .Y}}"Y"{{else}}{{if .Z}}"Z"{{end}}{{end}}{{end}}"+"`},
 	{"simple range", "{{range .X}}hello{{end}}", noError,
 		`{{range .X}}"hello"{{end}}`},
 	{"chained field range", "{{range .X.Y.Z}}hello{{end}}", noError,
@@ -238,6 +242,7 @@ var parseTests = []parseTest{
 	{"dot applied to parentheses", "{{printf (printf .).}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"adjacent args", "{{printf 3`x`}}", hasError, ""},
 	{"adjacent args with .", "{{printf `x`.}}", hasError, ""},
+	{"extra end after if", "{{if .X}}a{{else if .Y}}b{{end}}{{end}}", hasError, ""},
 	// Equals (and other chars) do not assignments make (yet).
 	{"bug0a", "{{$x := 0}}{{$x}}", noError, "{{$x := 0}}{{$x}}"},
 	{"bug0b", "{{$x = 1}}{{$x}}", hasError, ""},