diff --git a/lib/fpm/command.rb b/lib/fpm/command.rb
index 115ea5b31..d799bae42 100644
--- a/lib/fpm/command.rb
+++ b/lib/fpm/command.rb
@@ -51,6 +51,9 @@ def help(*args)
   option ["-s", "--input-type"], "INPUT_TYPE",
     "the package type to use as input (gem, rpm, python, etc)",
     :attribute_name => :input_type
+  option ["-r", "--recipe"], "RECIPE_FILE",
+    "path to recipe file used for building a source based package",
+    :attribute_name => :recipe_file
   option ["-C", "--chdir"], "CHDIR",
     "Change directory to here before searching for files",
     :attribute_name => :chdir
@@ -311,7 +314,7 @@ def execute
       return 1
     end
     input_class = FPM::Package.types[input_type]
-    output_class = FPM::Package.types[output_type]
+    output_class = FPM::Package.types[output_type] || FPM::SourcePackage.types[output_type]
 
     input = input_class.new
 
@@ -470,7 +473,7 @@ def execute
     end
 
     # Convert to the output type
-    output = input.convert(output_class)
+    output = input.convert(output_class, recipe_file)
 
     # Provide any template values as methods on the package.
     if template_scripts?
@@ -685,21 +688,29 @@ def validate
                 "Missing required -t flag. What package output did you want?")
 
       # Verify the types requested are valid
-      types = FPM::Package.types.keys.sort
+      types = FPM::Package.types.keys.concat(FPM::SourcePackage.types.keys).sort
       @command.input_type.tap do |val|
         next if val.nil?
-        mandatory(FPM::Package.types.include?(val),
+        mandatory(types.include?(val),
                   "Invalid input package -s flag) type #{val.inspect}. " \
                   "Expected one of: #{types.join(", ")}")
       end
 
       @command.output_type.tap do |val|
         next if val.nil?
-        mandatory(FPM::Package.types.include?(val),
+        mandatory(types.include?(val),
                   "Invalid output package (-t flag) type #{val.inspect}. " \
                   "Expected one of: #{types.join(", ")}")
       end
 
+      # we cannot output a source based package without a recipe
+      @command.recipe_file.tap do |val| 
+        is_source_package = FPM::SourcePackage.types.keys.include?(@command.output_type)
+        mandatory(is_source_package ? val : true,
+                 "source based package output type #{@command.output_type} " \
+                 "requires a recipe file (via -r flag).")
+      end
+      
       @command.dependencies.tap do |dependencies|
         # Verify dependencies don't include commas (#257)
         dependencies.each do |dep|
diff --git a/lib/fpm/package.rb b/lib/fpm/package.rb
index 1bbbd5d7a..3bfd9bd1c 100644
--- a/lib/fpm/package.rb
+++ b/lib/fpm/package.rb
@@ -191,12 +191,12 @@ def type
   end # def type
 
   # Convert this package to a new package type
-  def convert(klass)
+  def convert(klass, recipe_file)
     logger.info("Converting #{self.type} to #{klass.type}")
 
     exclude
 
-    pkg = klass.new
+    pkg = recipe_file ? klass.new(recipe_file) : klass.new
     pkg.cleanup_staging # purge any directories that may have been created by klass.new
 
     # copy other bits
@@ -414,7 +414,9 @@ class << self
     # Lets us track all known FPM::Package subclasses
     def inherited(klass)
       @subclasses ||= {}
-      @subclasses[klass.name.gsub(/.*:/, "").downcase] = klass
+      unless klass.name == 'FPM::SourcePackage'
+        @subclasses[klass.name.gsub(/.*:/, "").downcase] = klass
+      end
     end # def self.inherited
 
     # Get a list of all known package subclasses
diff --git a/lib/fpm/package/srpm.rb b/lib/fpm/package/srpm.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..916acb1e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/fpm/package/srpm.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+require "fpm/source_package"
+require "fileutils"
+
+class FPM::Package::SRPM < FPM::SourcePackage
+
+  def output(output_path)
+    output_check(output_path)
+
+    %w(BUILD RPMS SRPMS SOURCES SPECS).each { |d| FileUtils.mkdir_p(build_path(d)) }
+
+    spec_file = staging_path("#{name}.spec")
+    # puts "spec_file = #{spec_file}"
+
+    File.open(spec_file, "w+") do |file|
+
+      if name = name()
+        file.write("Name: #{name}\n")
+      end
+
+      if version = version()
+        file.write("Version: #{version}\n")
+      end
+
+      if license = license()
+        file.write("License: #{license}\n")
+      end
+
+      if release = iteration()
+        file.write("Release: #{release}\n")
+      else
+        file.write("Release: 1\n")
+      end
+
+      if download_url = recipe.download
+        download_source(download_url.chomp, build_path("SOURCES"))
+        file.write("Url: #{download_url}\n")
+        file.write("Source0: #{download_url}\n")
+      end
+
+      if summary = description()
+        file.write("Summary: #{summary}\n")
+        file.write("%description\n#{summary}\n\n")
+      end
+
+      if prebuild_instructions = recipe.prebuild
+        file.write("%prep\n#{prebuild_instructions}\n\n")
+      end
+
+      if build_instructions = recipe.build
+        file.write("%build\n#{build_instructions}\n\n")
+      end
+
+      if install_instructions = recipe.install
+        file.write("%install\n#{install_instructions}\n\n")
+      end
+    end
+
+    safesystem("rpmbuild", "-bs", "--define", "_topdir #{build_path}", spec_file)
+
+    ::Dir["#{build_path}/SRPMS/*.src.rpm"].each do |srpm|
+      FileUtils.cp(srpm, output_path)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/fpm/recipe.rb b/lib/fpm/recipe.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..64896ffd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/fpm/recipe.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+require "fpm/util"
+
+class FPM::Recipe
+
+  RECIPE_SECTIONS = [ :download,
+                      :prebuild,
+                      :build,
+                      :install,
+                    ]
+
+  attr_accessor(*RECIPE_SECTIONS)
+
+  def initialize(recipe_file)
+    recipe_file = File.expand_path(recipe_file)
+
+    unless File.file?(recipe_file)
+      STDERR.puts "recipe file #{recipe_file} does not exist"
+      exit 1
+    end
+
+    # parse recipe_file
+    cur_section = nil
+    cur_val = nil
+    File.foreach(recipe_file) do |line|
+      line.gsub!(/ *#.*| +$/, '')
+      next if line =~ /^$/
+      if section_name = section_tag?(line)
+        if !cur_section # this is the first section tag we have seen.
+          cur_section = section_name
+          cur_val = ""
+        else
+          instance_variable_set("@#{cur_section}", cur_val)
+          cur_section = section_name
+          cur_val = ""
+        end
+      else # this line is not a section
+        cur_val += line
+      end
+    end
+    if cur_section and cur_val
+      self.instance_variable_set("@#{cur_section}", cur_val)
+    end
+  end
+
+  private
+  def section_tag?(line)
+    # Note that no trimming of +line+ happens here
+    line[/^\[(#{RECIPE_SECTIONS.join("|")})\]$/, 1]
+  end
+end
diff --git a/lib/fpm/source_package.rb b/lib/fpm/source_package.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d6f7a0f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/fpm/source_package.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+require "fpm/package"
+require "fpm/recipe"
+
+# This class is the parent of all source based packages.
+# If you want to implement a source based FPM package type, you'll inherit from
+# this.
+class FPM::SourcePackage < FPM::Package
+  attr_reader :recipe
+
+  def initialize(recipe_file)
+    super()
+    @recipe = FPM::Recipe.new(recipe_file)
+  end
+
+  def download_source(url, dir)
+    safesystem("wget", "-P", dir, url)
+  end
+
+  class << self
+    def inherited(klass)
+      @subclasses ||= {}
+      @subclasses[klass.name.gsub(/.*:/, "").downcase] = klass
+    end
+
+    def types
+      return @subclasses
+    end
+  end
+end