diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index c31d5fce..54dc4966 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 - [pull #524] Fix angles being escaped in style blocks (issue #523)
 - [pull #527] Fix base64 images being corrupted in safe mode (issue #526)
-
+- [pull #529] Add `breaks` extra with ability to hard break on backslashes (issue #525)
 
 ## python-markdown2 2.4.10
 
diff --git a/lib/markdown2.py b/lib/markdown2.py
index 7386cc4f..e48cf5c5 100755
--- a/lib/markdown2.py
+++ b/lib/markdown2.py
@@ -41,7 +41,11 @@
 see <https://github.com/trentm/python-markdown2/wiki/Extras> for details):
 
 * admonitions: Enable parsing of RST admonitions.
-* break-on-newline: Replace single new line characters with <br> when True
+* breaks: Control where hard breaks are inserted in the markdown.
+  Options include:
+  - on_newline: Replace single new line characters with <br> when True
+  - on_backslash: Replace backslashes at the end of a line with <br>
+* break-on-newline: Alias for the on_newline option in the breaks extra.
 * code-friendly: Disable _ and __ for em and strong.
 * cuddled-lists: Allow lists to be cuddled to the preceding paragraph.
 * fenced-code-blocks: Allows a code block to not have to be indented
@@ -235,6 +239,11 @@ def __init__(self, html4tags=False, tab_width=4, safe_mode=None,
                 self._toc_depth = 6
             else:
                 self._toc_depth = self.extras["toc"].get("depth", 6)
+
+        if 'break-on-newline' in self.extras:
+            self.extras.setdefault('breaks', {})
+            self.extras['breaks']['on_newline'] = True
+
         self._instance_extras = self.extras.copy()
 
         if 'link-patterns' in self.extras:
@@ -1318,8 +1327,13 @@ def _run_span_gamut(self, text):
             text = self._do_smart_punctuation(text)
 
         # Do hard breaks:
-        if "break-on-newline" in self.extras:
-            text = re.sub(r" *\n(?!\<(?:\/?(ul|ol|li))\>)", "<br%s\n" % self.empty_element_suffix, text)
+        if 'breaks' in self.extras:
+            break_tag = "<br%s\n" % self.empty_element_suffix
+            # do backslashes first because on_newline inserts the break before the newline
+            if self.extras['breaks'].get('on_backslash', False):
+                text = re.sub(r' *\\\n', break_tag, text)
+            if self.extras['breaks'].get('on_newline', False):
+                text = re.sub(r" *\n(?!\<(?:\/?(ul|ol|li))\>)", break_tag, text)
         else:
             text = re.sub(r" {2,}\n", " <br%s\n" % self.empty_element_suffix, text)
 
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.html b/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..81040802
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.html
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+<p>Github flavoured markdown allows<br />
+you to insert a backslash with or
+without a space, which results in<br />
+a hard line break, unless it has \
+been escaped.</p>
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.opts b/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.opts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52f81fdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.opts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{'extras': {'breaks': {'on_backslash': True}}}
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.text b/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.text
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0576c564
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tm-cases/break_on_backslash.text
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+Github flavoured markdown allows \
+you to insert a backslash with or
+without a space, which results in\
+a hard line break, unless it has \\
+been escaped.
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.html b/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..cb43d6db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.html
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<p>The breaks extra allows you to insert a hard break on newlines.<br />
+You can also insert hard breaks after backslashes<br /><br />
+although this will result in a double break when both are enabled.</p>
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.opts b/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.opts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5ac49b03
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.opts
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{'extras': {'breaks': {'on_backslash': True, 'on_newline': True}}}
diff --git a/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.text b/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.text
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4114125b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/tm-cases/break_on_newline_and_backslash.text
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+The breaks extra allows you to insert a hard break on newlines.
+You can also insert hard breaks after backslashes \
+although this will result in a double break when both are enabled.