diff --git a/rest_framework/compat.py b/rest_framework/compat.py
index 86952fb8d..46a062326 100644
--- a/rest_framework/compat.py
+++ b/rest_framework/compat.py
@@ -377,6 +377,20 @@ try:
 except ImportError:
     apply_markdown = None
 
+# Restructured text (docutils) is optional
+try:
+    import docutils.core
+
+    def apply_restructuredtext(text):
+        parts = docutils.core.publish_parts(
+            text,
+            writer_name='html',
+            settings_overrides={'initial_header_level': 2,
+                                'doctitle_xform': False})
+        return parts['html_body']
+
+except ImportError:
+    apply_restructuredtext = None
 
 # Yaml is optional
 try:
diff --git a/rest_framework/tests/description.py b/rest_framework/tests/description.py
index d958b8405..2c25dee10 100644
--- a/rest_framework/tests/description.py
+++ b/rest_framework/tests/description.py
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
+import unittest
+
 from django.test import TestCase
 from rest_framework.views import APIView
 from rest_framework.compat import apply_markdown
+from rest_framework.compat import apply_restructuredtext
 
 # We check that docstrings get nicely un-indented.
 DESCRIPTION = """an example docstring
@@ -105,9 +108,17 @@ class TestViewNamesAndDescriptions(TestCase):
             pass
         self.assertEquals(MockView().get_description(), '')
 
+    @unittest.skipUnless(apply_markdown, 'markdown not installed')
     def test_markdown(self):
         """Ensure markdown to HTML works as expected"""
-        if apply_markdown:
-            gte_21_match = apply_markdown(DESCRIPTION) == MARKED_DOWN_gte_21
-            lt_21_match = apply_markdown(DESCRIPTION) == MARKED_DOWN_lt_21
-            self.assertTrue(gte_21_match or lt_21_match)
+        gte_21_match = apply_markdown(DESCRIPTION) == MARKED_DOWN_gte_21
+        lt_21_match = apply_markdown(DESCRIPTION) == MARKED_DOWN_lt_21
+        self.assertTrue(gte_21_match or lt_21_match)
+
+    @unittest.skipUnless(apply_restructuredtext, 'docutils not installed')
+    def test_restructuredtext(self):
+        """Ensure restructuredtext to HTML works as expected."""
+        # The output isn't tested verbatim because of small rendering changes
+        # between docutils versions.
+        self.assertTrue('<h3>another header</h3>'
+                        in apply_restructuredtext(DESCRIPTION))
diff --git a/rest_framework/views.py b/rest_framework/views.py
index 10bdd5a53..391512bbe 100644
--- a/rest_framework/views.py
+++ b/rest_framework/views.py
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ from django.utils.html import escape
 from django.utils.safestring import mark_safe
 from django.views.decorators.csrf import csrf_exempt
 from rest_framework import status, exceptions
-from rest_framework.compat import View, apply_markdown
+from rest_framework.compat import View, apply_markdown, apply_restructuredtext
 from rest_framework.response import Response
 from rest_framework.request import Request
 from rest_framework.settings import api_settings
@@ -119,6 +119,8 @@ class APIView(View):
         # TODO: deprecate?
         if apply_markdown:
             description = apply_markdown(description)
+        elif apply_restructuredtext:
+            description = apply_restructuredtext(description)
         else:
             description = escape(description).replace('\n', '<br />')
         return mark_safe(description)