diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b2fbb3d..a80a420 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -22,15 +22,42 @@ gems:
 
 ## Configuration
 
-```
+```yaml
 elasticsearch:
-  url: "http://localhost:9200/" # Required. Supports auth and SSL: https://user:pass@someurl.com
-                                # Can also read URLs stored in environment variable named
-                                # BONSAI_URL and ELASTICSEARCH_URL.
-  number_of_shards: 1           # Optional. Default is 1 primary shard.
-  number_of_replicas: 1         # Optional. Default is 1 replica.
-  index_name: "jekyll"          # Optional. Default is "jekyll".
-  default_type: "post"          # Optional. Default type is "post".
+  url: "http://localhost:9200/"     # Required. Supports auth and SSL: https://user:pass@someurl.com
+                                    # Can also read URLs stored in environment variable named
+                                    # BONSAI_URL and ELASTICSEARCH_URL.
+  number_of_shards: 1               # Optional. Default is 1 primary shard.
+  number_of_replicas: 1             # Optional. Default is 1 replica.
+  index_name: "jekyll"              # Optional. Default is "jekyll".
+  default_type: "post"              # Optional. Default type is "post".
+  custom_settings: _es_settings.yml # Optional. No default. Relative to your src folder
+  custom_mappings: _es_mappings.yml # Optional. No default. Relative to your src folder
+```
+
+### Custom Settings File Example
+
+It should be written to be plugged into the `settings` slot of a [create index](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/indices-create-index.html) call
+
+```yaml
+analysis:
+  analyzer:
+    stop_analyzer:
+      type: stop
+      stopwords: _english_
+index:
+  number_of_shards: 1
+  number_of_replicas: 0
+```
+
+### Custom Mappings File Example
+
+It should be written to be plugged into the `mappings.[type]` slot of a [create index](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/indices-create-index.html) call
+
+```yaml
+properties:
+  field1:
+    type: text
 ```
 
 ## Development
diff --git a/lib/searchyll/configuration.rb b/lib/searchyll/configuration.rb
index 9cb7738..504a03f 100644
--- a/lib/searchyll/configuration.rb
+++ b/lib/searchyll/configuration.rb
@@ -18,12 +18,13 @@ def valid?
 
     def reasons
       reasons = []
-      if elasticsearch_url && elasticsearch_url.empty?
+
+      if elasticsearch_url.nil? || elasticsearch_url.empty?
         reasons << 'No Elasticsearch url configured'
         reasons << '  Looked in ENV[BONSAI_URL]'
         reasons << '  Looked in ENV[ELASTICSEARCH_URL]'
         reasons << '  Looked in _config.elasticsearch.url'
-      elsif ! elasticsearch_url.start_with? 'http'
+      elsif elasticsearch_url && ! elasticsearch_url.start_with?('http')
         reasons << "Elasticsearch url must start with 'http' or 'https'"
         reasons << "  Current Value: #{elasticsearch_url}"
         reasons << "  Current Source: #{elasticsearch_url_source}"
@@ -46,12 +47,16 @@ def elasticsearch_url_source
 
     # Getter for the number of primary shards
     def elasticsearch_number_of_shards
-      site.config['elasticsearch']['number_of_shards'] || 1
+      settings = elasticsearch_settings
+
+      settings['index']['number_of_shards']
     end
 
     # Getter for the number of replicas
     def elasticsearch_number_of_replicas
-      site.config['elasticsearch']['number_of_replicas'] || 1
+      settings = elasticsearch_settings
+
+      settings['index']['number_of_replicas']
     end
 
     # Getter for the index name
@@ -63,5 +68,47 @@ def elasticsearch_index_base_name
     def elasticsearch_default_type
       site.config['elasticsearch']['default_type'] || 'post'
     end
+
+    # Getter for es mapping
+    def elasticsearch_mapping_path
+      site.config['elasticsearch']['custom_mappings']
+    end
+
+    # Getter for es settings
+    def elasticsearch_settings_path
+      site.config['elasticsearch']['custom_settings']
+    end
+
+    def elasticsearch_mapping
+        read_yaml(elasticsearch_mapping_path, nil)
+    end
+
+    def elasticsearch_settings
+      shards = site.config['elasticsearch']['number_of_shards'] || 1
+      replicas = site.config['elasticsearch']['number_of_replicas'] || 1
+      read_yaml(elasticsearch_settings_path, {
+        'index' => {
+          'number_of_shards'   => shards,
+          'number_of_replicas' => replicas,
+          'refresh_interval'   => -1
+        }
+      })
+    end
+
+    def read_yaml(path, default)
+      if path
+        joined_path = File.join(@site.source, path)
+        expanded_path = File.expand_path(joined_path)
+        if File.exist?(expanded_path)
+          content = File.read(expanded_path)
+          # SafeYAML comes with Jekyll
+          SafeYAML.load(content)
+        else
+          default
+        end
+      else
+        default
+      end
+    end
   end
 end
diff --git a/lib/searchyll/indexer.rb b/lib/searchyll/indexer.rb
index c0e1647..f1bc0cc 100644
--- a/lib/searchyll/indexer.rb
+++ b/lib/searchyll/indexer.rb
@@ -111,20 +111,23 @@ def http_start
 
     # Prepare our indexing run by creating a new index.
     def prepare_index
-      create_index = http_put("/#{elasticsearch_index_name}")
-      create_index.body = {
-        index: {
-          number_of_shards:   configuration.elasticsearch_number_of_shards,
-          number_of_replicas: 0,
-          refresh_interval:   -1
-        }
-      }.to_json # TODO: index settings
+      create_index_request = http_put("/#{elasticsearch_index_name}")
+      payload = {
+        settings: configuration.elasticsearch_settings,
+      }
+
+      if configuration.elasticsearch_mapping
+        payload['mappings'] = {}
+        payload['mappings'].store(configuration.elasticsearch_default_type, configuration.elasticsearch_mapping)
+      end
+
+      json_payload = payload.to_json
+
+      create_index_request.body = json_payload
 
       http_start do |http|
-        http.request(create_index)
+        http.request(create_index_request)
       end
-
-      # TODO: mapping?
     end
 
     def http_put(path)