diff --git a/src/config.ts b/src/config.ts
index dbb180d..1c49d16 100644
--- a/src/config.ts
+++ b/src/config.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,9 @@ export interface EtaConfig {
 
   /** Directory that contains templates */
   views?: string;
+
+  /** Control template file extension defaults. Default `.eta` */
+  defaultExtension?: string;
 }
 
 /* END TYPES */
@@ -95,6 +98,7 @@ const defaultConfig: EtaConfig = {
   tags: ["<%", "%>"],
   useWith: false,
   varName: "it",
+  defaultExtension: ".eta",
 };
 
 export { defaultConfig };
diff --git a/src/file-handling.ts b/src/file-handling.ts
index 816aa36..4508bee 100644
--- a/src/file-handling.ts
+++ b/src/file-handling.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export function resolvePath(
   }
 
   const baseFilePath = options && options.filepath;
+  const defaultExtension = this.config.defaultExtension === undefined ? ".eta" : this.config.defaultExtension;
 
   // how we index cached template paths
   const cacheIndex = JSON.stringify({
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ export function resolvePath(
     views: this.config.views,
   });
 
-  templatePath += path.extname(templatePath) ? "" : ".eta";
+  templatePath += path.extname(templatePath) ? "" : defaultExtension; 
 
   // if the file was included from another template
   if (baseFilePath) {
diff --git a/test/file-handling.spec.ts b/test/file-handling.spec.ts
index 9421c44..66ae623 100644
--- a/test/file-handling.spec.ts
+++ b/test/file-handling.spec.ts
@@ -68,3 +68,21 @@ describe("file handling errors", () => {
     }).toThrow();
   });
 });
+
+describe("filepath default extension tests", () => {
+  console.log("Templates are in ", viewsDir) 
+
+  it("works with defaultExtension", async () => {
+    const eta = new Eta({ views: viewsDir, cache: true, defaultExtension: ".tmpl" });
+    const templateResult = await eta.render("template-extn", { name: "TMPL Run" });
+
+    expect(templateResult).toEqual(`Hi TMPL Run`);
+  });
+
+  it("works with no extension", async () => {
+    const eta = new Eta({ views: viewsDir, cache: true, defaultExtension: "" });
+    const templateResult = await eta.render("template-without-extn", { name: "TMPL Run" });
+    
+    expect(templateResult).toEqual(`Hi TMPL Run`);
+  });
+})
diff --git a/test/templates/template-extn.tmpl b/test/templates/template-extn.tmpl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d352ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/templates/template-extn.tmpl
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hi <%= it.name %>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/templates/template-without-extn b/test/templates/template-without-extn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d352ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/templates/template-without-extn
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Hi <%= it.name %>
\ No newline at end of file