diff --git a/django/template/loader_tags.py b/django/template/loader_tags.py
index e329b1bb36f..0e11b12c215 100644
--- a/django/template/loader_tags.py
+++ b/django/template/loader_tags.py
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ def do_block(parser, token):
         parser.__loaded_blocks.append(block_name)
     except AttributeError: # parser.__loaded_blocks isn't a list yet
         parser.__loaded_blocks = [block_name]
-    nodelist = parser.parse(('endblock',))
+    nodelist = parser.parse(('endblock','endblock %s' % block_name))
     parser.delete_first_token()
     return BlockNode(block_name, nodelist)
 
diff --git a/docs/templates.txt b/docs/templates.txt
index a3d60c54008..9b3825f9f71 100644
--- a/docs/templates.txt
+++ b/docs/templates.txt
@@ -253,6 +253,11 @@ Here are some tips for working with inheritance:
       if you want to add to the contents of a parent block instead of
       completely overriding it.
 
+    * You can optionally name your ``{{ endblock }}`` tag with the same name
+      you gave the ``{{ block }}`` tag (for example, ``{{ endblock content }}``).
+      In larger templates this helps you see which ``{{ block }}`` tags are
+      being closed.
+
 Finally, note that you can't define multiple ``{% block %}`` tags with the same
 name in the same template. This limitation exists because a block tag works in
 "both" directions. That is, a block tag doesn't just provide a hole to fill --
diff --git a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
index 0a41f5b5b7b..620825b254e 100644
--- a/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
+++ b/tests/regressiontests/templates/tests.py
@@ -390,6 +390,21 @@ class Templates(unittest.TestCase):
             'include03': ('{% include template_name %}', {'template_name': 'basic-syntax02', 'headline': 'Included'}, "Included"),
             'include04': ('a{% include "nonexistent" %}b', {}, "ab"),
 
+            ### NAMED ENDBLOCKS #######################################################
+
+            # Basic test
+            'namedendblocks01': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock second %}_{% endblock first %}3", {}, '1_2_3'),
+
+            # Unbalanced blocks
+            'namedendblocks02': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock first %}_{% endblock %}3", {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
+            'namedendblocks03': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock %}_{% endblock second %}3", {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
+            'namedendblocks04': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock second %}_{% endblock third %}3", {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
+            'namedendblocks05': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock first %}", {}, template.TemplateSyntaxError),
+
+            # Mixed named and unnamed endblocks
+            'namedendblocks06': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock %}_{% endblock first %}3", {}, '1_2_3'),
+            'namedendblocks07': ("1{% block first %}_{% block second %}2{% endblock second %}_{% endblock %}3", {}, '1_2_3'),
+
             ### INHERITANCE ###########################################################
 
             # Standard template with no inheritance