diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index c244e651..fc0459db 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -869,6 +869,7 @@ dependencies = [
  "tempfile",
  "tokio",
  "toml",
+ "topological-sort",
  "walkdir",
  "warp",
 ]
@@ -1775,6 +1776,12 @@ dependencies = [
  "serde",
 ]
 
+[[package]]
+name = "topological-sort"
+version = "0.1.0"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "aa7c7f42dea4b1b99439786f5633aeb9c14c1b53f75e282803c2ec2ad545873c"
+
 [[package]]
 name = "tower-service"
 version = "0.3.1"
diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 045c66b9..a6ab6c86 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ serde_json = "1.0"
 shlex = "1"
 tempfile = "3.0"
 toml = "0.5.1"
+topological-sort = "0.1.0"
 
 # Watch feature
 notify = { version = "4.0", optional = true }
diff --git a/guide/src/format/configuration/preprocessors.md b/guide/src/format/configuration/preprocessors.md
index be614cac..8d3e1dc6 100644
--- a/guide/src/format/configuration/preprocessors.md
+++ b/guide/src/format/configuration/preprocessors.md
@@ -56,3 +56,25 @@ be overridden by adding a `command` field.
 [preprocessor.random]
 command = "python random.py"
 ```
+
+### Require A Certain Order
+
+The order in which preprocessors are run can be controlled with the `before` and `after` fields.
+For example, suppose you want your `linenos` preprocessor to process lines that may have been `{{#include}}`d; then you want it to run after the built-in `links` preprocessor, which you can require using either the `before` or `after` field:
+
+```toml
+[preprocessor.linenos]
+after = [ "links" ]
+```
+
+or
+
+```toml
+[preprocessor.links]
+before = [ "linenos" ]
+```
+
+It would also be possible, though redundant, to specify both of the above in the same config file.
+
+Preprocessors having the same priority specified through `before` and `after` are sorted by name.
+Any infinite loops will be detected and produce an error.
diff --git a/src/book/mod.rs b/src/book/mod.rs
index 7f1159b4..df140797 100644
--- a/src/book/mod.rs
+++ b/src/book/mod.rs
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ use std::process::Command;
 use std::string::ToString;
 use tempfile::Builder as TempFileBuilder;
 use toml::Value;
+use topological_sort::TopologicalSort;
 
 use crate::errors::*;
 use crate::preprocess::{
@@ -372,12 +373,7 @@ fn determine_renderers(config: &Config) -> Vec<Box<dyn Renderer>> {
     renderers
 }
 
-fn default_preprocessors() -> Vec<Box<dyn Preprocessor>> {
-    vec![
-        Box::new(LinkPreprocessor::new()),
-        Box::new(IndexPreprocessor::new()),
-    ]
-}
+const DEFAULT_PREPROCESSORS: &[&'static str] = &["links", "index"];
 
 fn is_default_preprocessor(pre: &dyn Preprocessor) -> bool {
     let name = pre.name();
@@ -386,36 +382,127 @@ fn is_default_preprocessor(pre: &dyn Preprocessor) -> bool {
 
 /// Look at the `MDBook` and try to figure out what preprocessors to run.
 fn determine_preprocessors(config: &Config) -> Result<Vec<Box<dyn Preprocessor>>> {
-    let mut preprocessors = Vec::new();
+    // Collect the names of all preprocessors intended to be run, and the order
+    // in which they should be run.
+    let mut preprocessor_names = TopologicalSort::<String>::new();
 
     if config.build.use_default_preprocessors {
-        preprocessors.extend(default_preprocessors());
+        for name in DEFAULT_PREPROCESSORS {
+            preprocessor_names.insert(name.to_string());
+        }
     }
 
     if let Some(preprocessor_table) = config.get("preprocessor").and_then(Value::as_table) {
-        for key in preprocessor_table.keys() {
-            match key.as_ref() {
-                "links" => preprocessors.push(Box::new(LinkPreprocessor::new())),
-                "index" => preprocessors.push(Box::new(IndexPreprocessor::new())),
-                name => preprocessors.push(interpret_custom_preprocessor(
-                    name,
-                    &preprocessor_table[name],
-                )),
+        for (name, table) in preprocessor_table.iter() {
+            preprocessor_names.insert(name.to_string());
+
+            let exists = |name| {
+                (config.build.use_default_preprocessors && DEFAULT_PREPROCESSORS.contains(&name))
+                    || preprocessor_table.contains_key(name)
+            };
+
+            if let Some(before) = table.get("before") {
+                let before = before.as_array().ok_or_else(|| {
+                    Error::msg(format!(
+                        "Expected preprocessor.{}.before to be an array",
+                        name
+                    ))
+                })?;
+                for after in before {
+                    let after = after.as_str().ok_or_else(|| {
+                        Error::msg(format!(
+                            "Expected preprocessor.{}.before to contain strings",
+                            name
+                        ))
+                    })?;
+
+                    if !exists(after) {
+                        // Only warn so that preprocessors can be toggled on and off (e.g. for
+                        // troubleshooting) without having to worry about order too much.
+                        warn!(
+                            "preprocessor.{}.after contains \"{}\", which was not found",
+                            name, after
+                        );
+                    } else {
+                        preprocessor_names.add_dependency(name, after);
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+
+            if let Some(after) = table.get("after") {
+                let after = after.as_array().ok_or_else(|| {
+                    Error::msg(format!(
+                        "Expected preprocessor.{}.after to be an array",
+                        name
+                    ))
+                })?;
+                for before in after {
+                    let before = before.as_str().ok_or_else(|| {
+                        Error::msg(format!(
+                            "Expected preprocessor.{}.after to contain strings",
+                            name
+                        ))
+                    })?;
+
+                    if !exists(before) {
+                        // See equivalent warning above for rationale
+                        warn!(
+                            "preprocessor.{}.before contains \"{}\", which was not found",
+                            name, before
+                        );
+                    } else {
+                        preprocessor_names.add_dependency(before, name);
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
 
-    Ok(preprocessors)
+    // Now that all links have been established, queue preprocessors in a suitable order
+    let mut preprocessors = Vec::with_capacity(preprocessor_names.len());
+    // `pop_all()` returns an empty vector when no more items are not being depended upon
+    for mut names in std::iter::repeat_with(|| preprocessor_names.pop_all())
+        .take_while(|names| !names.is_empty())
+    {
+        // The `topological_sort` crate does not guarantee a stable order for ties, even across
+        // runs of the same program. Thus, we break ties manually by sorting.
+        // Careful: `str`'s default sorting, which we are implicitly invoking here, uses code point
+        // values ([1]), which may not be an alphabetical sort.
+        // As mentioned in [1], doing so depends on locale, which is not desirable for deciding
+        // preprocessor execution order.
+        // [1]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/stable/std/cmp/trait.Ord.html#impl-Ord-14
+        names.sort();
+        for name in names {
+            let preprocessor: Box<dyn Preprocessor> = match name.as_str() {
+                "links" => Box::new(LinkPreprocessor::new()),
+                "index" => Box::new(IndexPreprocessor::new()),
+                _ => {
+                    // The only way to request a custom preprocessor is through the `preprocessor`
+                    // table, so it must exist, be a table, and contain the key.
+                    let table = &config.get("preprocessor").unwrap().as_table().unwrap()[&name];
+                    let command = get_custom_preprocessor_cmd(&name, table);
+                    Box::new(CmdPreprocessor::new(name, command))
+                }
+            };
+            preprocessors.push(preprocessor);
+        }
+    }
+
+    // "If `pop_all` returns an empty vector and `len` is not 0, there are cyclic dependencies."
+    // Normally, `len() == 0` is equivalent to `is_empty()`, so we'll use that.
+    if preprocessor_names.is_empty() {
+        Ok(preprocessors)
+    } else {
+        Err(Error::msg("Cyclic dependency detected in preprocessors"))
+    }
 }
 
-fn interpret_custom_preprocessor(key: &str, table: &Value) -> Box<CmdPreprocessor> {
-    let command = table
+fn get_custom_preprocessor_cmd(key: &str, table: &Value) -> String {
+    table
         .get("command")
         .and_then(Value::as_str)
         .map(ToString::to_string)
-        .unwrap_or_else(|| format!("mdbook-{}", key));
-
-    Box::new(CmdPreprocessor::new(key.to_string(), command))
+        .unwrap_or_else(|| format!("mdbook-{}", key))
 }
 
 fn interpret_custom_renderer(key: &str, table: &Value) -> Box<CmdRenderer> {
@@ -515,8 +602,8 @@ mod tests {
 
         assert!(got.is_ok());
         assert_eq!(got.as_ref().unwrap().len(), 2);
-        assert_eq!(got.as_ref().unwrap()[0].name(), "links");
-        assert_eq!(got.as_ref().unwrap()[1].name(), "index");
+        assert_eq!(got.as_ref().unwrap()[0].name(), "index");
+        assert_eq!(got.as_ref().unwrap()[1].name(), "links");
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -563,9 +650,123 @@ mod tests {
 
         // make sure the `preprocessor.random` table exists
         let random = cfg.get_preprocessor("random").unwrap();
-        let random = interpret_custom_preprocessor("random", &Value::Table(random.clone()));
+        let random = get_custom_preprocessor_cmd("random", &Value::Table(random.clone()));
 
-        assert_eq!(random.cmd(), "python random.py");
+        assert_eq!(random, "python random.py");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn preprocessor_before_must_be_array() {
+        let cfg_str = r#"
+        [preprocessor.random]
+        before = 0
+        "#;
+
+        let cfg = Config::from_str(cfg_str).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(determine_preprocessors(&cfg).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn preprocessor_after_must_be_array() {
+        let cfg_str = r#"
+        [preprocessor.random]
+        after = 0
+        "#;
+
+        let cfg = Config::from_str(cfg_str).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(determine_preprocessors(&cfg).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn preprocessor_order_is_honored() {
+        let cfg_str = r#"
+        [preprocessor.random]
+        before = [ "last" ]
+        after = [ "index" ]
+
+        [preprocessor.last]
+        after = [ "links", "index" ]
+        "#;
+
+        let cfg = Config::from_str(cfg_str).unwrap();
+
+        let preprocessors = determine_preprocessors(&cfg).unwrap();
+        let index = |name| {
+            preprocessors
+                .iter()
+                .enumerate()
+                .find(|(_, preprocessor)| preprocessor.name() == name)
+                .unwrap()
+                .0
+        };
+        let assert_before = |before, after| {
+            if index(before) >= index(after) {
+                eprintln!("Preprocessor order:");
+                for preprocessor in &preprocessors {
+                    eprintln!("  {}", preprocessor.name());
+                }
+                panic!("{} should come before {}", before, after);
+            }
+        };
+
+        assert_before("index", "random");
+        assert_before("index", "last");
+        assert_before("random", "last");
+        assert_before("links", "last");
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn cyclic_dependencies_are_detected() {
+        let cfg_str = r#"
+        [preprocessor.links]
+        before = [ "index" ]
+
+        [preprocessor.index]
+        before = [ "links" ]
+        "#;
+
+        let cfg = Config::from_str(cfg_str).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(determine_preprocessors(&cfg).is_err());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn dependencies_dont_register_undefined_preprocessors() {
+        let cfg_str = r#"
+        [preprocessor.links]
+        before = [ "random" ]
+        "#;
+
+        let cfg = Config::from_str(cfg_str).unwrap();
+
+        let preprocessors = determine_preprocessors(&cfg).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(preprocessors
+            .iter()
+            .find(|preprocessor| preprocessor.name() == "random")
+            .is_none());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn dependencies_dont_register_builtin_preprocessors_if_disabled() {
+        let cfg_str = r#"
+        [preprocessor.random]
+        before = [ "links" ]
+
+        [build]
+        use-default-preprocessors = false
+        "#;
+
+        let cfg = Config::from_str(cfg_str).unwrap();
+
+        let preprocessors = determine_preprocessors(&cfg).unwrap();
+
+        assert!(preprocessors
+            .iter()
+            .find(|preprocessor| preprocessor.name() == "links")
+            .is_none());
     }
 
     #[test]