diff --git a/doc/syntastic.txt b/doc/syntastic.txt
index 6e005a71..5a43f6bf 100644
--- a/doc/syntastic.txt
+++ b/doc/syntastic.txt
@@ -264,6 +264,15 @@ patterns. >
     let g:syntastic_ignore_files=['^/usr/include/', '\c\.h$']
 <
 
+                                                    *'syntastic_filetype_map'*
+Default: {}
+Use this option to map non-standard filetypes to standard ones.  Corresponding
+checkers are mapped accordingly, which allows syntastic to check files with
+non-standard filetypes: >
+    let g:syntastic_filetype_map = { 'latex': 'tex',
+                                   \ 'gentoo-metadata': 'xml' }
+<
+
                                                         *'syntastic_mode_map'*
 Default: { "mode": "active",
            "active_filetypes": [],
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index a03a5aed..3e7aba55 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -52,6 +52,10 @@ if !exists("g:syntastic_ignore_files")
     let g:syntastic_ignore_files = []
 endif
 
+if !exists("g:syntastic_filetype_map")
+    let g:syntastic_filetype_map = {}
+endif
+
 let s:registry = g:SyntasticRegistry.Instance()
 let s:notifiers = g:SyntasticNotifiers.New()
 let s:modemap = g:SyntasticModeMap.Instance()
@@ -69,7 +73,7 @@ endfunction
 command! SyntasticToggleMode call s:ToggleMode()
 command! -nargs=? -complete=custom,s:CompleteCheckerName SyntasticCheck call s:UpdateErrors(0, <f-args>) <bar> call s:Redraw()
 command! Errors call s:ShowLocList()
-command! SyntasticInfo call s:registry.echoInfoFor(&ft)
+command! SyntasticInfo call s:registry.echoInfoFor(&filetype)
 
 highlight link SyntasticError SpellBad
 highlight link SyntasticWarning SpellCap
@@ -148,10 +152,7 @@ function! s:ClearCache()
 endfunction
 
 function! s:CurrentFiletypes()
-    "sub - for _ in filetypes otherwise we cant name syntax checker
-    "functions legally for filetypes like "gentoo-metadata"
-    let fts = substitute(&ft, '-', '_', 'g')
-    return split(fts, '\.')
+    return split(&filetype, '\.')
 endfunction
 
 "detect and cache all syntax errors in this buffer
@@ -386,4 +387,12 @@ function! SyntasticAddToErrors(errors, options)
     return a:errors
 endfunction
 
+"resolve filetype aliases, and replace - with _ otherwise we cant name
+"syntax checker functions legally for filetypes like "gentoo-metadata"
+function! SyntasticNormalizeFiletype(ftalias)
+    let ft = get(g:syntastic_filetype_map, a:ftalias, a:ftalias)
+    let ft = substitute(ft, '-', '_', 'g')
+    return ft
+endfunction
+
 " vim: set et sts=4 sw=4:
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic/makeprg_builder.vim b/plugin/syntastic/makeprg_builder.vim
index 9f6a90f1..cc861e76 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic/makeprg_builder.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic/makeprg_builder.vim
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ function! g:SyntasticMakeprgBuilder._optExists(name)
 endfunction
 
 function! g:SyntasticMakeprgBuilder._optName(name)
-    let setting = "g:syntastic_" . &ft
+    let setting = "g:syntastic_" . SyntasticNormalizeFiletype(&filetype)
     if !empty(self._subchecker)
         let setting .= '_' . self._subchecker
     endif
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic/registry.vim b/plugin/syntastic/registry.vim
index 07495f08..b026fc33 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic/registry.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic/registry.vim
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ let s:defaultCheckers = {
 
 let g:SyntasticRegistry = {}
 
+" TODO: Handling of filetype aliases: all public methods take aliases as
+" parameters, all private methods take normalized filetypes.  Public methods
+" are thus supposed to normalize filetypes before calling private methods.
+
 " Public methods {{{1
 
 function! g:SyntasticRegistry.Instance()
@@ -49,22 +53,23 @@ function! g:SyntasticRegistry.registerChecker(checker) abort
     call add(self._checkerMap[ft], a:checker)
 endfunction
 
-function! g:SyntasticRegistry.checkable(filetype)
-    return !empty(self.getActiveCheckers(a:filetype))
+function! g:SyntasticRegistry.checkable(ftalias)
+    return !empty(self.getActiveCheckers(a:ftalias))
 endfunction
 
-function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getActiveCheckers(filetype)
-    let checkers = self.availableCheckersFor(a:filetype)
+function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getActiveCheckers(ftalias)
+    let filetype = SyntasticNormalizeFiletype(a:ftalias)
+    let checkers = self.availableCheckersFor(filetype)
 
-    if self._userHasFiletypeSettings(a:filetype)
-        return self._filterCheckersByUserSettings(checkers, a:filetype)
+    if self._userHasFiletypeSettings(filetype)
+        return self._filterCheckersByUserSettings(checkers, filetype)
     endif
 
-    if has_key(s:defaultCheckers, a:filetype)
-        return self._filterCheckersByDefaultSettings(checkers, a:filetype)
+    if has_key(s:defaultCheckers, filetype)
+        return self._filterCheckersByDefaultSettings(checkers, filetype)
     endif
 
-    let checkers = self.availableCheckersFor(a:filetype)
+    let checkers = self.availableCheckersFor(filetype)
 
     if !empty(checkers)
         return [checkers[0]]
@@ -73,13 +78,13 @@ function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getActiveCheckers(filetype)
     return []
 endfunction
 
-function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getActiveCheckerNames(filetype)
-    let checkers = self.getActiveCheckers(a:filetype)
+function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getActiveCheckerNames(ftalias)
+    let checkers = self.getActiveCheckers(a:ftalias)
     return join(map(checkers, 'v:val.name()'))
 endfunction
 
-function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getChecker(filetype, name)
-    for checker in self.availableCheckersFor(a:filetype)
+function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getChecker(ftalias, name)
+    for checker in self.availableCheckersFor(a:ftalias)
         if checker.name() == a:name
             return checker
         endif
@@ -88,18 +93,19 @@ function! g:SyntasticRegistry.getChecker(filetype, name)
     return {}
 endfunction
 
-function! g:SyntasticRegistry.availableCheckersFor(filetype)
-    let checkers = copy(self._allCheckersFor(a:filetype))
+function! g:SyntasticRegistry.availableCheckersFor(ftalias)
+    let filetype = SyntasticNormalizeFiletype(a:ftalias)
+    let checkers = copy(self._allCheckersFor(filetype))
     return self._filterCheckersByAvailability(checkers)
 endfunction
 
-function! g:SyntasticRegistry.echoInfoFor(filetype)
-    echomsg "Syntastic info for filetype: " . a:filetype
+function! g:SyntasticRegistry.echoInfoFor(ftalias)
+    echomsg "Syntastic info for filetype: " . a:ftalias
 
-    let available = self.availableCheckersFor(a:filetype)
+    let available = self.availableCheckersFor(a:ftalias)
     echomsg "Available checkers: " . join(map(available, "v:val.name()"))
 
-    echomsg "Currently active checker(s): " . self.getActiveCheckerNames(a:filetype)
+    echomsg "Currently active checker(s): " . self.getActiveCheckerNames(a:ftalias)
 endfunction
 
 " Private methods {{{1