diff --git a/routers/api/v1/api.go b/routers/api/v1/api.go
index 53e61d333..78d2b8743 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/api.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/api.go
@@ -968,6 +968,7 @@ func Routes() *web.Route {
 				m.Group("/contents", func() {
 					m.Get("", repo.GetContentsList)
 					m.Get("/*", repo.GetContents)
+					m.Get("/readme", repo.GetReadmeContents)
 					m.Group("/*", func() {
 						m.Post("", bind(api.CreateFileOptions{}), repo.CreateFile)
 						m.Put("", bind(api.UpdateFileOptions{}), repo.UpdateFile)
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go
index db98955be..b14f582b7 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/file.go
@@ -596,3 +596,54 @@ func GetContentsList(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 	// same as GetContents(), this function is here because swagger fails if path is empty in GetContents() interface
 	GetContents(ctx)
 }
+
+// GetReadmeContents Get the metadata and contents (if a file) of an entry in a repository, or a list of entries if a dir
+func GetReadmeContents(ctx *context.APIContext) {
+	// swagger:operation GET /repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/readme repository repoGetReadmeContents
+	// ---
+	// summary: Gets the README.md's  contents (if a file) of an entry in a repository  ***
+	// produces:
+	// - application/json
+	// parameters:
+	// - name: owner
+	//   in: path
+	//   description: owner of the repo
+	//   type: string
+	//   required: true
+	// - name: repo
+	//   in: path
+	//   description: name of the repo
+	//   type: string
+	//   required: true
+	// - name: ref
+	//   in: query
+	//   description: "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default the repository’s default branch (usually master)"
+	//   type: string
+	//   required: false
+	// responses:
+	//   "200":
+	//     "$ref": "#/responses/ContentsResponse"
+	//   "404":
+	//     "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+
+	if !canReadFiles(ctx.Repo) {
+		ctx.Error(http.StatusInternalServerError, "GetContentsOrList", models.ErrUserDoesNotHaveAccessToRepo{
+			UserID:   ctx.User.ID,
+			RepoName: ctx.Repo.Repository.LowerName,
+		})
+		return
+	}
+
+	// treePath := ctx.Params("*")
+	ref := ctx.QueryTrim("ref")
+
+	if fileList, err := repofiles.GetContentsOrList(ctx.Repo.Repository, "README.md", ref); err != nil {
+		if git.IsErrNotExist(err) {
+			ctx.NotFound("GetContentsOrList", err)
+			return
+		}
+		ctx.Error(http.StatusInternalServerError, "GetContentsOrList", err)
+	} else {
+		ctx.JSON(http.StatusOK, fileList)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
index f66bec2c7..1986615c7 100644
--- a/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
+++ b/templates/swagger/v1_json.tmpl
@@ -3215,6 +3215,48 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/readme": {
+      "get": {
+        "produces": [
+          "application/json"
+        ],
+        "tags": [
+          "repository"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Gets the README.md's  contents (if a file) of an entry in a repository  ***",
+        "operationId": "repoGetReadmeContents",
+        "parameters": [
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "owner of the repo",
+            "name": "owner",
+            "in": "path",
+            "required": true
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "name of the repo",
+            "name": "repo",
+            "in": "path",
+            "required": true
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The name of the commit/branch/tag. Default the repository’s default branch (usually master)",
+            "name": "ref",
+            "in": "query"
+          }
+        ],
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "$ref": "#/responses/ContentsResponse"
+          },
+          "404": {
+            "$ref": "#/responses/notFound"
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
     "/repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/{filepath}": {
       "get": {
         "produces": [