diff --git a/docs/content/templates/sitemap.md b/docs/content/templates/sitemap.md
index 1ecbfb3be..c893f3155 100644
--- a/docs/content/templates/sitemap.md
+++ b/docs/content/templates/sitemap.md
@@ -31,16 +31,29 @@ one.
 
 ## Hugo’s sitemap.xml
 
-This template respects the version 0.9 of the [Sitemap
-Protocol](http://www.sitemaps.org/protocol.html).
+This template uses the version 0.9 of the [Sitemap
+Protocol](http://www.sitemaps.org/protocol.html) with Google's [hreflang
+attributes](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2620865?hl=en&topic=2370587&ctx=topic)
+for linking to translated content.
 
-    <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
+    <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
+      xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
       {{ range .Data.Pages }}
       <url>
         <loc>{{ .Permalink }}</loc>{{ if not .Lastmod.IsZero }}
         <lastmod>{{ safeHTML ( .Lastmod.Format "2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00" ) }}</lastmod>{{ end }}{{ with .Sitemap.ChangeFreq }}
         <changefreq>{{ . }}</changefreq>{{ end }}{{ if ge .Sitemap.Priority 0.0 }}
-        <priority>{{ .Sitemap.Priority }}</priority>{{ end }}
+        <priority>{{ .Sitemap.Priority }}</priority>{{ end }}{{ if .IsTranslated }}{{ range .Translations }}
+        <xhtml:link
+                    rel="alternate"
+                    hreflang="{{ .Lang }}"
+                    href="{{ .Permalink }}"
+                    />{{ end }}
+        <xhtml:link
+                    rel="alternate"
+                    hreflang="{{ .Lang }}"
+                    href="{{ .Permalink }}"
+                    />{{ end }}
       </url>
       {{ end }}
     </urlset>
diff --git a/tpl/tplimpl/template_embedded.go b/tpl/tplimpl/template_embedded.go
index 2d4769f78..c02e6569a 100644
--- a/tpl/tplimpl/template_embedded.go
+++ b/tpl/tplimpl/template_embedded.go
@@ -87,13 +87,24 @@ func (t *templateHandler) embedTemplates() {
   </channel>
 </rss>`)
 
-	t.addInternalTemplate("_default", "sitemap.xml", `<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
+	t.addInternalTemplate("_default", "sitemap.xml", `<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
+  xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
   {{ range .Data.Pages }}
   <url>
     <loc>{{ .Permalink }}</loc>{{ if not .Lastmod.IsZero }}
     <lastmod>{{ safeHTML ( .Lastmod.Format "2006-01-02T15:04:05-07:00" ) }}</lastmod>{{ end }}{{ with .Sitemap.ChangeFreq }}
     <changefreq>{{ . }}</changefreq>{{ end }}{{ if ge .Sitemap.Priority 0.0 }}
-    <priority>{{ .Sitemap.Priority }}</priority>{{ end }}
+    <priority>{{ .Sitemap.Priority }}</priority>{{ end }}{{ if .IsTranslated }}{{ range .Translations }}
+    <xhtml:link
+                rel="alternate"
+                hreflang="{{ .Lang }}"
+                href="{{ .Permalink }}"
+                />{{ end }}
+    <xhtml:link
+                rel="alternate"
+                hreflang="{{ .Lang }}"
+                href="{{ .Permalink }}"
+                />{{ end }}
   </url>
   {{ end }}
 </urlset>`)