diff --git a/hugolib/page.go b/hugolib/page.go
index 322660647..458b96b28 100644
--- a/hugolib/page.go
+++ b/hugolib/page.go
@@ -405,12 +405,26 @@ func (p *Page) createLayoutDescriptor() output.LayoutDescriptor {
 	default:
 	}
 
+	var typeCurrentSection string
+	var typeRootSection string
+	curr := p.CurrentSection()
+	// Make sure we use the contentType only. This is the value from front matter.
+	if curr != nil {
+		typeCurrentSection = curr.contentType
+	}
+	first := p.FirstSection()
+	if first != nil {
+		typeRootSection = first.contentType
+	}
+
 	return output.LayoutDescriptor{
-		Kind:    p.Kind,
-		Type:    p.Type(),
-		Lang:    p.Lang(),
-		Layout:  p.Layout,
-		Section: section,
+		Kind:               p.Kind,
+		Type:               p.Type(),
+		Lang:               p.Lang(),
+		Layout:             p.Layout,
+		Section:            section,
+		TypeCurrentSection: typeCurrentSection,
+		TypeFirstSection:   typeRootSection,
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/hugolib/site_sections.go b/hugolib/site_sections.go
index c8bca03e3..2537b5d24 100644
--- a/hugolib/site_sections.go
+++ b/hugolib/site_sections.go
@@ -58,6 +58,29 @@ func (p *Page) CurrentSection() *Page {
 	return v.parent
 }
 
+// FirstSection returns the section on level 1 below home, e.g. "/docs".
+// For the home page, this will return itself.
+func (p *Page) FirstSection() *Page {
+	v := p
+	if v.origOnCopy != nil {
+		v = v.origOnCopy
+	}
+
+	if v.parent == nil || v.parent.IsHome() {
+		return v
+	}
+
+	parent := v.parent
+	for {
+		current := parent
+		parent = parent.parent
+		if parent == nil || parent.IsHome() {
+			return current
+		}
+	}
+
+}
+
 // InSection returns whether the given page is in the current section.
 // Note that this will always return false for pages that are
 // not either regular, home or section pages.
diff --git a/hugolib/site_sections_test.go b/hugolib/site_sections_test.go
index a1b80407c..9a75f65f9 100644
--- a/hugolib/site_sections_test.go
+++ b/hugolib/site_sections_test.go
@@ -176,6 +176,8 @@ PAG|{{ .Title }}|{{ $sect.InSection . }}
 			active, err := home.InSection(home)
 			assert.NoError(err)
 			assert.True(active)
+			assert.Equal(p, p.FirstSection())
+
 		}},
 		{"l1", func(p *Page) {
 			assert.Equal("L1s", p.title)
@@ -250,6 +252,8 @@ PAG|{{ .Title }}|{{ $sect.InSection . }}
 			assert.NoError(err)
 			assert.False(isAncestor)
 
+			assert.Equal(l1, p.FirstSection())
+
 		}},
 		{"perm a,link", func(p *Page) {
 			assert.Equal("T9_-1", p.title)
diff --git a/output/layout.go b/output/layout.go
index f83490d81..2483093b0 100644
--- a/output/layout.go
+++ b/output/layout.go
@@ -35,6 +35,12 @@ type LayoutDescriptor struct {
 	Kind    string
 	Lang    string
 	Layout  string
+
+	// Any potential type set in the page's current section and the root section
+	// it lives in.
+	TypeFirstSection    string
+	TypeCurrentSection string
+
 	// LayoutOverride indicates what we should only look for the above layout.
 	LayoutOverride bool
 }
@@ -127,6 +133,14 @@ func resolvePageTemplate(d LayoutDescriptor, f Format) []string {
 		b.addTypeVariations(d.Type)
 	}
 
+	if d.TypeCurrentSection != "" {
+		b.addTypeVariations(d.TypeCurrentSection)
+	}
+
+	if d.TypeFirstSection != "" {
+		b.addTypeVariations(d.TypeFirstSection)
+	}
+
 	switch d.Kind {
 	case "page":
 		b.addLayoutVariations("single")
diff --git a/output/layout_test.go b/output/layout_test.go
index 4b958e9ff..6754ddb39 100644
--- a/output/layout_test.go
+++ b/output/layout_test.go
@@ -90,8 +90,13 @@ func TestLayout(t *testing.T) {
 			[]string{"_default/mylayout.amp.html", "_default/single.amp.html", "_default/mylayout.html", "_default/single.html"}, 4},
 		{"Page with layout and type", LayoutDescriptor{Kind: "page", Layout: "mylayout", Type: "myttype"}, "", ampType,
 			[]string{"myttype/mylayout.amp.html", "myttype/single.amp.html", "myttype/mylayout.html"}, 8},
-		{"Page with layout and type with subtype", LayoutDescriptor{Kind: "page", Layout: "mylayout", Type: "myttype/mysubtype"}, "", ampType,
-			[]string{"myttype/mysubtype/mylayout.amp.html", "myttype/mysubtype/single.amp.html", "myttype/mysubtype/mylayout.html"}, 8},
+		{"Page with layout and type with subtype", LayoutDescriptor{Kind: "page", Layout: "mylayout", Type: "myttype/mysubtype", TypeCurrentSection: "cst"}, "", ampType,
+			[]string{"myttype/mysubtype/mylayout.amp.html", "myttype/mysubtype/single.amp.html", "myttype/mysubtype/mylayout.html"}, 12},
+		{"Page with type in section", LayoutDescriptor{Kind: "page", TypeCurrentSection: "cst"}, "", ampType,
+			[]string{"cst/single.amp.html", "cst/single.html", "_default/single.amp.html", "_default/single.html"}, 4},
+		{"Page with type in root section", LayoutDescriptor{Kind: "page", TypeFirstSection: "cst"}, "", ampType,
+			[]string{"cst/single.amp.html", "cst/single.html", "_default/single.amp.html", "_default/single.html"}, 4},
+
 		// RSS
 		{"RSS Home", LayoutDescriptor{Kind: "home"}, "", RSSFormat,
 			[]string{"index.rss.xml", "home.rss.xml", "rss.xml"}, 15},