diff --git a/lib/app/App.vue b/lib/app/App.vue
index 25fab4ce30..b3ecb7b7af 100644
--- a/lib/app/App.vue
+++ b/lib/app/App.vue
@@ -1,5 +1,28 @@
 <template>
   <nuxt-container>
-    <nuxt/>
+    <component :is="layout"></component>
   </nuxt-container>
 </template>
+
+<script>
+let layouts = {
+<%
+var layoutsKeys = Object.keys(layouts);
+layoutsKeys.forEach(function (key, i) { %>
+  _<%= key %>: require('<%= layouts[key] %>')<%= (i + 1) < layoutsKeys.length ? ',' : '' %>
+<% }) %>
+}
+
+export default {
+  data () {
+    return { layout: layouts._default }
+  },
+  methods: {
+    setLayout (layout) {
+      if (!layout || !layouts['_' + layout]) layout = 'default'
+      this.layout = layouts['_' + layout]
+      return layout
+    }
+  }
+}
+</script>
diff --git a/lib/app/client.js b/lib/app/client.js
index 8f01a7dd13..7e1c226ad1 100644
--- a/lib/app/client.js
+++ b/lib/app/client.js
@@ -66,17 +66,20 @@ function render (to, from, next) {
     if (!Component._data) {
       Component._data = Component.options.data || noopData
     }
-    if (Component._Ctor && Component._Ctor.options && Component._dataFn) {
+    if (Component._Ctor && Component._Ctor.options) {
       Component.options.fetch = Component._Ctor.options.fetch
-      const originalDataFn = Component._data.toString().replace(/\s/g, '')
-      const dataFn = Component._dataFn
-      const newDataFn = (Component._Ctor.options.data || noopData).toString().replace(/\s/g, '')
-      // If component data method changed
-      if (newDataFn !== originalDataFn && newDataFn !== dataFn) {
-        Component._data = Component._Ctor.options.data || noopData
+      if (Component._dataFn) {
+        const originalDataFn = Component._data.toString().replace(/\s/g, '')
+        const dataFn = Component._dataFn
+        const newDataFn = (Component._Ctor.options.data || noopData).toString().replace(/\s/g, '')
+        // If component data method changed
+        if (newDataFn !== originalDataFn && newDataFn !== dataFn) {
+          Component._data = Component._Ctor.options.data || noopData
+        }
       }
     }
   })
+  this.setLayout(Components[0].options.layout)
   this.setTransitions(mapTransitions(Components, to, from))
   this.error()
   let nextCalled = false
@@ -172,6 +175,7 @@ function hotReloadAPI (_app) {
       Component = Vue.extend(Component)
       Component._Ctor = Component
     }
+    _app.setLayout(Component.options.layout)
     let promises = []
     const next = function (path) {
       <%= (loading ? 'this.$loading.finish && this.$loading.finish()' : '') %>
@@ -281,6 +285,9 @@ Promise.all(resolveComponents)
     store.replaceState(NUXT.state)
   }
   <% } %>
+  if (Components.length) {
+    _app.setLayout(Components[0].options.layout)
+  }
   _app.setTransitions = _app.$options._nuxt.setTransitions.bind(_app)
   if (Components.length) {
     _app.setTransitions(mapTransitions(Components, router.currentRoute))
diff --git a/lib/app/components/nuxt.vue b/lib/app/components/nuxt.vue
index 743984a1b7..759103073a 100644
--- a/lib/app/components/nuxt.vue
+++ b/lib/app/components/nuxt.vue
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ export default {
     Vue.prototype.$nuxt = this
     // Add this.$root.$nuxt
     this.$root.$nuxt = this
+    // Bind $nuxt.setLayout(layout) to $root.setLayout
+    this.setLayout = this.$root.setLayout.bind(this.$root)
     // add to window so we can listen when ready
     if (typeof window !== 'undefined') {
       window.$nuxt = this
diff --git a/lib/app/layouts/default.vue b/lib/app/layouts/default.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..2cc8469e52
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/app/layouts/default.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<template>
+  <nuxt/>
+</template>
diff --git a/lib/app/server.js b/lib/app/server.js
index c458729d5d..2846e56716 100644
--- a/lib/app/server.js
+++ b/lib/app/server.js
@@ -73,6 +73,10 @@ export default context => {
       }
       return Component
     })
+    // Set layout
+    if (Components.length && Components[0].options.layout) {
+      _app.setLayout(Components[0].options.layout)
+    }
     // Call .validate()
     let isValid = true
     Components.forEach((Component) => {
diff --git a/lib/build/index.js b/lib/build/index.js
index 8d47588799..7d9eca8fff 100644
--- a/lib/build/index.js
+++ b/lib/build/index.js
@@ -132,6 +132,14 @@ function * buildFiles () {
 
 function * generateRoutesAndFiles () {
   debug('Generating routes...')
+  // Layouts
+  let layouts = {}
+  const layoutsFiles = yield glob('layouts/*.vue', { cwd: this.srcDir })
+  layoutsFiles.forEach((file) => {
+    let name = file.split('/').slice(-1)[0].replace('.vue', '')
+    if (name === 'error') return
+    layouts[name] = r(this.srcDir, file)
+  })
   // Generate routes based on files
   const files = yield glob('pages/**/*.vue', { cwd: this.srcDir })
   this.routes = _.uniq(_.map(files, (file) => {
@@ -165,6 +173,7 @@ function * generateRoutesAndFiles () {
     css: this.options.css,
     plugins: this.options.plugins.map((p) => r(this.srcDir, p)),
     appPath: './App.vue',
+    layouts: layouts,
     loading: (typeof this.options.loading === 'string' ? r(this.srcDir, this.options.loading) : this.options.loading),
     transition: this.options.transition,
     components: {
@@ -174,12 +183,15 @@ function * generateRoutesAndFiles () {
   }
   // Format routes for the lib/app/router.js template
   templateVars.router.routes = createRoutes(files, this.srcDir)
-  if (fs.existsSync(join(this.srcDir, 'layouts', 'app.vue'))) {
-    templateVars.appPath = r(this.srcDir, 'layouts/app.vue')
-  }
-  if (fs.existsSync(join(this.srcDir, 'layouts', 'error.vue'))) {
+  if (layoutsFiles.includes('layouts/error.vue')) {
     templateVars.components.ErrorPage = r(this.srcDir, 'layouts/error.vue')
   }
+  // If no default layout, create its folder and add the default folder
+  if (!layouts.default) {
+    yield mkdirp(r(this.dir, '.nuxt/layouts'))
+    templatesFiles.push('layouts/default.vue')
+    layouts.default = r(__dirname, 'app', 'layouts', 'default.vue')
+  }
   let moveTemplates = templatesFiles.map((file) => {
     return readFile(r(__dirname, 'app', file), 'utf8')
     .then((fileContent) => {