diff --git a/README b/README
index f8a170d..71e0e7c 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -28,6 +28,11 @@ command script like this::
 
     django-startproject.py --template-dir=/your/custom/template project_name
 
+You can also clone a template directly from a repository (git, mercurial, bazaar)
+using `pip-like` syntax:
+
+    django-startproject.py --template-dir=git+git://repo/template.git project_name
+
 
 Specifying boilerplate variables
 --------------------------------
diff --git a/django_startproject/management.py b/django_startproject/management.py
index 3cfb0aa..de11ddd 100644
--- a/django_startproject/management.py
+++ b/django_startproject/management.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 from django_startproject import utils
 import optparse
 import os
+import shutil
+import subprocess
 import sys
 
 
@@ -11,12 +13,11 @@
 def start_project():
     """
     Copy a project template, replacing boilerplate variables.
- 
     """
     usage = "usage: %prog [options] project_name [base_destination_dir]"
     parser = optparse.OptionParser(usage=usage)
     parser.add_option('-t', '--template-dir', dest='src_dir',
-                      help='project template directory to use',
+                      help='project template directory or repository to use',
                       default=TEMPLATE_DIR)
     options, args = parser.parse_args()
     if len(args) not in (1, 2):
@@ -25,12 +26,25 @@ def start_project():
     project_name = args[0]
 
     src = options.src_dir
+
     if len(args) > 1:
         base_dest_dir = args[1]
     else:
         base_dest_dir = ''
     dest = os.path.join(base_dest_dir, project_name)
 
+    # Detect and clone repo
+    repo_info = src.split('+')
+    tmp_dest = None
+
+    if len(repo_info) > 1:
+        vcs, url = repo_info
+        tmp_dest = 'djstartproject_tmp_%s' % dest
+        fnull = open(os.devnull, 'w')
+        print "Cloning template from %s" % url
+        subprocess.call([vcs, 'clone', url, tmp_dest], stdout = fnull, stderr = fnull)
+        src = tmp_dest
+
     # Get any boilerplate replacement variables:
     replace = {}
     for var, help, default in utils.get_boilerplate(src, project_name):
@@ -45,3 +59,7 @@ def start_project():
         replace[var] = value
 
     utils.copy_template(src, dest, replace)
+
+    # Cleanup repo clone
+    if tmp_dest != None:
+        shutil.rmtree(tmp_dest)