diff --git a/flow-typed/npm/asciidoctor.js_vx.x.x.js b/flow-typed/npm/asciidoctor.js_vx.x.x.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2060be46e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/flow-typed/npm/asciidoctor.js_vx.x.x.js
@@ -0,0 +1,67 @@
+// flow-typed signature: b7109b7e394ff03ed211118d5af4cff8
+// flow-typed version: <<STUB>>/asciidoctor.js_v1.5.6/flow_v0.69.0
+
+/**
+ * This is an autogenerated libdef stub for:
+ *
+ *   'asciidoctor.js'
+ *
+ * Fill this stub out by replacing all the `any` types.
+ *
+ * Once filled out, we encourage you to share your work with the
+ * community by sending a pull request to:
+ * https://github.com/flowtype/flow-typed
+ */
+
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+/**
+ * We include stubs for each file inside this npm package in case you need to
+ * require those files directly. Feel free to delete any files that aren't
+ * needed.
+ */
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/asciidoctor' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/asciidoctor.min' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/browser/asciidoctor' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/nashorn/asciidoctor' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/node/asciidoctor' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/umd/asciidoctor' {
+  declare module.exports: any;
+}
+
+// Filename aliases
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/asciidoctor.js' {
+  declare module.exports: $Exports<'asciidoctor.js/dist/asciidoctor'>;
+}
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/asciidoctor.min.js' {
+  declare module.exports: $Exports<'asciidoctor.js/dist/asciidoctor.min'>;
+}
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/browser/asciidoctor.js' {
+  declare module.exports: $Exports<'asciidoctor.js/dist/browser/asciidoctor'>;
+}
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/nashorn/asciidoctor.js' {
+  declare module.exports: $Exports<'asciidoctor.js/dist/nashorn/asciidoctor'>;
+}
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/node/asciidoctor.js' {
+  declare module.exports: $Exports<'asciidoctor.js/dist/node/asciidoctor'>;
+}
+declare module 'asciidoctor.js/dist/umd/asciidoctor.js' {
+  declare module.exports: $Exports<'asciidoctor.js/dist/umd/asciidoctor'>;
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 1867d53dd..2e14d0575 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
     "@verdaccio/local-storage": "1.1.2",
     "@verdaccio/streams": "1.0.0",
     "JSONStream": "1.3.2",
+    "asciidoctor.js": "1.5.6",
     "async": "2.6.0",
     "body-parser": "1.18.2",
     "bunyan": "1.8.12",
diff --git a/src/api/web/endpoint/package.js b/src/api/web/endpoint/package.js
index e2f6a48af..5ab515eb8 100644
--- a/src/api/web/endpoint/package.js
+++ b/src/api/web/endpoint/package.js
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 // @flow
 
 import _ from 'lodash';
-import {addScope, addGravatarSupport, deleteProperties, sortByName, DIST_TAGS} from '../../../lib/utils';
+import {addScope, addGravatarSupport, deleteProperties, sortByName, DIST_TAGS, parseReadme} from '../../../lib/utils';
 import {allow} from '../../middleware';
-import marked from 'marked';
 import type {Router} from 'express';
 import type {
   IAuth,
@@ -71,7 +70,7 @@ function addPackageWebApi(route: Router, storage: IStorageHandler, auth: IAuth)
         }
 
         res.set('Content-Type', 'text/plain');
-        next(marked(info.readme || 'ERROR: No README data found!'));
+        next(parseReadme(info.name, info.readme));
       },
     });
   });
diff --git a/src/lib/utils.js b/src/lib/utils.js
index 0285bee8a..3cbb890fb 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils.js
+++ b/src/lib/utils.js
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import _ from 'lodash';
 import createError from 'http-errors';
 import type {Package} from '@verdaccio/types';
 import type {$Request} from 'express';
+import marked from 'marked';
+import asciidoctor from 'asciidoctor.js';
 import type {StringValue} from '../../types';
 
 const Logger = require('./logger');
@@ -437,6 +439,31 @@ function addGravatarSupport(pkgInfo: any) {
   return pkgInfo;
 }
 
+/**
+ * parse package readme - markdown/ascii
+ * @param {String} packageName name of package
+ * @param {String} readme package readme
+ * @return {String} converted html template
+ */
+function parseReadme(packageName: string, readme: string): string {
+  const ascii = asciidoctor();
+  const docTypeIdentifier = new RegExp(/^=+ \w/, 'g');
+
+  // asciidoc
+  if (docTypeIdentifier.test(readme)) {
+    return ascii.convert(readme, {safe: 'safe', attributes: {showtitle: true, icons: 'font'}});
+  }
+
+  if (readme) {
+    return marked(readme);
+  }
+
+  // logs readme not found error
+  Logger.logger.error({packageName}, '@{packageName}: No readme found');
+
+  return marked('ERROR: No README data found!');
+}
+
 export {
   addGravatarSupport,
   deleteProperties,
@@ -458,4 +485,5 @@ export {
   getLatestVersion,
   ErrorCode,
   parseConfigFile,
+  parseReadme,
 };
diff --git a/test/unit/utils.spec.js b/test/unit/utils.spec.js
index c66696773..0f277e5c8 100644
--- a/test/unit/utils.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/utils.spec.js
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 // @flow
 import assert from 'assert';
-import {validateName as validate, convertDistRemoteToLocalTarballUrls}  from '../../src/lib/utils';
+import {validateName as validate, convertDistRemoteToLocalTarballUrls, parseReadme}  from '../../src/lib/utils';
 import {generateGravatarUrl, GRAVATAR_DEFAULT}  from '../../src/utils/user';
 import {spliceURL}  from '../../src/utils/string';
 import Package from "../../src/webui/src/components/Package";
+import Logger, {setup} from '../../src/lib/logger';
+
+setup([]);
 
 describe('Utilities', () => {
 
@@ -110,4 +113,34 @@ describe('Utilities', () => {
       expect(convertDist.versions['1.0.1'].dist.tarball).toEqual(buildURI(host, '1.0.1'));
     });
   });
+
+  describe('parseReadme', () => {
+    test('should pass for ascii/makrdown text to html template', () => {
+      const markdown = '# markdown';
+      const ascii = "= AsciiDoc";
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', markdown)).toEqual('<h1 id="markdown">markdown</h1>\n');
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', ascii)).toEqual('<h1>AsciiDoc</h1>\n');
+    });
+
+    test('should pass for conversion of non-ascii to markdown text', () => {
+      const simpleText = 'simple text';
+      const randomText = '%%%%%**##==';
+      const randomTextNonAscii = 'simple text \n = ascii';
+      const randomTextMarkdown = 'simple text \n # markdown';
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', randomText)).toEqual('<p>%%%%%**##==</p>\n');
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', simpleText)).toEqual('<p>simple text</p>\n');
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', randomTextNonAscii))
+        .toEqual('<p>simple text \n = ascii</p>\n');
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', randomTextMarkdown))
+        .toEqual('<p>simple text </p>\n<h1 id="markdown">markdown</h1>\n');
+    });
+
+    test('should show error for no readme data', () => {
+      const noData = '';
+      const spy = jest.spyOn(Logger.logger, 'error')
+      expect(parseReadme('testPackage', noData))
+        .toEqual('<p>ERROR: No README data found!</p>\n');
+      expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalledWith({'packageName': 'testPackage'}, '@{packageName}: No readme found');
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index eb4f30aba..cd2a2818c 100644
Binary files a/yarn.lock and b/yarn.lock differ