diff --git a/src/lib/utils/options/readers/typedoc.ts b/src/lib/utils/options/readers/typedoc.ts
index ea8cc3226..44cb5f6af 100644
--- a/src/lib/utils/options/readers/typedoc.ts
+++ b/src/lib/utils/options/readers/typedoc.ts
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export class TypeDocReader implements OptionsReader {
      */
     read(container: Options, logger: Logger): void {
         const path = container.getValue('options');
-        const file = this.findTypedocFile(path, logger);
+        const file = this.findTypedocFile(path);
 
         if (!file) {
             if (!container.isDefault('options')) {
@@ -34,15 +34,43 @@ export class TypeDocReader implements OptionsReader {
             return;
         }
 
-        let data: any = require(file);
-        if (typeof data !== 'object') {
+        const seen = new Set<string>();
+        this.readFile(file, container, logger, seen);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Read the given options file + any extended files.
+     * @param file
+     * @param container
+     * @param logger
+     */
+    private readFile(file: string, container: Options, logger: Logger, seen: Set<string>) {
+        if (seen.has(file)) {
+            logger.error(`Tried to load the options file ${file} multiple times.`);
+            return;
+        }
+        seen.add(file);
+
+        const data: unknown = require(file);
+
+        if (typeof data !== 'object' || !data) {
             logger.error(`The file ${file} is not an object.`);
             return;
         }
+
+        if ('extends' in data) {
+            const extended: string[] = getStringArray(data['extends']);
+            for (const extendedFile of extended) {
+                // Extends is relative to the file it appears in.
+                this.readFile(Path.resolve(Path.dirname(file), extendedFile), container, logger, seen);
+            }
+            delete data['extends'];
+        }
+
         // deprecate: data.src is alias to inputFiles as of 0.16, warn in 0.17, remove in 0.19
         if ('src' in data && !('inputFiles' in data)) {
-            data.inputFiles = Array.isArray(data.src) ? data.src : [data.src];
-            delete data.src;
+            data['inputFiles'] = getStringArray(data['src']);
+            delete data['src'];
         }
 
         container.setValues(data).match({
@@ -63,7 +91,7 @@ export class TypeDocReader implements OptionsReader {
      * @param logger
      * @return the typedoc.(js|json) file path or undefined
      */
-    private findTypedocFile(path: string, logger: Logger): string | undefined {
+    private findTypedocFile(path: string): string | undefined {
         path = Path.resolve(path);
 
         return [
@@ -73,3 +101,7 @@ export class TypeDocReader implements OptionsReader {
         ].find(path => FS.existsSync(path) && FS.statSync(path).isFile());
     }
 }
+
+function getStringArray(arg: unknown): string[] {
+    return Array.isArray(arg) ? arg.map(String) : [String(arg)];
+}
diff --git a/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/circular-extends.json b/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/circular-extends.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c58ddc2d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/circular-extends.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "extends": ["./circular-extends.json"]
+}
diff --git a/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/extends.json b/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/extends.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0cb9c9ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/extends.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+    "extends": "./src.json",
+    "name": "extends"
+}
diff --git a/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/src.json b/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/src.json
index 554b48a2f..676476b9a 100644
--- a/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/src.json
+++ b/src/test/utils/options/readers/data/src.json
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
 {
-    "src": ["a"]
+    "src": ["a"],
+    "name": "src"
 }
diff --git a/src/test/utils/options/readers/typedoc.test.ts b/src/test/utils/options/readers/typedoc.test.ts
index 44db5c4ac..0d363b405 100644
--- a/src/test/utils/options/readers/typedoc.test.ts
+++ b/src/test/utils/options/readers/typedoc.test.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,11 @@ describe('Options - TypeDocReader', () => {
         equal(options.getValue('inputFiles'), ['a']);
     });
 
+    test('Supports extends', join(__dirname, 'data/extends.json'), () => {
+        equal(options.getValue('name'), 'extends');
+        equal(options.getValue('inputFiles'), ['a']);
+    });
+
     function testError(name: string, file: string) {
         it(name, () => {
             options.reset();
@@ -39,6 +44,7 @@ describe('Options - TypeDocReader', () => {
     testError('Errors if the file cannot be found', join(__dirname, 'data/non-existent-file.json'));
     testError('Errors if the data is invalid', join(__dirname, 'data/invalid.json'));
     testError('Errors if any set option errors', join(__dirname, 'data/unknown.json'));
+    testError('Errors if extends results in a loop', join(__dirname, 'data/circular-extends.json'));
 
     it('Does not error if the option file cannot be found but was not set.', () => {
         const options = new class LyingOptions extends Options {