diff --git a/src/create-matcher.js b/src/create-matcher.js
index fcb8a8092..e7d308c7d 100644
--- a/src/create-matcher.js
+++ b/src/create-matcher.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { decode } from './util/query'
 export type Matcher = {
   match: (raw: RawLocation, current?: Route, redirectedFrom?: Location) => Route;
   addRoutes: (routes: Array<RouteConfig>) => void;
+  addRoute: (parentNameOrRoute: string | RouteConfig, route?: RouteConfig) => void;
 };
 
 export function createMatcher (
@@ -24,6 +25,12 @@ export function createMatcher (
     createRouteMap(routes, pathList, pathMap, nameMap)
   }
 
+  function addRoute (parentOrRoute, route) {
+    const parent = (typeof parentOrRoute !== 'object') ? nameMap[parentOrRoute] : undefined
+    // $flow-disable-line
+    createRouteMap([route || parentOrRoute], pathList, pathMap, nameMap, parent)
+  }
+
   function match (
     raw: RawLocation,
     currentRoute?: Route,
@@ -167,6 +174,7 @@ export function createMatcher (
 
   return {
     match,
+    addRoute,
     addRoutes
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/create-route-map.js b/src/create-route-map.js
index 01c0836d2..8d74bcd60 100644
--- a/src/create-route-map.js
+++ b/src/create-route-map.js
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@ export function createRouteMap (
   routes: Array<RouteConfig>,
   oldPathList?: Array<string>,
   oldPathMap?: Dictionary<RouteRecord>,
-  oldNameMap?: Dictionary<RouteRecord>
+  oldNameMap?: Dictionary<RouteRecord>,
+  parentRoute?: RouteRecord
 ): {
   pathList: Array<string>,
   pathMap: Dictionary<RouteRecord>,
@@ -22,7 +23,7 @@ export function createRouteMap (
   const nameMap: Dictionary<RouteRecord> = oldNameMap || Object.create(null)
 
   routes.forEach(route => {
-    addRouteRecord(pathList, pathMap, nameMap, route)
+    addRouteRecord(pathList, pathMap, nameMap, route, parentRoute)
   })
 
   // ensure wildcard routes are always at the end
diff --git a/src/index.js b/src/index.js
index 3eda7f778..bc6a27585 100644
--- a/src/index.js
+++ b/src/index.js
@@ -244,6 +244,13 @@ export default class VueRouter {
     }
   }
 
+  addRoute (parentOrRoute: string | RouteConfig, route?: RouteConfig) {
+    this.matcher.addRoute(parentOrRoute, route)
+    if (this.history.current !== START) {
+      this.history.transitionTo(this.history.getCurrentLocation())
+    }
+  }
+
   addRoutes (routes: Array<RouteConfig>) {
     this.matcher.addRoutes(routes)
     if (this.history.current !== START) {
diff --git a/test/unit/specs/create-matcher.spec.js b/test/unit/specs/create-matcher.spec.js
index b6d79e5ae..e2caacd76 100644
--- a/test/unit/specs/create-matcher.spec.js
+++ b/test/unit/specs/create-matcher.spec.js
@@ -22,6 +22,38 @@ describe('Creating Matcher', function () {
     process.env.NODE_ENV = 'production'
   })
 
+  it('can add nested routes', function () {
+    const component = { name: 'fake' }
+    const matcher = createMatcher([
+      {
+        path: '/p',
+        name: 'parent',
+        children: [
+          { path: 'a', name: 'a', component },
+          {
+            path: 'c',
+            name: 'child',
+            component,
+            children: [{ path: 'n', name: 'nested', component }]
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      {
+        // easier to debug tests
+        path: '*', name: 'not-found', component
+      }
+    ])
+
+    matcher.addRoute({ path: '/b', name: 'b', component })
+    matcher.addRoute('parent', { path: 'b', name: 'p-b', component })
+    matcher.addRoute('child', { path: 'b', name: 'p-c-b', component })
+
+    expect(matcher.match('/b').name).toBe('b')
+    expect(matcher.match('/p/b').name).toBe('p-b')
+    expect(matcher.match('/p/c/b').name).toBe('p-c-b')
+    expect(matcher.match('/p/c/n').name).toBe('nested')
+  })
+
   it('in development, has logged a warning if a named route does not exist', function () {
     process.env.NODE_ENV = 'development'
     const { name, matched } = match({ name: 'bar' }, routes[0])