diff --git a/org/html_writer.go b/org/html_writer.go
index f2e75a0..9dfe7ad 100644
--- a/org/html_writer.go
+++ b/org/html_writer.go
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ var listItemStatuses = map[string]string{
 }
 
 var cleanHeadlineTitleForHTMLAnchorRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`</?a[^>]*>`) // nested a tags are not valid HTML
+var tocHeadlineMaxLvlRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(`headlines\s+(\d+)`)
 
 func NewHTMLWriter() *HTMLWriter {
 	defaultConfig := New()
@@ -100,7 +101,10 @@ func (w *HTMLWriter) Before(d *Document) {
 		}
 		w.WriteString(fmt.Sprintf(`<h1 class="title">%s</h1>`+"\n", title))
 	}
-	w.WriteOutline(d)
+	if w.document.GetOption("toc") != "nil" {
+		maxLvl, _ := strconv.Atoi(w.document.GetOption("toc"))
+		w.WriteOutline(d, maxLvl)
+	}
 }
 
 func (w *HTMLWriter) After(d *Document) {
@@ -168,6 +172,11 @@ func (w *HTMLWriter) WriteDrawer(d Drawer) {
 func (w *HTMLWriter) WriteKeyword(k Keyword) {
 	if k.Key == "HTML" {
 		w.WriteString(k.Value + "\n")
+	} else if k.Key == "TOC" {
+		if m := tocHeadlineMaxLvlRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(k.Value); m != nil {
+			maxLvl, _ := strconv.Atoi(m[1])
+			w.WriteOutline(w.document, maxLvl)
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -207,9 +216,8 @@ func (w *HTMLWriter) WriteFootnotes(d *Document) {
 	w.WriteString("</div>\n</div>\n")
 }
 
-func (w *HTMLWriter) WriteOutline(d *Document) {
-	if w.document.GetOption("toc") != "nil" && len(d.Outline.Children) != 0 {
-		maxLvl, _ := strconv.Atoi(w.document.GetOption("toc"))
+func (w *HTMLWriter) WriteOutline(d *Document, maxLvl int) {
+	if len(d.Outline.Children) != 0 {
 		w.WriteString("<nav>\n<ul>\n")
 		for _, section := range d.Outline.Children {
 			w.writeSection(section, maxLvl)
diff --git a/org/testdata/keywords.html b/org/testdata/keywords.html
index 06c3e27..20b3f98 100644
--- a/org/testdata/keywords.html
+++ b/org/testdata/keywords.html
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+<div id="outline-container-headline-1" class="outline-2">
+<h2 id="headline-1">
+captions, custom attributes and more
+</h2>
+<div id="outline-text-headline-1" class="outline-text-2">
 <figure>
 <div class="src src-sh a b c d" id="it">
 <div class="highlight">
@@ -26,3 +31,29 @@ named block
 </div>
 </div>
 <p>#not a comment because there&#39;s no space after the hashtag</p>
+</div>
+</div>
+<div id="outline-container-headline-2" class="outline-2">
+<h2 id="headline-2">
+table of contents
+</h2>
+<div id="outline-text-headline-2" class="outline-text-2">
+<p>A table of contents can be rendered anywhere in the document by using</p>
+<div class="src src-org">
+<div class="highlight">
+<pre>
+#+TOC: headlines $n
+</pre>
+</div>
+</div>
+<p>Where <code class="verbatim">$n</code> is the max headline lvl that will be included. You can use <code class="verbatim">headlines 0</code> to include all headlines.</p>
+<nav>
+<ul>
+<li><a href="#headline-1">captions, custom attributes and more</a>
+</li>
+<li><a href="#headline-2">table of contents</a>
+</li>
+</ul>
+</nav>
+</div>
+</div>
diff --git a/org/testdata/keywords.org b/org/testdata/keywords.org
index dc59ed1..d674b32 100644
--- a/org/testdata/keywords.org
+++ b/org/testdata/keywords.org
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-
+#+OPTIONS: toc:nil
+* captions, custom attributes and more
 #+CAPTION: and _multiple_
 #+CAPTION: lines of *captions*!
 #+ATTR_HTML: :class a b
@@ -23,3 +24,11 @@ named block
 
 # comments must have whitespace after the hashtag
 #not a comment because there's no space after the hashtag
+
+* table of contents
+A table of contents can be rendered anywhere in the document by using
+#+begin_src org
+,#+TOC: headlines $n
+#+end_src
+Where =$n= is the max headline lvl that will be included. You can use =headlines 0= to include all headlines.
+#+TOC: headlines 0
diff --git a/org/testdata/keywords.pretty_org b/org/testdata/keywords.pretty_org
index 2e309eb..095d7ca 100644
--- a/org/testdata/keywords.pretty_org
+++ b/org/testdata/keywords.pretty_org
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-
+#+OPTIONS: toc:nil
+* captions, custom attributes and more
 #+CAPTION: and _multiple_
 #+CAPTION: lines of *captions*!
 #+ATTR_HTML: :class a b
@@ -23,3 +24,11 @@ named block
 
 # comments must have whitespace after the hashtag
 #not a comment because there's no space after the hashtag
+
+* table of contents
+A table of contents can be rendered anywhere in the document by using
+#+BEGIN_SRC org
+,#+TOC: headlines $n
+#+END_SRC
+Where =$n= is the max headline lvl that will be included. You can use =headlines 0= to include all headlines.
+#+TOC: headlines 0