diff --git a/lib/linguist/language.rb b/lib/linguist/language.rb
index a8dc8f9f..487f2724 100644
--- a/lib/linguist/language.rb
+++ b/lib/linguist/language.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ module Linguist
     @alias_index     = {}
 
     @extension_index          = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = [] }
+    @interpreter_index        = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = [] }
     @filename_index           = Hash.new { |h,k| h[k] = [] }
     @primary_extension_index  = {}
 
@@ -71,6 +72,10 @@ module Linguist
 
       @primary_extension_index[language.primary_extension] = language
 
+      language.interpreters.each do |interpreter|
+        @interpreter_index[interpreter] << language
+      end
+
       language.filenames.each do |filename|
         @filename_index[filename] << language
       end
@@ -101,6 +106,8 @@ module Linguist
         data = data.call() if data.respond_to?(:call)
         if data.nil? || data == ""
           nil
+        elsif result = find_by_shebang(data)
+          result.first
         elsif result = Classifier.classify(Samples::DATA, data, possible_languages.map(&:name)).first
           Language[result[0]]
         end
@@ -162,6 +169,20 @@ module Linguist
       langs.compact.uniq
     end
 
+    # Public: Look up Languages by shebang line.
+    #
+    # data - Array of tokens or String data to analyze.
+    #
+    # Examples
+    #
+    #   Language.find_by_shebang("#!/bin/bash\ndate;")
+    #   # => [#<Language name="Bash">]
+    #
+    # Returns the matching Language
+    def self.find_by_shebang(data)
+      @interpreter_index[Linguist.interpreter_from_shebang(data)]
+    end
+
     # Public: Look up Language by its name or lexer.
     #
     # name - The String name of the Language
@@ -247,6 +268,7 @@ module Linguist
 
       # Set extensions or default to [].
       @extensions = attributes[:extensions] || []
+      @interpreters = attributes[:interpreters]   || []
       @filenames  = attributes[:filenames]  || []
 
       unless @primary_extension = attributes[:primary_extension]
@@ -359,6 +381,15 @@ module Linguist
     # Returns the extension String.
     attr_reader :primary_extension
 
+    # Public: Get interpreters
+    #
+    # Examples
+    #
+    #   # => ['awk', 'gawk', 'mawk' ...]
+    #
+    # Returns the interpreters Array
+    attr_reader :interpreters
+
     # Public: Get filenames
     #
     # Examples
@@ -452,11 +483,13 @@ module Linguist
   end
 
   extensions = Samples::DATA['extnames']
+  interpreters = Samples::DATA['interpreters']
   filenames = Samples::DATA['filenames']
   popular = YAML.load_file(File.expand_path("../popular.yml", __FILE__))
 
   YAML.load_file(File.expand_path("../languages.yml", __FILE__)).each do |name, options|
     options['extensions'] ||= []
+    options['interpreters'] ||= []
     options['filenames'] ||= []
 
     if extnames = extensions[name]
@@ -467,6 +500,18 @@ module Linguist
       end
     end
 
+    if interpreters == nil
+      interpreters = {}
+    end
+
+    if interpreter_names = interpreters[name]
+      interpreter_names.each do |interpreter|
+        if !options['interpreters'].include?(interpreter)
+          options['interpreters'] << interpreter
+        end
+      end
+    end
+
     if fns = filenames[name]
       fns.each do |filename|
         if !options['filenames'].include?(filename)
@@ -487,6 +532,7 @@ module Linguist
       :searchable        => options.key?('searchable') ? options['searchable'] : true,
       :search_term       => options['search_term'],
       :extensions        => options['extensions'].sort,
+      :interpreters      => options['interpreters'].sort,
       :primary_extension => options['primary_extension'],
       :filenames         => options['filenames'],
       :popular           => popular.include?(name)
diff --git a/lib/linguist/samples.rb b/lib/linguist/samples.rb
index d9099385..27ba218e 100644
--- a/lib/linguist/samples.rb
+++ b/lib/linguist/samples.rb
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ module Linguist
             yield({
               :path     => File.join(dirname, filename),
               :language => category,
+              :interpreter => File.exist?(filename) ? Linguist.interpreter_from_shebang(File.read(filename)) : nil,
               :extname  => File.extname(filename)
             })
           end
@@ -67,6 +68,7 @@ module Linguist
     def self.data
       db = {}
       db['extnames'] = {}
+      db['interpreters'] = {}
       db['filenames'] = {}
 
       each do |sample|
@@ -80,6 +82,14 @@ module Linguist
           end
         end
 
+        if sample[:interpreter]
+          db['interpreters'][language_name] ||= []
+          if !db['interpreters'][language_name].include?(sample[:interpreter])
+            db['interpreters'][language_name] << sample[:interpreter]
+            db['interpreters'][language_name].sort!
+          end
+        end
+
         if sample[:filename]
           db['filenames'][language_name] ||= []
           db['filenames'][language_name] << sample[:filename]
@@ -95,4 +105,32 @@ module Linguist
       db
     end
   end
+
+  # Used to retrieve the interpreter from the shebang line of a file's
+  # data.
+  def self.interpreter_from_shebang(data)
+    lines = data.lines
+
+    if lines.any? && (match = lines[0].match(/(.+)\n?/)) && (bang = match[0]) =~ /^#!/
+      bang.sub!(/^#! /, '#!')
+      tokens = bang.split(' ')
+      pieces = tokens.first.split('/')
+
+      if pieces.size > 1
+        script = pieces.last
+      else
+        script = pieces.first.sub('#!', '')
+      end
+
+      script = script == 'env' ? tokens[1] : script
+
+      # "python2.6" -> "python"
+      if script =~ /((?:\d+\.?)+)/
+        script.sub! $1, ''
+      end
+
+      script
+    end
+  end
+
 end