diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index ed01db7..0a4f1b0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Markdown Preview package
 [![macOS Build Status](https://travis-ci.org/atom/markdown-preview.svg?branch=master)](https://travis-ci.org/atom/markdown-preview) [![Windows Build Status](https://ci.appveyor.com/api/projects/status/bvh0evhh4v6w9b29/branch/master?svg=true)](https://ci.appveyor.com/project/Atom/markdown-preview/branch/master) [![Dependency Status](https://david-dm.org/atom/markdown-preview.svg)](https://david-dm.org/atom/markdown-preview)
 
-Show the rendered HTML markdown to the right of the current editor using <kbd>ctrl-shift-m</kbd>.
+Show the rendered HTML markdown next to the current editor using <kbd>ctrl-shift-m</kbd>.
 
 It is currently enabled for `.markdown`, `.md`, `.mdown`, `.mkd`, `.mkdown`, `.ron`, and `.txt` files.
 
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ It is currently enabled for `.markdown`, `.md`, `.mdown`, `.mkd`, `.mkdown`, `.r
 
 ## Customize
 
+You can choose in which direction to show the preview (`right` or `down`), or even to show the preview in a new tab in the current pane (`none`) by using the Split Pane Direction in the __package settings__.
+
 By default Markdown Preview uses the colors of the active syntax theme. Enable `Use GitHub.com style` in the __package settings__ to make it look closer to how markdown files get rendered on github.com.
 
 ![markdown-preview GitHub style](https://cloud.githubusercontent.com/assets/378023/10013087/24ccc7ec-6149-11e5-97ea-53a842a715ea.png)
diff --git a/lib/main.coffee b/lib/main.coffee
index c700829..fd548bf 100644
--- a/lib/main.coffee
+++ b/lib/main.coffee
@@ -96,8 +96,9 @@ module.exports =
     previousActivePane = atom.workspace.getActivePane()
     options =
       searchAllPanes: true
-    if atom.config.get('markdown-preview.openPreviewInSplitPane')
-      options.split = 'right'
+    splitPane = atom.config.get('markdown-preview.splitPaneDirection')
+    if splitPane isnt 'none'
+      options.split = splitPane
     atom.workspace.open(uri, options).then (markdownPreviewView) ->
       if isMarkdownPreviewView(markdownPreviewView)
         previousActivePane.activate()
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 767b7c5..09ae03b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,10 +33,11 @@
       "default": true,
       "description": "Re-render the preview as the contents of the source changes, without requiring the source buffer to be saved. If disabled, the preview is re-rendered only when the buffer is saved to disk."
     },
-    "openPreviewInSplitPane": {
-      "type": "boolean",
-      "default": true,
-      "description": "Open the preview in a split pane. If disabled, the preview is opened in a new tab in the same pane."
+    "splitPaneDirection": {
+      "type": "string",
+      "default": "right",
+      "enum": ["none", "right", "down"],
+      "description": "Whether to open the preview in a split pane, and if so the direction in which to open it. If `none`, the preview is opened in a new tab in the same pane."
     },
     "allowUnsafeProtocols": {
       "type": "boolean",
diff --git a/spec/markdown-preview-spec.coffee b/spec/markdown-preview-spec.coffee
index ef4765b..8ae1140 100644
--- a/spec/markdown-preview-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/markdown-preview-spec.coffee
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ temp = require('temp').track()
 MarkdownPreviewView = require '../lib/markdown-preview-view'
 
 describe "Markdown Preview", ->
+  previewPane = null
   preview = null
 
   beforeEach ->
@@ -24,21 +25,45 @@ describe "Markdown Preview", ->
     runs ->
       spyOn(atom.packages, 'hasActivatedInitialPackages').andReturn true
 
-  expectPreviewInSplitPane = ->
+  expectPreviewInSplitPane = (orientation='horizontal') ->
     waitsFor -> atom.workspace.getCenter().getPanes().length is 2
 
     waitsFor "markdown preview to be created", ->
-      preview = atom.workspace.getCenter().getPanes()[1].getActiveItem()
+      previewPane = atom.workspace.getCenter().getPanes()[1]
+      preview = previewPane.getActiveItem()
 
     runs ->
       expect(preview).toBeInstanceOf(MarkdownPreviewView)
       expect(preview.getPath()).toBe atom.workspace.getActivePaneItem().getPath()
+      expect(previewPane.getParent().getOrientation()).toBe orientation
 
   describe "when a preview has not been created for the file", ->
-    it "displays a markdown preview in a split pane", ->
+    it "displays a markdown preview in a split pane (right by default)", ->
       waitsForPromise -> atom.workspace.open("subdir/file.markdown")
       runs -> atom.commands.dispatch atom.workspace.getActiveTextEditor().getElement(), 'markdown-preview:toggle'
-      expectPreviewInSplitPane()
+      expectPreviewInSplitPane('horizontal')
+
+      runs ->
+        [editorPane] = atom.workspace.getPanes()
+        expect(editorPane.getItems()).toHaveLength 1
+        expect(editorPane.isActive()).toBe true
+
+    it "displays a markdown preview in a split pane (right)", ->
+      atom.config.set 'markdown-preview.splitPaneDirection', 'right'
+      waitsForPromise -> atom.workspace.open("subdir/file.markdown")
+      runs -> atom.commands.dispatch atom.workspace.getActiveTextEditor().getElement(), 'markdown-preview:toggle'
+      expectPreviewInSplitPane('horizontal')
+
+      runs ->
+        [editorPane] = atom.workspace.getPanes()
+        expect(editorPane.getItems()).toHaveLength 1
+        expect(editorPane.isActive()).toBe true
+
+    it "displays a markdown preview in a split pane (down)", ->
+      atom.config.set 'markdown-preview.splitPaneDirection', 'down'
+      waitsForPromise -> atom.workspace.open("subdir/file.markdown")
+      runs -> atom.commands.dispatch atom.workspace.getActiveTextEditor().getElement(), 'markdown-preview:toggle'
+      expectPreviewInSplitPane('vertical')
 
       runs ->
         [editorPane] = atom.workspace.getCenter().getPanes()