diff --git a/docs/generated/reference/output/reference/api-docs/index.html b/docs/generated/reference/output/reference/api-docs/index.html
index 605c204cb..be63fdbdb 100755
--- a/docs/generated/reference/output/reference/api-docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/generated/reference/output/reference/api-docs/index.html
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ Appears In:
 <td>DNSNames is a list of subject alt names to be used on the Certificate</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
+<td><code>isCA</code><br /> <em>boolean</em></td>
+<td>IsCA will mark this Certificate as valid for signing. This implies that the &#39;signing&#39; usage is set</td>
+</tr>
+<tr>
 <td><code>issuerRef</code><br /> <em><a href="#objectreference-v1alpha1">ObjectReference</a></em></td>
 <td>IssuerRef is a reference to the issuer for this certificate. If the &#39;kind&#39; field is not set, or set to &#39;Issuer&#39;, an Issuer resource with the given name in the same namespace as the Certificate will be used. If the &#39;kind&#39; field is set to &#39;ClusterIssuer&#39;, a ClusterIssuer with the provided name will be used. The &#39;name&#39; field in this stanza is required at all times.</td>
 </tr>
diff --git a/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/types_certificate.go b/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/types_certificate.go
index bdd5ded01..05201866c 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/types_certificate.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/certmanager/v1alpha1/types_certificate.go
@@ -68,6 +68,10 @@ type CertificateSpec struct {
 	// The 'name' field in this stanza is required at all times.
 	IssuerRef ObjectReference `json:"issuerRef"`
 
+	// IsCA will mark this Certificate as valid for signing.
+	// This implies that the 'signing' usage is set
+	IsCA bool `json:"isCA,omitempty"`
+
 	// ACME contains configuration specific to ACME Certificates.
 	// Notably, this contains details on how the domain names listed on this
 	// Certificate resource should be 'solved', i.e. mapping HTTP01 and DNS01
diff --git a/pkg/apis/certmanager/validation/certificate_for_issuer.go b/pkg/apis/certmanager/validation/certificate_for_issuer.go
index 36ddc9aca..be236b31a 100644
--- a/pkg/apis/certmanager/validation/certificate_for_issuer.go
+++ b/pkg/apis/certmanager/validation/certificate_for_issuer.go
@@ -55,6 +55,10 @@ func ValidateCertificateForACMEIssuer(crt *v1alpha1.CertificateSpec, issuer *v1a
 		el = append(el, field.Invalid(specPath.Child("keyAlgorithm"), crt.KeyAlgorithm, "ACME key algorithm must be RSA"))
 	}
 
+	if crt.IsCA {
+		el = append(el, field.Invalid(specPath.Child("isCA"), crt.KeyAlgorithm, "ACME does not support CA certificates"))
+	}
+
 	return el
 }
 
@@ -67,6 +71,10 @@ func ValidateCertificateForCAIssuer(crt *v1alpha1.CertificateSpec, issuer *v1alp
 func ValidateCertificateForVaultIssuer(crt *v1alpha1.CertificateSpec, issuer *v1alpha1.IssuerSpec, specPath *field.Path) field.ErrorList {
 	el := field.ErrorList{}
 
+	if crt.IsCA {
+		el = append(el, field.Invalid(specPath.Child("isCA"), crt.KeyAlgorithm, "Vault issuer does not currently support CA certificates"))
+	}
+
 	return el
 }
 
diff --git a/pkg/util/pki/csr.go b/pkg/util/pki/csr.go
index ab16bba3d..8e3a577f6 100644
--- a/pkg/util/pki/csr.go
+++ b/pkg/util/pki/csr.go
@@ -107,11 +107,16 @@ func GenerateTemplate(issuer v1alpha1.GenericIssuer, crt *v1alpha1.Certificate,
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	keyUsages := x509.KeyUsageDigitalSignature | x509.KeyUsageKeyEncipherment
+	if crt.Spec.IsCA {
+		keyUsages |= x509.KeyUsageCertSign
+	}
 	return &x509.Certificate{
 		Version:               3,
 		BasicConstraintsValid: true,
 		SerialNumber:          serialNumber,
 		SignatureAlgorithm:    sigAlgo,
+		IsCA:                  crt.Spec.IsCA,
 		Subject: pkix.Name{
 			Organization: []string{defaultOrganization},
 			CommonName:   commonName,
@@ -119,7 +124,7 @@ func GenerateTemplate(issuer v1alpha1.GenericIssuer, crt *v1alpha1.Certificate,
 		NotBefore: time.Now(),
 		NotAfter:  time.Now().Add(defaultNotAfter),
 		// see http://golang.org/pkg/crypto/x509/#KeyUsage
-		KeyUsage: x509.KeyUsageDigitalSignature | x509.KeyUsageKeyEncipherment,
+		KeyUsage: keyUsages,
 		DNSNames: dnsNames,
 	}, nil
 }