diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4b983ac0..4ea88989 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -142,17 +142,38 @@ below) to define the expected behavior for a set of inputs. To enable or disable
 rules within a file, add one of these markers to the appropriate place (HTML
 comments don't appear in the final markup):
 
-* Disable all rules: `<!-- markdownlint-disable -->`
-* Enable all rules: `<!-- markdownlint-enable -->`
-* Disable one or more rules: `<!-- markdownlint-disable MD001 MD002 -->`
-* Enable one or more rules: `<!-- markdownlint-enable MD001 MD002 -->`
+* Disable all rules unconditionally: `<!-- markdownlint-disable -->`
+* Enable all rules unconditionally: `<!-- markdownlint-enable -->`
+* Disable one or more rules by name: `<!-- markdownlint-disable MD001 MD005 -->`
+* Enable one or more rules by name: `<!-- markdownlint-enable MD001 MD005 -->`
+* Capture the current rule configuration: `<!-- markdownlint-capture -->`
+* Restore the captured rule configuration: `<!-- markdownlint-restore -->`
 
 For example:
 
 ```markdown
-<!-- markdownlint-disable MD037 -->
+<!-- markdownlint-disable no-space-in-emphasis -->
 deliberate space * in * emphasis
-<!-- markdownlint-enable MD037 -->
+<!-- markdownlint-enable no-space-in-emphasis -->
+```
+
+To temporarily disable rule(s), then restore the former configuration:
+
+```markdown
+<!-- markdownlint-capture -->
+<!-- markdownlint-disable -->
+any violations you want
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+```
+
+The initial configuration is captured by default (as if every document began
+with `<!-- markdownlint-capture -->`), so the pattern above can be expressed
+more simply:
+
+```markdown
+<!-- markdownlint-disable -->
+any violations you want
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
 ```
 
 Changes take effect starting with the line a comment is on, so the following
diff --git a/helpers/helpers.js b/helpers/helpers.js
index 8f21e800..0bd8d8e2 100644
--- a/helpers/helpers.js
+++ b/helpers/helpers.js
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ module.exports.frontMatterRe =
 
 // Regular expression for matching inline disable/enable comments
 const inlineCommentRe =
-  /<!--\s*markdownlint-(dis|en)able((?:\s+[a-z0-9_-]+)*)\s*-->/ig;
+  // eslint-disable-next-line max-len
+  /<!--\s*markdownlint-(disable|enable|capture|restore)((?:\s+[a-z0-9_-]+)*)\s*-->/ig;
 module.exports.inlineCommentRe = inlineCommentRe;
 
 // Regular expressions for range matching
diff --git a/lib/markdownlint.js b/lib/markdownlint.js
index 68c75ddf..2b80a19a 100644
--- a/lib/markdownlint.js
+++ b/lib/markdownlint.js
@@ -255,16 +255,24 @@ function getEnabledRulesPerLineNumber(
     allRuleNames.push(ruleName);
     enabledRules[ruleName] = !!effectiveConfig[ruleName];
   });
+  let capturedRules = enabledRules;
   function forMatch(match) {
-    const enabled = match[1].toUpperCase() === "EN";
-    const items = match[2] ?
-      match[2].trim().toUpperCase().split(/\s+/) :
-      allRuleNames;
-    items.forEach(function forItem(nameUpper) {
-      (aliasToRuleNames[nameUpper] || []).forEach(function forRule(ruleName) {
-        enabledRules[ruleName] = enabled;
+    const action = match[1].toUpperCase();
+    if (action === "CAPTURE") {
+      capturedRules = { ...enabledRules };
+    } else if (action === "RESTORE") {
+      enabledRules = { ...capturedRules };
+    } else {
+      const enabled = (action === "ENABLE");
+      const items = match[2] ?
+        match[2].trim().toUpperCase().split(/\s+/) :
+        allRuleNames;
+      items.forEach(function forItem(nameUpper) {
+        (aliasToRuleNames[nameUpper] || []).forEach(function forRule(ruleName) {
+          enabledRules[ruleName] = enabled;
+        });
       });
-    });
+    }
   }
   const enabledRulesPerLineNumber = new Array(1 + frontMatterLines.length);
   lines.forEach(function forLine(line) {
diff --git a/test/inline-capture-restore.json b/test/inline-capture-restore.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3baf5c1e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/inline-capture-restore.json
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+{
+  "default": true,
+  "no-hard-tabs": false
+}
diff --git a/test/inline-capture-restore.md b/test/inline-capture-restore.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..56355eba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/inline-capture-restore.md
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+# Inline Capture/Restore
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis {MD037}
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-disable -->
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis {MD037}
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-disable no-space-in-emphasis -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-disable -->
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis {MD037}
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-disable no-space-in-emphasis -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-capture -->
+<!-- markdownlint-disable -->
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-enable no-hard-tabs -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-enable no-hard-tabs -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-capture -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-enable -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis {MD037}
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code {MD038}
+
+<!-- markdownlint-disable no-space-in-code -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+
+<!-- markdownlint-capture --><!-- markdownlint-disable -->
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+<!-- markdownlint-restore -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+
+<!-- markdownlint-disable no-hard-tabs -->
+
+hard	tab
+space * in * emphasis
+space ` in ` code
+
+<!-- markdownlint-restore --> <!-- markdownlint-enable no-space-in-emphasis -->
+
+hard	tab {MD010}
+space * in * emphasis {MD037}
+space ` in ` code