diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 1fe76f80..1b5ad9bc 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
         to automatically define a default link text before prompting the user.
     -   Option to inhibit the prompt for a tooltip text via
         `markdown-disable-tooltip-prompt`.
+    -   Allow insertion of text taged footnotes.
 
 *   Improvements:
     -   Correct indirect buffer's indentation in `markdown-edit-code-block` [GH-375][]
@@ -26,6 +27,7 @@
     -   Support to display local image with percent encoding file path
     -   Add ability to resize inline image display (`markdown-toggle-inline-images`) without Imagemagick installed in the computer (emulating Org Mode)
     -   Support including braces around the language specification in GFM code blocks
+    -   Custom variable to force footnote recount before insertion
 
 *   Bug fixes:
     -   Fix remaining flyspell overlay in code block or comment issue [GH-311][]
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 216e1802..76d83880 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -830,6 +830,14 @@ provides an interface to all of the possible customizations:
 
   * `markdown-add-footnotes-to-imenu` - Add footnote definitions to
     the end of the imenu index (default: `t`).
+    
+  * `markdown-footnote-default-type` - Wither to insert a number or
+      text tag by default when creating a footnote with
+      `markdown-insert-footnote` (default: `'number`).
+  
+  * `markdown-footnote-always-recalculate-number` - Wither to
+    recalculate the next footnote number when inserting a new number
+    tagged footnote (default: `nil`).
 
   * `comment-auto-fill-only-comments` - variable is made
     buffer-local and set to `nil` by default.  In programming
diff --git a/markdown-mode.el b/markdown-mode.el
index 542de4e8..a45626d0 100644
--- a/markdown-mode.el
+++ b/markdown-mode.el
@@ -2147,6 +2147,18 @@ Depending on your font, some reasonable choices are:
   (concat "^ \\{0,3\\}\\[\\(\\^" markdown-footnote-chars "*?\\)\\]:\\(?:[ \t]+\\|$\\)")
   "Regular expression matching a footnote definition, capturing the label.")
 
+(defcustom markdown-footnote-default-type 'number
+  "Either `number' or `text', indicating what type of footnotes to insert by default."
+  :group 'markdown
+  :type 'symbol
+  :package-version '(markdown-mode . "2.5"))
+
+(defcustom markdown-footnote-always-recalculate-number nil
+  "Non-nil if the footnote number should be recalculated before each insertion."
+  :group 'markdown
+  :type 'bool
+  :safe 'booleanp)
+
 
 ;;; Compatibility =============================================================
 
@@ -4415,7 +4427,8 @@ at the beginning of the block."
 
 (defun markdown-footnote-counter-inc ()
   "Increment `markdown-footnote-counter' and return the new value."
-  (when (= markdown-footnote-counter 0) ; hasn't been updated in this buffer yet.
+  (when (or markdown-footnote-always-recalculate-number
+            (= markdown-footnote-counter 0)) ; hasn't been updated in this buffer yet.
     (save-excursion
       (goto-char (point-min))
       (while (re-search-forward (concat "^\\[\\^\\(" markdown-footnote-chars "*?\\)\\]:")
@@ -4425,16 +4438,24 @@ at the beginning of the block."
             (setq markdown-footnote-counter fn))))))
   (cl-incf markdown-footnote-counter))
 
-(defun markdown-insert-footnote ()
-  "Insert footnote with a new number and move point to footnote definition."
+(defun markdown-insert-footnote (&optional tag)
+  "Insert footnote and move point to footnote definition.
+If TAG is `number', insert a number as the footnote identifier.
+If TAG is `text', ask for text to name the footnote."
   (interactive)
-  (let ((fn (markdown-footnote-counter-inc)))
-    (insert (format "[^%d]" fn))
+  (let ((fn (cond
+             ((equal (or tag markdown-footnote-default-type) 'number)
+              (number-to-string (markdown-footnote-counter-inc)))
+             ((equal (or tag markdown-footnote-default-type) 'text)
+              (read-string "Footnote tag: "))
+             (t
+              (error "Expected 'number or 'text. Found %s" (symbol-name tag))))))
+    (insert (format "[^%s]" fn))
     (markdown-footnote-text-find-new-location)
     (markdown-ensure-blank-line-before)
     (unless (markdown-cur-line-blank-p)
       (insert "\n"))
-    (insert (format "[^%d]: " fn))
+    (insert (format "[^%s]: " fn))
     (markdown-ensure-blank-line-after)))
 
 (defun markdown-footnote-text-find-new-location ()